As the city gears up to host Super Bowl LIII, 10 artists are preparing to install 30 compelling, legacy murals around Downtown Atlanta as part of the Legacy 53 initiative. Arts and advocacy group WonderRoot and the Super Bowl Host Committee have unveiled sketches of eight of the 30 murals which comprise “Off The Wall: Atlanta’s Civil Rights & Social Justice Journey,” an initiative that – through murals, media and community conversations – seeks to elevate and amplify Atlanta’s role in civil rights, human rights and social justice movements. The murals will be installed ahead of Super Bowl LIII and will remain a part of the City of Atlanta’s permanent public art collection.
“Through our partnership with the Atlanta Super Bowl Host Committee and the inspirational talent of our Off the Wall artists, we have the opportunity to build upon Atlanta’s legacy and advance progress in Atlanta and beyond,” said Chris Appleton, executive director at WonderRoot.
The content of the murals was informed by 43 community conversations over the course of several months, which were attended by the artists, residents and community stakeholders. Of the artists whose first eight sketches have been released, five are from Atlanta, six are artists of color, one is a DACA recipient, and one received an Obama Lifetime Achievement Award.
The artists are:
1. Brandan “B-Mike” Odums – New Orleans
2. Ernest Shaw – Baltimore in collaboration with GAIA – New York
3. GAIA – New York
4. Gilbert Young – Atlanta
5. The Loss Prevention Arts – Atlanta
6. Muhammad Yungai – Atlanta
7. Shanequa Gay – Atlanta
8. Yehimi A. Cambron Alvarez – Morelia, Mexico/Atlanta
“With the eyes of the world on Atlanta for Super Bowl LIII, we want to embrace our city’s rich civil rights heritage and bring people together to celebrate the unique diversity of our city in a lasting way,” said Brett Daniels, COO, Atlanta Super Bowl Host Committee.
The 30 murals will be installed in three areas of Downtown: in the neighborhoods of Vine City, English Avenue, Ashview Heights and Castleberry Hill that border Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the Sweet Auburn corridor and in the downtown district where tourists and Atlanta residents mix daily. Additional mural designs and locations will be released in the coming weeks.
About Post Author
