For eight days this summer, a gallery floor at The CTR, the former CNN Center at 190 Marietta Street, turned into a gathering spot for Atlanta's creative community during the FIFA World Cup. The Atlanta Cultural Exchange was a City of Atlanta Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs activation tied to the tournament, and it ran on eight activation days from June 14 through July 14 on the building's 8th floor.
Among the art on the walls sat something a little more interactive. WABE, Atlanta's public radio station, set up a recording booth styled after a vintage payphone, its exterior painted with bright graffiti lettering. The station asked visitors and locals a simple question: what stands out to them about Atlanta's creative spirit?
What people said
More than 100 people stopped by the booth, according to WABE, ranging from first-time visitors to longtime locals.
Christopher Boyd came by with his family at the FIFA Fan Experience and used his time to thank the station for being a trusted voice in Atlanta for many years. Another visitor talked about how Atlanta feels like a place where anyone can show up and express themselves freely, and called that inspiring.
A Clark Atlanta University student from College Park named Cam left one of the longest messages. He said the city could use more diverse food, joking that Atlanta is stuck on chicken wings and lemon pepper. He also spoke about how the city's civil rights history shaped his view of home, naming the CNN Center, the King Center and leaders including John Lewis, Ralph David Abernathy, Julian Bond and Martin Luther King Jr.
His hope for the next time soccer's biggest tournament comes around: that visitors leave knowing Southerners are friendly people, and that Atlanta lands on the same list as Houston, New York, Los Angeles, Austin and Dallas.
Why the setting fit
Putting the exchange inside The CTR made a lot of sense. The former CNN Center was one of the landmarks Cam himself named when talking about what makes the city feel like home, and its long run downtown gave the project a backdrop that many locals already have memories of. With visitors in town for the matches, the gallery floor became an easy place to stop, look at art and leave a few words behind.
The exchange wrapped on July 14, but the recordings give a small, honest snapshot of how people felt about the city during a summer when the whole world was watching. WABE also tied the booth into its wider World Cup coverage, including a video series on how Atlanta came to host eight matches this summer.
Source: WABE, July 13, 2026.
