Witnessing protesters at a Stone Mountain Park rally in support of Confederate monuments frightened Arelious Cooper. “I made it a personal challenge to find a solution to bring positive art into communities that needed it,” he says, speaking about the anger he saw on those faces.
And so began Art in the Paint.
Credit: Courtesy of ArtsATL
Credit: Courtesy of ArtsATL
Cooper — an Atlantan, a former basketball player and a world-traveled coach — founded the nonprofit in 2020. His goal: to use public art to spark conversation and invite strategic planning. In basketball, players line up at “the paint,” the colored section of the court, for free throws. That gives the name extra dimension.
“I have played and coached in 11 countries,” Cooper says, “and I noticed the unifying power that both sports and art have. Nothing brings people together like sports and art.”
Credit: Courtesy of ArtsATL
Credit: Courtesy of ArtsATL
BACKGROUND:
Art in the Paint commissions murals by local artists — so far five murals by three artists — to bring positive attention to underserved public spaces. It wants to provide a beautiful and safe place that opens minds and communities through vibrant colors and bold designs. “From an athletic standpoint,” Cooper says, “I feel like most athletes see their abilities as an art form, and their bodies are just the medium in which they create.”
(Atlanta Park Pride gave Art in the Park the OK to paint the courts. In the past year, the nonprofit has hosted basketball leagues, diaper giveaways, COVID-19 testing and voter registration assistance.)
THE NEWEST MURAL:
Elaine Stephenson (aka Artsy Elaine) is the artist behind Art in the Paint’s fifth mural, in West End. The University of Georgia grad paints and does graphic design, combining her formal training with her art practice. “My inspiration comes from the process of working on a project and the ‘canvas’ itself,” she says. “For my public artwork, being inspired by the wall or the neighborhood my art is in lets me play off its environment and try to create something that the people there will enjoy.”
Credit: Courtesy of ArtsATL
Credit: Courtesy of ArtsATL
Art in the Paint commissioned Stephenson for a mural at Rose Circle Park in the West End neighborhood (in 2020, she painted a non-Art in the Park mural on a bridge underpass along White Street nearby). The West End Neighborhood Association approved Stephenson’s basketball design, and as many as 20 volunteers worked together on the installation.
Energy and boldness inspired her mural. “I went for a mix of geometric and abstract shapes,” she says, “to mimic movements, such as the dotted lines that resemble a path for dribbling the ball down the court, and the zigzag lines, which represent the ball being passed quickly back and forth.” A rose painted in one corner connects the design more closely to its home in the park.
Stephenson pulled colors similar to those in her White Street mural. Both color palettes, she says, are based on West End’s blocks of culture.
Credit: Courtesy of ArtsATL
Credit: Courtesy of ArtsATL
PREVIOUS MURALS:
An artist known on Instagram as @aveladesign has done two courts, one on Sable Run Road in South Fulton and another in Sykes Park in East Point.
The artist Chozen also has done two murals. They’re in Brookdale Park in East Point and in a housing complex in College Park.
Credit: Courtesy of ArtsATL
Credit: Courtesy of ArtsATL
WHAT’S NEXT:
Art in the Paint will host a Unity Week All-Star Game and Health Fair from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Aug. 28 at Rose Circle Park. Details at @planpaintplay.
ArtsATL’s street art column appears monthly and is done largely in collaboration with Art Rudick and his Atlanta Street Art Map.
Credit: ArtsATL
Credit: ArtsATL
Working closely with the American Press Institute, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is embarking on an experiment to identify, nurture and expand a network of news partnerships across metro Atlanta and the state.
Our newest partner, ArtsATL, is a nonprofit organization that plays a critical role in educating and informing audiences about metro Atlanta’s arts and culture. Founded in 2009, ArtsATL’s goal is to help build a sustainable arts community contributing to the economic and cultural health of the city.
Over the next several weeks, we’ll be introducing more partners.
We’d love to hear your feedback on how on our partnerships are working, and we are happy to answer any questions.
You can reach out to Managing Editor Mark A. Waligore via email at mark.waligore@ajc.com.
After all, your feedback will only help us improve.
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