Vital. Crowded. Congested. Dangerous. All of these words have been used to describe Buford Highway, one of the busiest streets in Atlanta. For some, it is simply just another spot in the city. For others, however, Buford Highway represents an area that puts them a little closer to home. It is their neighborhood. Their community. Where their people live.
This area has one of the highest concentrations of Hispanics in the state. Over 1,000 businesses along Buford Highway are operated by Hispanic owners. Called ‘La Buford,’ by Spanish speakers, it has history and it also has a million voices who wish to express themselves.
Gathering and presenting these voices to the community is the driving impetus behind The BuHi Walk, an initiative of Living Walls, The City Speaks, an Atlanta-based non-profit organization whose mission is to bring artists together to create thought-provoking public art and inspire social change.
“The project has 10 artists. Two of them are from Buford Highway, and we have a large focus on women and immigrant artists and African-Americans,” explained Mónica Campana, executive director of the organization and an immigrant herself who came to the United States at age 15.
Campana has worked tirelessly to serve as a liaison between artists and the community.
“Each artist was commissioned to work on a mural but also paired up with a group from the community,” explained Campana.
As such, each artist came to the project with an idea in mind for painting the mural.
“For example, the Latin American Association gave us the opportunity to work with a group of women. We met so many people… the more we involved ourselves with people to come up with an idea, more and more people we connected with,” said Campana, who is originally from Peru.
For Campana, planning the event was a learning experience. “We’ve worked a lot with the children from Cross Keys High School, so it was a little bit established but also organic. And each artist decided how they wanted to express themselves based on the conversation with each group.”
It began Sept. 13 and will continue through the next few days with the unveiling of 10 murals.
“Representing Buford Highway in just one mural is almost impossible, because the people of the Latino community, each one, has different challenges. Making public art is difficult… but our question was, how do we unite all these voices?” said Campana.
The participating artists share the same vision. For some, the project represents a great opportunity, such is the case for Mexican artist Roberto Hernández, a ‘DREAMer’ who arrived in the U.S. when he was 12 years old. His mural, which is still in the process of being completed, can be seen in front of a shopping complex Northeast Plaza, on Buford Highway.
Another mural which echoes this same sentiment is that of artist and professor Yehimi Cambrón, also a ‘DREAMer.’ The artwork, titled ‘We are all immigrants,’ is painted on the walls of a Cuban restaurant located at 2905 Buford Highway. It shows a group of yellow monarch butterflies, symbol of the ‘DREAMers.’
“We are monarchs, and the borders don’t dictate where we can and cannot make an impact. We belong to where we choose to be,” said Cambrón.
With so many creative ideas at play, for the project to make sense a study of the area was done, according to Campana. This was accomplished with the help of several city planners, including Atlanta Beltline creator Ryan Gravel; Aaron Fortner, of Canvas Planning Group; and Marian Liou, of the initiative ‘We Love BuHi.’ Throughout a two-month long process, the planners researched the area’s existing businesses, spaces, and all the possible challenges they could face in taking on the project.
“It’s the first time we’re doing this initiative, and we’ve put a lot of money toward community engagement,” explained Campana.
Despite the challenges, however, it appears that the project’s mission was achieved and that its message is being spread.
“I think that right now, when a lot of people are on the verge of giving up, this project is vital,” said Campana.”For me it’s about the opportunity to tell people: we have to keep swimming. Our community is very large, and this is the way we can help our people breathe. Don’t give up; keep swimming.”
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