Atlanta, a city with rich culture and history, is touted as the “city that is not too busy to care.” It is also a perfect example of thriving urban growth and development. Evidence of this can be seen all over Atlanta from its skyscrapers to the many first class restaurants, shops and Atlanta hotels spread throughout the city.

Downtown Atlanta

Like other cities, the downtown Atlanta serves as the heart of the government and business. However, it is not the center of cultural or social scene because it closes it doors after the busy business hours.

Midtown Atlanta

The skyline of Midtown Atlanta is dominated by mighty Atlanta hotels standing side by side with the headquarters of giant businesses such as BellSouth and IBM. This part of the city is also the home to the cultural outlets such as the High Museum of Art, Fabulous Fox Theater, and the Woodruff Arts Center. Known for its cultural diversity, Midtown Atlanta is the home to the city’s gay community. You will also see lots of rainbow flags wind blown from the porches of the wonderfully restored Victorians between 10th Street and Ponce.

Atlanta Hotels

Presenting cozy suites and guestrooms in a vivacious atmosphere, Atlanta hotels are a great way to start a memorable and exciting holiday in Atlanta. Suites and guestrooms in these hotels are fully-equipped with the latest facilities to make sure that their guests enjoy a comfortable stay. The elegant atmosphere of the city as seen from these hotels offers the guests, from all walks of life with the panoramic view of the city skyscrapers. So whether you are in Atlanta for leisure or for business, Atlanta hotels have endless offerings to make the stay of their guests a perfect one.

The city of Atlanta boasts of its top sightseeing attractions, native and diverse culinary delights, shopping extravaganza, and luxury accommodations offered by Atlanta hotels. Tourists may also stroll along the midtown and downtown paradise dotted with souvenir shops and stopovers, evoking the essence of a really culturally diverse city. From arts, history, and religion to the amazingly beautiful hustle and bustle of city life, Atlanta indeed has everything to offer.

Major Atlanta hotels are ideally located close to entertainment and business districts and are very close to any mode of transportation. There are also a lot of popular tourist attractions as well as shopping malls close to the hotels, giving any guests all the convenience and luxury of life!

About the Author

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Nicole Merkens moved to Roswell in 2005 strapped with a Bachelor in Fine Arts from the University of Fine Arts in Philadelphia. However, her move to Georgia would lead to a continuing education through the superb arts programs offered at the Roswell Recreation Center. Upon taking some mixed media and clay classes with husband and wife artists, Frank Shelton and Deborah Fritts, Nicole approached the Heaven Blue Rose Gallery on Canton Street in historic downtown Roswell. The gallery would be the first to feature her inspiring work, with a featured show entitled, “No Rule of Thumb”. This show garnered rave reviews in the AJC, and from there, “things just clicked.”

More gallery shows would follow at other venues, such as the Fine Line Gallery in Grant Park.  Nicole works in several different mediums, including metal, clay, and found objects. Her original focus was in jewelry making, which she now describes as her “little sculptures”, though she found herself increasingly drawn to working in larger creations. Nicole enlightens me, “I love the physicality of working with tools and really getting lost in a piece.” Now, when she finds herself in need of a fix of instant gratification, achieved by quickly finishing a small piece, the artist returns to her “little sculptures”.

A common question for any artist, I had to ask Merkens where she finds the inspiration for her work. “Oh, I find inspiration everywhere; in silly things my kids say, in nature, in junk heaps, in cemeteries, in history. I love the history of my civil war town, and regularly tour the plantation homes and historical spots to get out of my immediate ‘space’ and tap into some other forms of energy.”

As in all aspects of Atlanta business, the economy has impacted the art world, as well. Two of galleries that featured Merkens’ art have been forced to shut their doors, due to the difficult financial times. Although, you can still view her work at the Meditating Mantis Gallery in Roswell, the Heeney in Atlanta, and she is currently in talks with a gallery in Blue Ridge. “I am constantly marketing myself and trying to stay afloat in these rocky times. I am not a starving artist, because I never stop working. If I know the economy has people’s price point at $50, I just make more jewelry…It’s a balancing act, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.” Fearing that the business side of opening her own gallery would have a negative impact on the creation aspect of her work, Nicole has merely toyed with the idea. She does note her desire to attend graduate school in hopes of teaching her craft to others some day.

Having attended most of Atlanta’s many arts festivals at some point or another in my own life, I was interested in which of the city’s events was Nicole’s favorite. “The East Atlanta Strut is, by far, my favorite. The neighborhood is charming, the art isn’t your average art show stuff, and the people are delightful!” During this year’s September 19^th festival, the artist was finally able to feature her pieces with a tent of her own. However, the artist experienced an unfortunate turn of events, “I, actually, had my own booth this year in the show; just my luck it was the weekend we had the flood, and I had a raging river running through my tent.” True to her easy going demeanor, she chalks the incident up to, “…a good story now that it’s over!”

Nicole Merkens truly is one of Atlanta’s artistic treasures. It is a pleasure to be in her presence, and she has an original artistic vision that is equally as pleasurable to observe. If you are interested in seeing more of Merkens’ work, you can check her out at nicolemerkens.com or her ETSY shop, artgirl253.etsy.com.

A small photo gallery of Nicole’s work:
(click on the images to see higher resolution version and then once again for even higher one)