Next Atlanta Hosts an Intimate Night of Art and Reflection at Whitespace Gallery
By Adrianne Murchison
Publish Date: October 22, 2025
On a warm Friday evening, Whitespace Gallery’s backyard in Atlanta’s historic Inman Park became a gathering place for creativity, community, and reflection.
Next Atlanta hosted Film, Art & Conversation: A Salon Under the Stars, an event devoted to the role of art in shaping social consciousness.
“Next wanted to be able to bring forward amazing artists to speak to and reflect the times,” Co-Founder and Executive Director Faith Carmichael said.
Founded by Susan Bridges in 2006, Whitespace Gallery provided a living-room-style setting beneath the night sky as Carmichael introduced a screening of the concert film, “The Next Movement,” produced by Next Atlanta in partnership with MARTA Artbound.
Next Atlanta is a network of local artists and activists dedicated to nurturing, supporting and elevating aspiring creatives.
The film features performances by poet Jon Goode, pianist and vocalist CC Sunchild, cellist Okorie “OkCello” Johnson, and poet and actor Carlos Andres Gomez, all filmed aboard a MARTA train.
Before the screening, Goode — an Emmy-nominated writer — performed for the audience and moderated a discussion with visual artists Tracy Murrell and Charly Palmer.
Goode’s two storytelling pieces set the tone — one a brand-new work capturing the feeling of today’s head-spinning times, contrasted with his childhood in Richmond, Virginia; the other tracing his path to becoming a full-time artist, recalling how a former boss once took him to a spoken word event at the former Yin Yang Music Café.
“It changed my life,” he said. “It’s just wild how the art can find you.”
Murrell shared how, in the 1990s, she believed she had found her dream career in the music industry, until disillusionment set in.
“I decided I would either have to change my value system or leave, and that’s what I did. I started painting to reduce anxiety while I tried to figure out what was next for my life, she said.
Murrell learned of the work of the first Black female cartoonist, Jackie Ormes, who became her inspiration. Today, Murrell creates paintings that depict people of color in calming shades of blue — works intended to evoke peace and provide a visual space to rest.
Palmer reflected on his purpose as an artist and emphasized the importance of giving back and sharing what he’s learned with emerging creatives.
His list of clients and accolades is extensive. Most notably, he designed TIME magazine’s July 2020 cover following the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and Rayshard Brooks. The powerful illustration, titled In Her Eyes, features a nine-year-old girl who has witnessed and experienced loss and injustice.
“My platform is to express some of the things I’m feeling and thinking, really about trying to share what I believe,” he said. “It’s coming from a genuine, loving, and inspirational place.”
The artists also spoke about moments when they’ve felt creatively blocked, often brought on by anger or sadness over events across the country. Goode emphasized that everyone has a role to play, whether it’s to march, to agitate, or to create.
“All are part of progress,” Goode said. “When you feel stuck, it’s important to remember that your voice is needed, and never discount that.”
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