⭐ We have a different website for our Ohio bookstore + cafe! Visit it here. ⭐

Radio Waves daily blog by Two Dollar Radio indie book publisher


Design of the Week | Atlanta's Public Art



Artwork on Atlanta's Beltline

I spent part of the holiday break in Atlanta, where the weather was gorgeous, for some needed rest, relaxation, and vitamin D. With the great weather, we spent a solid chunk of time outdoors, hiking in a nearby state park, and strolling along a section of the city's recently completed Beltline. Similar to New York's Highline, the Beltline uses an old train track to wend through the city, while connecting neighborhoods that may have previously taken roundabout driving routes to reach.

Art on Atlanta's Beltline

Originally begun as a project proposal by an ambitious grad student, the Beltline has 4 miles finished and usable of a planned 26 miles. What's so striking about the Beltline though, is the amount of public art, and the type of art that it features. Whereas the Highline feels sterile and aims to incorporate more greenspace for the city, the Beltline in contrast feels much more hands-off, and more community-driven. The art there is vibrant, funky, energetic, and stimulating. There could be a massive manga strip underneath an overpass towering over a doorway to a "tiny house" affixed to a pillar.

Art in Cabbagetown in Atlanta

That spirit stretches outside the Beltline, too. As we wandered through the adjacent neighborhood of Cabbagetown, where a massive freeway divider—which in most cities would be a flat, neutral khaki—was adorned with everything from a comics panel, to a guy pointing to his Atlanta hat, to a colorful meta mural of two women standing on the front porches of their duplexes... opposite the front porches of a duplex where two women purporting spend a lot of time standing outside.

It may have just been the number of people outside enjoying the nice weather, but the Beltline felt more like a social activity than a solitary exercise destination. As I went for a run one afternoon, I came upon a pair of young graffiti artists tagging an openly designated graffiti zone. There was a gaggle of middle-aged folks who had gathered to observe. It wasn't adversarial, but almost encouraging or curious. It reminded me of Columbus' Urban Scrawl, but something you could encounter or engage with in everyday life.

Posted by Eric Obenauf on 04 January, 2017 Atlanta, design of the week | 0 comments
Previous post Next Post

Comments

Let us know what you think here:

Hi there!

Two Dollar Radio is a family-run outfit founded in 2005 with the mission to reaffirm the cultural and artistic spirit of the publishing industry. We aim to do this by presenting bold works of literary merit, each book, individually and collectively, providing a sonic progression that we believe to be too loud to ignore. Check out the ABOUT US section to read more...

Radio Waves daily blog by Two Dollar Radio indie book publisher

Latest posts

  • Zachary Pace in Columbus, Ohio

    Introduction by Brett Gregory: Zachary Pace is the author of I Sing to Use the Waiting: A Collection of Essays about the Women Singers Who've Made Me Who I Am. This book is special. It's accessible and informative, yes, but it's... Read more →

  • Q+A with Zachary Pace about I Sing to Use the Waiting

    On January 23, 2024, we're thrilled to release Zachary Pace's debut book, I Sing to Use the Waiting: A Collection of Essays About the Women Singers Who've Made Me Who I Am. With remarkable grace, candor, and a poet’s ear... Read more →

  • Q+A with Christine Lai about Landscapes

    We're tremendously excited to share the news that on September 12, 2023, we will be publishing Landscapes, a debut novel by Christine Lai that brilliantly explores memory, empathy, preservation, and art as an instrument for recollection and renewal.In the English... Read more →