Written by | Ray Cornelius
Atlanta area Ford Dealers hosted “The Art of the Drive” last night at a secret location in West Midtown. The third annual event featured an open exhibition of the city’s premiere fine and performing artists along with some cool eats and specialized cocktails by Pernod-Ricard.
Attendees parked their cars at the Anne Flaire Antiques and were shuttled over to the party in the latest fleet of Ford vehicles including the Ford Fusion and Explorer. Each driver gave attendees a personal tour of the car and explained all of its amazing features like the Fusion’s adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go and pre-collision assist with pedestrian detection.
This year’s theme focused heavily on the arts and recognized a number of the city’s major influencers. This year’s brand ambassadors included visual artists Monica Tookes, D.L. Warfield and Fabian Williams; radio personality Ferrari Simmons; music executives Kawan “KP” Prather and Catherine Brewton; R&B singer Dondria Nicole; and fashion mavens Tracy Nicole, Yyonne Pearson and Fiskani Williamson.
“We wanted to do an event this year which showed strength and focused on the arts,” said event coordinator I’na Saulsbery. “That’s why the party is being held in an art gallery. We also picked some dope Ford ATL ambassadors who embodied our vision to be a part of this as well.”
Monica Tookes was truly honored to be an ambassador for “The Art of the Drive.” She told us last week how influential the Ford brand has been throughout her career. “I can’t begin to explain how excited I was when I found out because I’ve had a Ford vehicle for so long. In fact, I have attributed much of success to my van over the years.” Yvonne Pearson, owner and founder of Melange Mode, a fashion line that incorporates African fabrics with European fashion, was equally as excited about the opportunity to partner with Ford.
“OMG what an honor! I’m so happy to represent such a trail blazing car company, who is continuously striving towards new car technology, design, and family oriented vehicles, which is important for me as a mother of four children.”
A number of celebrities and tastemakers attended “The Art of the Drive” including the evening’s host Big Boi, gospel music superstar VaShawn Mitchell, RHOA star Marlo Hampton, “STAR” actor and celebrity hairstylist Miss Lawrence, “Atlanta Exes” star Christina Johnson, “Selling It in the ATL” divas Gwen Moss, Okevia Wilson, A’lana Banks and HGTV’s Egypt Sherrod.
Other notables spotted throughout the night included Nicole Garner of The Garner Circle, “Big Rich Atlanta” star Sabrina Rowe, Event Planner extraordinaire Warren Huntley, One Music Fest’s Jay Carter, Upscale Magazine’s Satchel Jester, Straight from the A’s Michelle Brown, fashion blogger Kiwi the Beauty and Bloomingdale’s Alex Delotch Davis. Taiye aka “The Wild Afrikan” served as the evening’s emcee and DJ Mars kept the crowd moving with the best in R&B, ole school and hip hop.
Attendees were also able to make custom T-shirts with designs created by Ford ATL ambassadors Monica, D.L. and Fabian. The shirts included four unique colors and were made specifically for “the Art of the Drive” event. Another highlight was a special music mix that was created by Ford ATL ambassadors K.P. The Great and Ferrari. It was sent to attendees along with their email confirmations and is titled “Feels Like Summer. Click here to download and enjoy.
Check out more photos from “The Art of the Drive” below:
Fashion Blogger Kiwi The Beauty enjoying Ford’s “The Art of the Drive”
Straight from the A’s Michelle Brown with Sebastian
Attendee enjoy the Ford Fusion
This year’s theme focused on the arts, music and fashion
I’na Saulsbery and Arah Adams looked amazing in their African garb
Kimberly Byer-Clark “ATL’s Social Butterfly” enjoying the Ford Focus
Ford Ambassador Monica Tookes and her husband
#AfricanFashion was the preferred ‘look’ of the evening
Complimentary cocktails were provided by Pernod-Ricard
“The Art of the Drive” opened with awesome ballet dancers
The Dynamic Duo—Chargaux—serenaded attendees throughout the night
Ladies and Gentlemen..The Ford Mustang
Ford Ambassador Fabian Williams with Jay Carter and guests
HGTV’s Egypt Sherrod with husband DJ Fadelf
“Selling It in the ATL” stars Gwen Moss and Okevia Wilson
Miss Lawrence
Warren A. Huntley and guest
Christina Johnson with Toni Acey and guests
Ford Ambassador Catherine Brewton with gospel singer VaShawn Mitchell
Attendee enjoying the Ford Mustang
Ford Ambassador Catherine Brewton with the evening’s host Big Boi
RHOA star Marlo Hampton with Toby Johnson and Thomas Harrison
“The Art of the Drive” Event Coordinator I’na Saulsbery
Big Boi posing with Ford’s Kevin K.P. Smith ( Retail Digital Manager – Southeast at Ford Motor Company) and Terry Kidd (Tennessee’s Kidd Ford)
#FORDATL Ambassadors
Bloomingdale’s Alex Delotch Davis
Ford Ambassador Monica Tookes
Photo Credits: RayCornelius.com
