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photo by steed media service
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Graphic Designer
African
American culture has always embraced the arts with great interest, in
part because blacks can truly empathize with the artists’ life
experiences in such a powerful and fundamental way. As a key
contributor to this year’s Heritage Arts Festival in Atlanta’s
Underground district, graphic artist Michael Anderson will see his
individuality put under the microscope as his design is the logo for
the annual event.
“The artwork itself was inspired by interacting with local artists and
it was later chosen to represent the Heritage Arts Festival. They
bought the piece from me and said they wanted to use it indefinitely
because everybody just loves it,” says Anderson. The piece, which is
titled LOCS (Loving Our Creative Spirit), ignited a movement among
other local artists in the Atlanta market eager to see more exposure
for nontraditional art.
“It’s not a nurturing atmosphere here for local artists who are not
well known or who do not really fit into the commercial artists image
like graphic designers, visual artists and people into gaming and urban
design, so we’re kind of like a different set of artists. LOCS is the
front end of us getting together and doing a festival of our own
without expecting the department of commercial affairs to support us,”
explains Anderson.
With many of his previous works having already been featured with such
established art shows as the National Black Arts Festival, Anderson
hopes this year’s Heritage Festival will give local artists an even
greater platform to showcase their talent. –jason thompson
