Inaugural Cohort for CTR Culture Studios Announced at The CTR
New creative incubator brings artist studios, digital media production, and public cultural programming to the former CNN Center, honoring Atlanta’s legacy while investing in its next generation of cultural voices.
Powered by CP Group and Downtown Atlanta Inc. | In partnership with ASHA Advisory (ASHA), The Creatives Project (TCP), and Fulton County Public Art Futures Lab (PAFL)
Downtown Atlanta Inc. and CP Group’s CTR Culture, the creative and cultural placemaking initiative of The CTR (“Center”), announced the five inaugural participants of CTR Culture Studios, a new creative incubator and platform housed within the historic former CNN Center in Downtown Atlanta.
Funded by CP Group and Downtown Atlanta Inc., and delivered in partnership with ASHA Advisory (ASHA), The Creatives Project (TCP), and Fulton County’s Public Art Futures Lab (PAFL), CTR Culture Studios provides below-market studio and office space to selected applicants among Atlanta’s creative professionals, in addition to digital media infrastructure and opportunities to share their work at The CTR and throughout downtown Atlanta.
The program is designed to give Atlanta-based artists, digital media makers, and cultural practitioners the space and visibility to grow their practices while contributing to the district’s cultural life. By establishing a community of creative professionals working in Downtown and building long-term relationships with the district, the program also creates a pipeline for future public art, digital media, performances, programming, and other creative collaborations across downtown Atlanta.
“Artists are at the heart of any thriving community, and this cohort represents the best of what Atlanta has to offer,” said Neda Abghari, Founder of ASHA Advisory and curator of CTR Culture. “Our goal with CTR Culture Studios is to give artists a real home Downtown, a place to create, collaborate, and easily connect with the public while enabling their small businesses to thrive. We’re thrilled to welcome these five artists into the CTR family and can’t wait for Atlanta to experience what they create here.”
Meet the Inaugural Residents
CTR Culture Studios selected its inaugural cohort through an open call held this summer. Applicants submitted a portfolio, artist statement, CV, and proposals for public-facing activations. A committee of stakeholders representing the partner entities carefully reviewed each application, selecting candidates based on professional merit, the strength of the proposed work, and how well each applicant would contribute to a collaborative studio community. Participants in this first cohort will each take part in a year-long residency, with access to private and shared studio space, resources, and programming throughout their term.
The 2026 cohort represents a cross-section of Atlanta’s creative community, spanning digital media, visual art, and community-based cultural practice:
Interdisciplinary Artist
Carlita Scarboro-Vazquez is an interdisciplinary artist, educator, and creative technologist whose work bridges contemporary art, cultural storytelling, archives, and emerging technology. Through cyanotype, photography, projection mapping, artificial intelligence, digital collage, sound, and installation, she creates immersive experiences exploring memory, ancestry, identity, and community.
Muralist & Illustrator
George F. Baker III (GFB3) is a Nebraska-born, Detroit-grown, and Atlanta-Raised Creator. George graduated from Georgia State University in 2015 with a BFA in Graphic Design. He is a Conversation Creator, Muralist, and Illustrator who loves to connect people with themselves and others.
Grace Kisa (b. Kenya) is an Atlanta-based multidisciplinary artist whose work explores identity, migration, and the interwoven stories of global cultures. Raised across Kenya, Ethiopia, and the United States, Kisa brings a “third culture” perspective to her practice, creating works that reflect the fluidity of home and belonging.
Jordan Young is an Atlanta-based artist advancing media arts through interdisciplinary practice, programming, curation, and education. Recent acknowledgments include the 2026 Emerging Artist Award from the Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, 2025 Fulton County Distinguished Fellow for the Arts, 2025 Hambidge Center Creative Residency Fellow, and 2024 Fulton County Public Art Futures Lab Artist-in-Residence.
Musician & Performance Artist
Sunghee Lee is a haegeum artist who creates new work rooted in Korean traditional music. Through performance, collaboration, and interdisciplinary projects, she explores the expressive possibilities of the haegeum and how sound can create shared experiences across diverse cultural and artistic contexts.
“Being a member of the inaugural class of The CTR Culture Studios Incubator is an amazing honor and I can’t wait to see how the energy of Downtown will influence our work!” shared muralist and illustrator George F. Baker III. “Having the opportunity to develop our art practice and create new public works in the heart of Downtown Atlanta is such a unique experience. Creating public facing activations for Downtown Atlanta immediately inspired me to apply for the residency. I truly can’t wait to see our art echo the beautiful energy emanating from The CTR!”
CTR Culture Studios is a hub for art and digital possibilities, establishing a dynamic platform for artistic production, cultural programming, and public engagement, positioning creativity and innovation at the forefront of downtown Atlanta’s ongoing evolution at The CTR.
The 2026 inaugural cohort will provide at least two public-facing programs and one individual presentation or activation each year, including open studios, talks, workshops, installations, digital/multimedia presentations, or performances. In exchange, each receives below-market-rate space, access to public programming platforms, connections to partner networks, consideration for commission opportunities, and ongoing promotional support throughout The CTR and downtown Atlanta.
The program builds on CTR Culture’s broader vision for The CTR, reimagining the district as a civic platform where creativity is made visible in shared spaces and throughout public life, honoring the building’s history as CNN’s global headquarters by keeping storytelling at the heart of its next chapter. To date, CP Group has invested over $1 million in CTR Culture, including public art and cultural programming; contracted more than 20 creative professionals; provided grant support to over 85 creative industry nonprofits and small businesses; and helped fuel Atlanta’s creative economy.
About CTR Culture Studios
Powered by CP Group and Downtown Atlanta, Inc., and part of a broader collaboration with ASHA Advisory, TCP, and PAFL, CTR Culture Studios is a flagship initiative of CTR Culture and a new model for creative infrastructure powered by leading public and private investment.
Together, these partners share a vision to strengthen Atlanta’s creative ecosystem through access to space and resources, build lasting connections between artists and opportunities across Downtown, celebrate the city’s identity through site-specific and digital storytelling, expand cultural visibility, and position The CTR as a civic platform for connection, creativity, and economic growth.
CTR Culture Studios is honored to serve as the new home of Fulton County’s Public Art Futures Lab. Atlanta-based contemporary dance company T. Lang Dance and the ATL Arts Collective podcast, produced by longtime Atlanta radio leader Kim Drobes, are also based on-site through additional strategic grant investments from CP Group. Community organizations in need of pop-up program space are encouraged to submit grant proposals for consideration on a rolling basis.
Atlanta-based artists and organizations interested in pop-up program space can learn more and submit materials at https://www.ashaadvisory.com/ctr-culture-grants or follow along at @CTRCultureATL
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