For Nicole Kang ’13, Atlanta has been more than a place to build a career—it has been a home for creating connection.
As a studio artist-in-residence with Midtown Alliance’s Heart of the Arts program, an illustrator for the Alliance Theatre, and a collaborator on community-focused projects across the city, Kang has built a career at the intersection of art, advocacy and belonging. Her work can be found in classrooms, theaters, galleries and public spaces, reaching Atlantans of all ages.
Kang credits Oglethorpe with giving her the confidence to pursue opportunities boldly. As a student, she immersed herself in campus life, serving as a resident assistant, participating in student government, working in the museum, and building close relationships with faculty and staff who encouraged her ideas and believed in her potential.
“Because of these experiences and relationships, my confidence soared. To this day, I apply the skills and learnings from in and outside the classroom in my career as an artist, organizer and advocate,” Kang says. “I take risks, face rejection and try again until I get somewhere where I am valued. Oglethorpe instilled in me a sense of deep security, belonging and possibility.”
Atlanta has provided the ideal environment for her work. While it is a major metropolitan area, Kang says it remains accessible enough that opportunities often grow from unexpected connections. What began with exhibitions in local galleries has expanded into projects with organizations and venues across the city, including the Atlanta Beltline, Downtown Atlanta, and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights.
“My artwork has brought hope to communities when it was needed. I’ve been able to merge art and advocacy and broadly reach audiences in Atlanta,” says Kang, “While there is still a long road ahead, I hope to be a small part in building belonging for AAPIs, BIPOC, immigrants, and for the disabled communities in Atlanta.”
To this day, I apply the skills and learnings from in and outside the classroom in my career as an artist, organizer and advocate."
Today, her illustrations for children’s books created with the Alliance Theatre have found audiences throughout Atlanta, while community-centered projects—from public art installations to remembrance artwork and neighborhood collaborations—have allowed her to use creativity as a tool for both expression and service.
“‘The Curious Cardinal,’ ‘Bina’s Harvest,’ and ‘The Great Ant Sleepover’ are children’s books I illustrated for the Alliance Theatre, and they have been distributed to classrooms all over Atlanta,” says Kang. “These books have been turned into musicals for young audiences, and I’m incredibly proud of the many entry points that families have to art because of it.”
As the daughter of immigrants, Kang is particularly proud of her ability to tell stories that bring people together. Whether through a painting, a public art installation or a bedtime story shared between a parent and child, she hopes her work helps people feel seen and connected.
“I’m most proud of the way my art has warmed hearts and brought people together,” she says—a goal that continues to shape both her work and her impact across Atlanta.
