Stevie Wonder’s music, spun by Atlanta deejay Salah Ananse, provided a warm sonic backdrop on Friday, Feb. 2, from turntables set up in a lounge area of the Thompson Atlanta – Buckhead hotel’s lobby floor. Selected songs like “Happy Birthday” and “Higher Ground” could be heard through the hotel’s sound system on different floors, as far up as the hotel’s rooftop lounge Tesserae.
The crowd was gathered for a first look at “Art Melanated Presents Our Celebration of Stevie Wonder,” a traveling exhibit dedicated to Wonder, and his impact on music and culture.
Credit: Ben Gray
Guests enjoyed cocktails and conversations while observing a variety of paintings, sculptures, photographs and collected artifacts surrounding them on walls, shelves and tables, almost all related to the musical icon. The crowd included a mixture of Atlanta creatives, including entertainment executive Chris Hicks, singer/songwriter Terrence “Scar” Smith and visual artist Charlton Palmer, a.k.a. CP the Artist.
“This show has combined the embodiment and feel of Stevie Wonder,” Palmer said during the opening event. “Some of the best Black artists are in here. I love it. This is a gift to Atlanta from Art Melanated. This is what Atlanta needs.”