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See impressive public art in Atlanta’s new landmark

See impressive public art in Atlanta’s new landmark

Looking for something fun to do? The Midtown Art Walk is a new public plaza and pedestrian promenade in the heart of the city that invites discovery for those exploring the neighborhood on foot. Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll find there, as well as an invitation to celebrate the official opening in style with Midtown Alliance on May 11.

Walk the coolest corridor in Midtown.

The Art Walk is a multi-phase public space project that reinforces Midtown’s identity as the region’s cultural and creative epicenter. It brings together many of the attributes that make Midtown a special place: walkable, close to public transportation, ideal for outdoor community events, and plenty of public art to enjoy.

Phase I of the Art Walk begins at 10th Street, just north of the Midtown MARTA station and continues to 11th Street.

Seek! See those metallic spheres above you?

This is a unique feature of the Art Walk that is interesting on several different levels. Not only do the spheres glow at night with colorful LED lights, but they also provide orientation to guide you down the hallway. Stop and check them out after dark!

It’s electric…

Delight yourself with “Electric Saturation,” the luminous mural created by Baltimore-based artist team Jessie and Katey. The mural was created for the Art Walk through a partnership with Living Walls and MARTA Artbound. The duo uses geometric and abstract language to interact with the culture of a place. For this project, they used their unique visual language to create an energetic composition for the Art Walk – a love letter to the people who pass by each day. It’s fast becoming one of the neighborhood’s most Instagrammable hotspots.

Bend your knees…

“Lift,” the large-scale steel sculpture by Andrew Crawford (@atcironworks), was installed in 2003. The Atlanta-based sculptor is known for his work that elevates common objects by transforming them into elegant steel sculptures and in bronze, often with a personal touch.

A little bird told us…

Perched nearby is a colorful trio of giant illuminated swallows from the Italian art collective known as Cracking Art (@crackingart). These cute birds need names! Submit your ideas here and help Midtown Alliance nominate them.

A sample of the giant “Electric Saturation” mural created by Jessie and Katey. Image credit: Living Walls

Celebrate the official opening of the Art Walk at a free community event.

  • Saturday May 11
  • 12 p.m.-5 p.m.
  • Just north of the Midtown MARTA station

Join Midtown Alliance for an outdoor festival in the heart of the city! Activities include: an artisan market organized by GVG Events, a live musical performance by Hani’el ML Quartet, delicious dishes for sale selected by our friends at Punk Foodie, drinks for sale from the Consulate, a 360 photo booth… and a epic comedy show and community book signing led by Choir!Choir!Choir! RSVP: MidtownATL.com/LaunchParty.

And after?

Midtown Alliance will introduce more art installations and programs to the corridor in 2024-2025, incorporating ephemeral works that will rotate periodically.

Plus, watch for a series of monthly community events held in Midtown’s new public space!

Midtown development guidelines developed in the early 1980s envisioned a version of today’s art wall. Courtesy of the James G. Kenan Research Center, Atlanta History Center

Before the Artistic Walk…

This corridor has been an integral part of the Midtown community’s vision since plans were drawn up more than 40 years ago. The original strategy for Peachtree Walk was to create a linear park experience in the center of the neighborhood, with wide sidewalks and shade trees. The new Art Walk follows the same alignment as Peachtree Walk to expand the public realm.

Creating the Art Walk is a group project.

Midtown Alliance thanks its partners the Midtown Improvement District, the City of Atlanta, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, MARTA, 10 10th, MAA and Peachtree Walk Condos.