FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hambidge Brings Back Annual Auction at The Hive at Uptown with Focus on “Hand, Material, Mind”

ATLANTA, GA —One of Atlanta’s most dynamic art events is shifting to this spring and celebrating craft. We’re once again bringing the spirit of Hambidge into the city, highlighting the generative power of contemporary art and craft. From March through April, we will feature installations, ceramic cups, and hundreds of artworks; host a chef-crafted luncheon and panel; and activate the space with creative events inspired by "Hand, Material, Mind"—all against sweeping city views.

Hambidge’s 31st annual auction will once again take place on the 15th floor of Uptown, the vibrant mixed-use community surrounding the Lindbergh MARTA station, complete with a captivating 360-degree view of the skyline and immersive installations by eleven artists. The auction will open on March 19 with a free opening reception, hosted by the American Craft Council. After a month of programming, artist talks, activations, a panel luncheon, and a curator-led tour, the auction will culminate on April 18 with the auction closing party. As always, the auction party includes a dynamic mix of performances, music, and visual and culinary arts celebrating the vastness of creativity in all its forms—rooted in place and reflective of the vibrant community that gathers around Hambidge.

This year’s auction will showcase over 200 artists from our robust network and the fellow community. We are proud to offer affordable buy-it-now works starting at $200 and coveted auction pieces valued up to $10,000 as well as an entire wall dedicated to ceramic cups and vessels for purchase. Bidders will have the opportunity to take home work by artists like Rocio Rodriguez, Donté K. Hayes, Shanequa Gay, Kandy Lopez, Marcus Kenney, Ron Meyers, Edward Moulthrop, Ato Ribeiro, Natalie Chanin, and more.

As a core component of our new auction model in the Uptown space, we are once again proud to announce collaborations with twelve installation artists: Michi Meko, Noushin Mousavi, Emma Ramirez, Jason Friedes, Charlita, Benjamin Roosevelt, Sayma Hossain, Jasmine Best, Pam Korman, George Long, Laura Bell, and Matt Haffner. These artists were chosen both for how their practices expand on functional materiality and invite audiences to engage with the living traditions of craft. We are thrilled with the work's thematic components which truly represent the essence of Hambidge: a reverence for the environment, an emphasis on communal conversation, the meditative ritual of creative work, and the preservation of memory, place, and tradition. The 2026 Hambidge Hive installations are supported in part by a grant from the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA).

This year, we are proud to be a part of Handwork: Celebrating American Craft 2026, a nationwide Semiquincentennial initiative, presented by Craft in America, to showcase the importance of the handmade both throughout our history and in contemporary life. As a part of this focus on Craft, The American Craft Council (ACC) and The Hambidge Center will host a collaborative opening reception, ATL Ascent, March 19, celebrating Atlanta’s creative community. During the first night of our auction, the ACC plans to unveil details for the 2027 ACC Atlanta Fair. The evening will feature a micro-market of regional craft artists (Nicholas Hall, Metaalia Jewelry, Theresa St. Romain, Deborah Crichton, Sally Morgan, Chase Shuman, Charlotte Smith Studios, and Silica Bruns Glass), artist installations, and remarks from organizational and city leaders. This event is free and open to the public.

For the first time at the Hambidge Hive, we will host a new add-on, daytime chef-crafted luncheon and panel, The Crafted Table, on April 15. This ticketed event will bring together voices from design, culinary, contemporary craft, and the artist community for a conversation about how handmade objects shape the way we gather, nourish, and connect. Using the table as both a literal and symbolic centerpiece, panelists will explore the human stories, materials, and creative processes behind the objects that bring us together—and the importance of time and place in meaningful making. The chef-crafted lunch will be provided by Jessamine Starr. Deputy Director Ife Williams will lead the discussion with Alisa Barry, Laura Flusche, Michi Meko, and Virginia Willis.

We are eager to present new Hive programming and to dedicate our Hambidge Atlanta satellite to the celebration of craft: unique methods of creative production, aesthetic utility, and the elevation of the everyday. We hope the space—inspired by and rooted in craft's enduring lineage—encourages visitors to think critically about contemporary art in all of its forms and mediums.

HaMBIDGE Hive KEY DATES

Artwork Viewing by Appt: March 19-April 17

ATL Ascent: An Artist Reception: Thursday, March 19, free with registration

Artist Talks: March 28

Ticketed Luncheon: The Crafted Table, Wednesday, April 15, purchase tickets and tables

VIP Curator-led Tour: date and details forthcoming

Auction Party: April 18 (tickets on sale in April)

Stay tuned for more Hambidge Hive events and activations through the duration of our auction and after. To support our fundraiser and greater mission, consider becoming a sponsor or patron. For more information, visit hambidgeauction.org or contact Jac Kuntz Goldsmith at jkuntz@hambidge.org.

About Hambidge

Established in 1934, the Hambidge Center nurtures creativity in all walks of life through a multidisciplinary residency program, innovative workshop retreats, environmental initiatives, and community programs on its pristine wooded 600-acre creative sanctuary in the North Georgia Mountains. Through all its programming, Hambidge supports the creative process and presentation of bold ideas while building supportive and inclusive bonds of community. To learn more about Hambidge, visit hambidge.org and follow @hambidgecenter on Facebook and Instagram.

About Uptown

Uptown is a hyper-accessible, 47-acre mixed-use community that brings the best of Atlanta together. As the largest mixed-use development in Atlanta to connect directly with MARTA and the city’s major pedestrian trails, such as the forthcoming Atlanta BeltLine and the South Fork Trail, Uptown combines 120,000 square feet of street-level retail, greenspace and art and one million square feet of Class A office space. Uptown is being redeveloped by private real estate investment management and advisory firm Rubenstein Partners, LP (Rubenstein). Redevelopment plans include upgrading building facades, streetscapes and greenspaces; activating the property with local retail, artist galleries, restaurants and events; and attracting office tenants who value working in a vibrant mixed-use environment. Atlanta has a Downtown, a Midtown, a Buckhead, and now, finally, an Uptown. To learn more about Uptown, visit uptownatlanta.com and follow @UptownAtlanta on Facebook and Instagram.

Announcing the 2026 Hambidge Hive Auction

HaMBIDGE Hive KEY DATES