Decatur conducted a community engagement session Monday that included discussions on potential themes and designs for a mural on the MARTA overpass at West Trinity and Atlanta Avenue. In September, the city received a $15,000 grant for funding and technical assistance from the Atlanta Regional Commission, which Decatur will have to match. The mural will cover both sides of the circa-1970s overpass and its support beams.
About 25 people showed up to the Decatur Recreation Center and threw out a number of ideas. Some wanted better lighting for the overpass and others wanted decorative benches beneath it. Others suggested the mural include an historical timeline of Decatur, or a series of paintings telling a story, or an abstract design. Others favored high-end graffiti.
Linda Harris, Decatur’s assistant director for community and economic development, said the next steps include sending out a request for qualification to potential artists in January, choosing an artist by March, with the next input session scheduled for April.
The predominant influence on this grant is Jane Golden’s Mural Arts Program in Philadelphia, which has created more than 3,800 works of public art through collaborations with governments and community-based organizations.
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