Don’t let the swelter keep you from exploring Atlanta’s vivid outdoor art
Credit: Photo courtesy of Tiny Doors ATL
This story was originally published by ArtsATL.
Art blooms outdoors in Atlanta — especially during, but not limited to, summertime. Here is a roundup of cool things to see around the city, even in the challenging heat. Most of the outdoors art projects listed here still will be available to check out when the red-hot temperatures drop a few humane degrees.
The Atlanta Beltline features one of the largest temporary public art exhibits and linear galleries in the United States, located along the Beltline corridor. You’ll find sculptures, murals, performances and other experiences there, some permanent and others on a temporary basis. Check out the Beltline’s website for a list of all the artists and works you’ll find there. beltline.org/art.
Credit: Photo by Arthur Rudick
The AJC’s publication partner ArtsATL has a long list of stories about Atlanta’s street art and murals. From East Atlanta and Cabbagetown to Pittsburgh and Adair Park, take a deep dive into what you’ll see in many of Atlanta’s neighborhoods. artsatl.org.
Tiny Doors ATL, the vision of Atlanta artist Karen Anderson Singer, has installed little doors all over town. There are more than 30 of these whimsical entryways to see, and the Tiny Doors ATL website has a map to help you find them. tinydoorsatl.com.
The Fernbank Museum’s “Spirit Guides: Fantastical Creatures from the Workshop of Jacobo and María Ángeles” is in its final days. The exhibit showcases the vision of renowned Oaxacan artists Jacobo and María Ángeles, offering visitors an unparalleled journey into the spiritual landscape of Southern Mexico’s Indigenous traditions. It runs through Sunday. fernbankmuseum.org.
“Alice’s Wonderland” features 38 larger-than-life sculptures in seven installations inspired by Lewis Carroll’s timeless tales, plus Shaggy Dog and the now-iconic Earth Goddess, two pieces in the Garden’s permanent collection from the 2013-14 exhibitions “Imaginary Worlds: Plants Larger Than Life” and “A New Kingdom of Plant Giants.” “Enchanted Trees by Poetic Kinetics” marks the return of the artists behind the Garden’s 2021 exhibition of a signature rainbow-hued “Skynet” billowing above the Canopy Walk. The 10 sculptures are scattered throughout the Garden. atlantabg.org.
Credit: Photo by Jeffrey Moustache
This summer, downtown Atlanta is getting a dose of enchantment with “Misting Mushrooms,” an interactive art installation that’s part cooling station and part musical playground created by LeMonde Studio. See it through Aug. 30 at Woodruff Park. art.atlantadowntown.com.
How about some of nature’s own art? The Chattahoochee Nature Center’s most popular annual exhibit is back for its 12th summer. Through Aug. 31, get up close and personal with hundreds of native butterflies surrounded by colorful nectar plants. chattnaturecenter.org.
Public art is everywhere in Midtown Atlanta, and the Midtown Alliance has a helpful website that includes both a map of the works and a page for each one. midtownatl.com.
Credit: Photo by Arthur Rudick
The Public Art Program is tasked with the maintenance and conservation of the City of Atlanta Public Art Collection, which includes 139 public artworks. The collection contains significant artworks by Atlanta, regional and nationally acclaimed artists, including Isamu Noguchi, Thornton Dial, Sol LeWitt, Lynn Linnemeier and Elizabeth Catlett. To find out where these artworks and monuments are located, visit the Google map at ocaatlanta.com/public-art.
Blue Heron Nature Preserve hosts an annual outdoor exhibit that has already completed its 2025 showing, but you can still see art on the preserve grounds. The permanent collection includes pieces by previous artists-in-residence. bhnp.org/arts/outdoor-art.
Located just east of the Playable Art Park at Abernathy Greenway in Sandy Springs, the Abernathy Sculpture Garden welcomes visitors to stroll through and view eight winners of the Art Sandy Springs Open Sculpture Contest. sandyspringsga.gov/abernathy-sculpture-garden.
Credit: John Spink/AJC
Originally designed and created as part of the Public Spaces Program of the Corporation for Olympic Development in Atlanta, Folk Art Park was the Georgia Department of Transportation’s first public art project — reclaiming several leftover portions of two cement highway bridges above downtown’s north-south interstate connector. Notable Southeastern folk artists represented include Eddie Owens Martin, R.A. Miller, James Harold Jennings, Vollis Simpson, Archie Byron and Howard Finster. atlantadowntown.com/go/folk-art-park.
Credit: ArtsATL
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