Future Foundation, Lillian Blades, Atlanta Hawks and National Black Arts Festival Debut 'Urbane Eclectic' at the All-New State Farm Arena

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FUTURE FOUNDATION, LILLIAN BLADES, ATLANTA HAWKS AND NATIONAL BLACK ARTS FESTIVAL DEBUT "URBANE ECLECTIC" AT THE ALL-NEW STATE FARM ARENA

Special collaboration exposes Atlanta youth to the arts and debuts collaborative art piece that will remain a permanent fixture in the newly transformed home of the Hawks.

(ATLANTA, GA) October 22, 2018 - Future Foundation students made history this weekend during the "Welcome to the Neighborhood" Open House Party at the all-new State Farm Arena ! There, they joined award-winning visual artist, Lillian Blades , for the exciting unveiling of their special, " True to Atlanta " inspired collaborative art piece, Urbane Eclectic.

Urbane Eclectic is a mixed-media masterpiece that provides visual connections between the past and the present. The top of the piece suggests the silhouette of Atlanta's downtown skyline, while the bottom portion uses mirrors and reflective materials to allow viewers to see themselves in the art as they pass by.

The 5x7 frames that are scattered throughout the piece were created, in part, by Future Foundation students at a special workshop held this past September that was curated by Amy Parry Projects and done in conjunction with the Atlanta Hawks and the National Black Arts Festival . With this collaboration, the piece truly represents a quilt - a nod to what is both an African and Southern tradition of inviting community members to contribute materials to a larger patchwork piece. The planned movement and material elements of this custom piece literally reflect the Arena's new aesthetic and the spirit of its guests!

"This artwork demonstrates what’s possible when communities come together. The collaboration of accomplished local artists and creative young minds to produce a piece of State Farm Arena history embodies what ‘True to Atlanta’ is all about,” stated Andrea Carter , VP of Corporate Social Responsibility and Inclusion for the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena.

The collaboration was a result of a conversation between art consultant Amy Parry and Qaadirah Abdur-Rahim , CEO of the Future Foundation, when they realized there was an inherent synergy between the artist’s work and the Future Foundation’s mission to expose and educate youth with hands-on experiences.

"At the Future Foundation, we encourage our kids to dream about, invest in and prepare for their futures as well as create legacies of success," confirms Qaadirah Abdur-Rahim. "Our participation in this project embodies the true heart of our mission and we're so very proud that our kids have helped to create tangible proof of what we stand for through this stunning fixture that will live on in the State Farm Arena forever."

Shareef Abdur-Rahim , former Atlanta Hawks forward and founder of the Future Foundation shared, “ I am ecstatic that the Future Foundation partnered with the Atlanta Hawks and the National Black Arts Festival on this project. It has provided us a unique opportunity to expose our youth to the arts and has given them the exciting chance to be part of a permanent mural that will impact the Atlanta community for generations to come!”

The Future Foundation students who contributed to Urbane Eclectic were Rachel Myrick, Amire Gardner, Shayla Lewis, Victoria Kabokola, Zhaniya Albrittian, Jasius Coverson, Giana Richards, Jalyn Moss, Jarel James, Mia Rogers, Zoey Rogers, Ma'Niya Gray, Reshayla Alonza, Niyah Drake, Keegan Hunt, Legend Adams, Derrionna Allmon, Taniya Franklin, Lamaria Thompson, Emily Hardin, Tytianna Ramsey, Khadijatou Sillah, Tanasia Hill, Micah Law, Fatomatou Sillah, DeNiro Hightower, Brian White and Iysis Mobley .

“Art is a way that people express themselves when they may not have the words or platform to convey their feelings. I think that it is really important that children are allowed to have that “voice.” states Lillian Blades . “Working with the youth provides a chance to connect with, and encourage those that are invigorated by art.”

Fans can view Urbane Eclectic at the all-new State Farm Arena, which is one of Atlanta's major performance and sport venues. It is positioned right in front of the Dome/GWCC/State Farm Arena/CNN MARTA station and can be viewed at any time while attending an Atlanta Hawks/Atlanta Dream game, or a concert event.

For more information on the Future Foundation, log on to www.Future-Foundation.com . For more details on all-new State Farm Arena, visit www.StateFarmArena.com .

ABOUT FUTURE FOUNDATION

Founded in 2001, by former Atlanta Hawk and current NBA Vice President of Basketball Operations, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, the Future Foundation’s mission is to level the playing field for underserved Atlanta youth by using their 5 Point Theory of Change approach . The Atlanta based non-profit nurtures students academically, economically and socially, and has successfully graduated 100% of their students from high school since 2007, helping to close the gap between dreams and reality for over 15,000 youth and their families. For more information, visit www.Future-Foundation.com .

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