Decatur is bursting with public art – sculptures, murals, installations! As we continue to maintain social distance, these integral artworks are bright destinations when we needed to get out and stretch our legs. Grab that mask and take a stroll around downtown; everywhere you look you'll find art.
LookUp, Look Down, Look All Around
Find art in unexpected places! First, #lookupdecatur has timely new art works installed on light poles. Then look down for Secret Doors Decatur, placed in nooks and crannies. Along streets, spot traffic signal boxes, transformed into colorful, whimsical works of art through the Decatur Box Project by a variety of artists.
Sculpture
The Decatur Artway, an ongoing outdoor sculpture gallery, has ten sculptures installed around downtown and in Oakhurst Village south of the square. Every year a new phase of five sculptures is added, and each set of sculptures is on loan for two years, creating a dynamic rotating collection with a few permanent pieces purchased by the city. Check out “Something We Had to Go Through,” a can’t-miss sculpture on Church Street at Sycamore and "Dreamsicle" in Harmony Park in Oakhurst.
Other pieces in the city’s collection include long-time favorites on the square including Valentine by George Lundeen. The bronze sculpture, located in front of the Old Courthouse, reflects the enduring love shared by two people.
The Magic of Music
In between concerts on the square and annual festivals, buskers bring music, magic, dancing, and fun to the streets of Decatur! Street performers and emerging artists contribute daily to a lively street culture in our community.
Eye-catching Murals (Selfie here!)
Dozens of eye-catching murals add color to the fabric of our community through partnerships with individual property owners, the Decatur Arts Alliance, Living Walls, MARTA, the City of Decatur and other organizations.
North McDonough Street in front of the Decatur High School proclaims "Black Lives Matter" through a street painting designed by three Black artists — Sharanda Wilburn, Petie Parker, and George F. Baker III — and completed by hundreds of community volunteers, organizers, and artists.
“A Relationship Truth” by Emmanuel Rivas, is freshly painted on the wall of Squash Blossom boutique on East Court Square.
“Monuments: Our Immigrant Mothers,” by up-and-coming artist Yehimi Cambron, is at 302 W. Howard Ave. It was voted "Best Mural" by the readers of Creative Loafing.
At the western gateway of the city, a striking, friendly work by the Milagros Collective stretches across the MARTA bridge at 420 W. Trinity Place.
