More Public Art Installations Coming to Midtown
Published: 11/04/21
BY ELLIE HENSLEY
The Peachtree block surrounding 10th Street Park is coming to life with multiple new art installations and an outdoor art gallery, backed by strategic partnerships with property owners and cultural allies.
These projects will enliven street life and celebrate art in Midtown, which is already home to more than 50 public art installations and has the largest concentration of arts and cultural venues in the Southeast.
Earlier this week, Midtown Alliance worked with Dewberry Capital to install images produced by artists in the Heart of the Arts program. Large scale super-graphics applied to storefront windows on the vacant building at the corner of Peachtree and 11th Street bring art to the sidewalk and extend the reach of Midtown artists further into the public sphere.
As part of Midtown Alliance’s Artist in Residence program, six artists were chosen to receive studio workspace in Midtown provided by commercial properties in the district for one year. Read more about the Heart of the Arts program here.
Paired with light pole banners featuring works by artists who have made their mark on Midtown, the window displays create the effect of an outdoor art gallery that is accessible to all.
Objective: Pack Inspiration and Delight into Every Block for People Walking
The Peachtree corridor has many other art installations and points of interest within close proximity. Amanda Phingboddipakiya’s mural “Let Me Share the Sky with You,” commissioned as a part of the first phase of the Heart of the Arts program, can be found on 10th Street across from the Midtown MARTA Station. Nearby, in the median at 10th and West Peachtree Streets, a living sculpture of a frog is on view courtesy of the Atlanta Botanical Garden. And in just a few weeks, nearly 100 trees between The Fox Theatre and Pershing Point Plaza will light up as part of our holiday lighting activation.
“One of the best ways to feel connected to your community is to take a walk,” said Midtown Alliance Director of Urban Design Ginny Kennedy. “Our art initiatives and holiday light program are designed to ensure that strolling through Midtown, day or night, is a delightful experience with something new to see and enjoy each time you step outside. We are lucky to have so many creative partners who share this vision,”
Pssst … Can you keep a secret? Even MORE public art is coming to the area in November!
Several other installations will be announced in the coming weeks destined for this same concentrated area, including an interactive art project to be announced soon and a new sculpture that will land at the corner of Peachtree and 10th Streets as a result of a partnership between Midtown Alliance and Atlanta Botanical Garden. Watch Midtown Alliance’s communications channels for more information next week.
"Sculpture enhances a community in so many robust ways, bringing delight and inspiration to everyone," said Mary Pat Matheson, President & CEO of the Atlanta Botanical Garden. "At the Garden, combining sculpture and gardens is in our DNA, and we are thrilled to work with the Midtown Alliance to integrate art and sculpture into the Midtown experience.”
Strategic partners like the Atlanta Botanical Garden make it possible to keep the pedestrian experience in Midtown fresh by sharing temporary artworks that can be rotated on a regular basis.
“Midtown is still evolving as a place, and we are not ready to acquire pieces for a permanent public art collection,” Kennedy said. “Instead, we are focused on finding unique and original work that brings life to the district and allows for flexibility and change.”