This story was originally published by ArtsATL.
Installing a mural on the surface of an outdoor basketball court requires weeks of backbreaking work, often in extreme heat. But the people behind the Paint Our Parks initiative in Atlanta are just that dedicated to public art.
The project is part of the Savannah College of Art and Design’s community service design studio called SCAD Serve, which taps into students, faculty and alumni to improve the quality of life in Atlanta and Savannah, both home to SCAD’s campuses.
Here are five murals painted over the past two years in Atlanta.
Usher-Collier Elementary School
Alexandria Hall, who graduated from SCAD in 2019, teamed up with Atlanta Public Schools and Atlanta nonprofit Art in the Paint for the most recent project, which was completed this spring. They transformed a rundown site at Usher-Collier Elementary School into an inviting play area for kids.
Credit: Courtesy of SCAD
Credit: Courtesy of SCAD
“We were lucky enough to be able to see the excitement and curiosity that the students had while working on the mural,” Hall said. “Their excitement each day as they passed us working on the court was so inspiring and touching. I tried to use shapes, lines and colors that feel youthful and exciting. The entire piece is abstract and full of bright colors and geometry. I hope the students feel creative and inspired to be themselves when they are on the court.”
Thomasville Recreation Center
Hall worked on this one too, teaming up with Mayor Andre Dickens, Councilman Jason Winston, the Atlanta Public Defenders Office, the Atlanta Police Department, the Neighborhood Planning Unit and Art in the Paint. Together, they transformed two basketball courts and a soccer field in Paint Our Park’s largest installation to date.
Credit: Courtesy of SCAD
Credit: Courtesy of SCAD
“I was inspired by the overall size of the mural space that we had to work with and hoped to be able to fill those spaces with a joyous, positive feeling for the children that used the courts,” Hall said. “The oversized, playful, leaping pose of the figure in the mural was the main focus, inspired by the power and infectious happiness that I felt when playing with friends on playgrounds when I was a child.”
The colors were important to Hall too.
“We also chose colors that have a positive and energetic feeling to invigorate the large space,” she said.
Mozley Park
Mozley Park, named after original landowner Hiram Mozley, was established in the 1920s and was “whites only” until the 1950s. The neighborhood’s current diversity is reflected in the artist’s choice of a pattern inspired by African kente cloth that features natural forms overflowing the boundaries of the court.
Credit: Courtesy of SCAD
Credit: Courtesy of SCAD
The prominent circular yellow design resembles the kente symbol “ananse ntontan,” which means spider web and represents wisdom, creativity and the complexities of life. The same symbol can also be seen as a lemon slice, referring to the lemon in the Friends of Mozley Park logo.
Carla Contreras, who graduated from SCAD in 2019, worked with the Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs, the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation and Art in the Paint on this mural.
Adair Park
Alex Waggoner, who graduated from SCAD in 2012, guided more than 100 SCAD students and community volunteers to create the mural at this park. The image represents the sun clearing away the clouds.
Credit: Courtesy of SCAD
Credit: Courtesy of SCAD
“My proposed designs reflected themes present in all my artwork, like the urban landscape,” Waggoner said. “Once the neighborhood was presented with design options, we refined the concept to reflect the neighborhood logo colors.”
The colors worked well with the design concept, Waggoner said. “I loved working with SCAD and Adair Park to create a piece that spoke to the neighborhood and reflects my work as a painter.” A 2022 episode of “Harlem Globetrotters: Play it Forward” was filmed at the Adair Park basketball court.
Langford Park
Former Atlanta City Councilman Arthur Langford Jr.’s namesake park was the site of the first mural in 2021. The college flew Emily Eldridge, who graduated from SCAD in 2004, from Berlin to Atlanta lead a team of alumni, faculty and students, along with community volunteers and Langford family members, to paint this 10,000-square-foot artscape.
Credit: Arthur Rudick/Atlanta Street Art Map
Credit: Arthur Rudick/Atlanta Street Art Map
“I created a design that visually interprets the energy of basketball through the use of bold shapes and colors. Influenced by coach playbooks and game diagrams, the dashed lines, zigzags and other painted shapes represent the movement of passing or dribbling, the action of shooting the ball, the position of defensive or offensive players and other court moves,” Eldridge said.
“I also wanted to visually depict the sound of the ball hitting the ground, the sounds of the crowds watching the game and the excitement of the players. Additionally, the bright color palette brings a shot of vibrant Paint Our Parks energy to the park.”
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Arthur Rudick created the Atlanta Street Art Map in 2017 after retiring from a successful career as an engineer with Eastman Kodak and the Coca-Cola Company. His first experience in art was seeing an Alexander Calder mobile as a child in the Pittsburgh airport. Rudick is ArtsATL’s street art expert and a regular contributor.
Credit: ArtsATL
Credit: ArtsATL
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