Visitors to Diana Ries Sheldon's home in Machine Shop Lofts tend to look first at a figure parked under the stairs. The staircase is painted purple and red, and the figure is a life-sized mannequin she has encrusted with beads, rhinestones and bits of mirrored glass. Up close, the surface resolves into small floral mosaics and bands of color, with embedded fragments that scatter light around the room. It belongs to a series of mannequin sculptures she has made and sold over the years.
That piece is a fair introduction to the artist and to her neighborhood, Castleberry Hill, the downtown arts district where she has become one of the more visible organizers. She describes the area as "like a living studio," shaped by history, grit and constant reinvention.
From advertising to art
Before Atlanta, Ries Sheldon had a career in retail advertising, based in Washington, D.C.; a job offer is what brought her here. In the mid-2000s she and her husband, Kevin, purchased a unit at Castleberry Point before the building was finished; they did not actually move in until 2017. "We've always loved this historic, diverse, walkable neighborhood," she says.
The mannequins came out of a moment of sticker shock. Around 2018 she spotted a painted mannequin at a studio in town. "I wanted it," she recalls. "But after I found out what it would cost, I decided to make my own." Since then the series has traveled well outside Atlanta, and her figures have been shown at Burning Man. She calls the response affirming, saying that seeing the work out in the world reminds her she makes art to connect with people and provoke thought.
Chairing a record Loft Tour
In 2025, Ries Sheldon chaired the Castleberry Hill Loft Tour + Wine Tasting, a single-day event that lets the public walk through the district's historic warehouse residences, artist studios and galleries. Under her watch, the tour brought in roughly $15,000, the most it has ever raised. "We use funds to improve infrastructure not supported by the city, support the arts, plus community events, among other things," she says.
Her old art-director skills got a workout. She handled the marketing and creative side, from social posts and e-blasts to sponsorships and creative materials, with a couple of core team members helping on planning and organizing.
The tour doubles as a look at how the district has changed. Castleberry Hill was a zone of factories and warehouses until live-work conversions began in the 1980s. Roughly 120 lofts and 150 residents were counted there by 1992. Today it ranks among the most complete surviving warehouse districts in Atlanta and hosts the monthly Second Friday Art Stroll, a recurring showcase of galleries, murals and pop-ups.
Keeping artists in the picture
With downtown redevelopment projects such as Centennial Yards at the neighborhood's edge, community organizing in Castleberry Hill has taken on new urgency. Ries Sheldon believes artists can stay if the creative community remains engaged and in view. "Development brings opportunity, but we have to make sure the arts remain part of that story," she says, adding that creativity should not become an afterthought as the skyline shifts.
Her next sculpture, "Denial of Service," is taking shape in the large studio of fellow artist Kris Gunderson, a hangar-sized space where she can spray paint freely. "It's literally in pieces," she says with a laugh.
Her approach to the neighborhood comes down to balance. Growth, she says, is inevitable, but preservation takes intention, and she tries to honor the district's roots through art and community events while making room for newcomers.
Reported by Rough Draft Atlanta.
