From the City of Decatur…

The Decatur Arts Alliance and the Steering Committee for the MARTA Overpass Mural Project in Decatur announce the artist chosen for the project is the MILAGROS Collective.  The MILAGROS Collective, from New Orleans, LA and Miami, FL, consists of  Felici Asteinza from San Pedro Sula, Honduras and Joey Fillastre from Lakeland, Florida.

Felici and Joey have extensive mural experience including a Public Art Commission for the New Orleans Public Library; 2015 Murals in Greensboro, NC hosted by the Elsewhere museum and funded by ArtPlace America; an Art in Public Places mural on the Yates Parking Garage in Jacksonville, FL, and more.

What set the MILAGROS Collective apart, though, according to Angie Macon, Director of the Decatur Arts Alliance, was their extensive community engagement experience in creating their murals and other pieces.  According to Angie, they have a commitment to and an excitement for the community engagement process around their projects.

Creation of the MARTA Overpass Mural includes a strong commitment to community engagement as part of the grant from the Atlanta Regional Commission.  In addition to the mural artist, the project also includes a community engagement consultant Joy Bailey Bryant with Lord Cultural Resources.

The next steps for the process will be to introduce the MILAGROS Collective to the community and begin the series of stakeholder community engagement meetings in May.  Estimated completion of the mural is in the Fall of 2016.

For information about the MILAGROS Collective and to see samples of their past work, visit http://milagroscollective.com.  For more information about the MARTA mural project, contact Angie Macon, [email protected] , 404-371-9583.

Photo courtesy of MILAGROS collective Facebook page

Back in September 2015, you may recall that Decatur won a $15,000 Atlanta Regional Commission grant to paint a mural on the Trinity Avenue MARTA overpass next to the Beacon Hill complex.  In December, the city held a community kick-off meeting to get input on the mural.

Now the city is looking for an artist to make this project a reality.

The Decatur Arts Alliance is requesting qualifications from artists who are interested in creating the mural.  The project will pay the artist $7,500 for their work.

If interested, there is LOTS more info on the project HERE.

Photos courtesy of Decatur Arts Alliance

Oakhurst Porchfest is finally here! Georgia Music says it “may be the most diverse music fest in the state”, so why don’t you come and find out for yourself?!

You can get all the details from the Oakhurst Porchfest website, but let’s quickly recap all the pertinent details.

• Where – Porchfest is taking place in the Decatur neighborhood of Oakhurst.
• When – From 2-6pm today, Sunday October 18th.
• How much – Free to all!
• What – Featuring 130+ musicians on 130 porches throughout the neighborhood.
  • With so many bands in so many locations, you will probably need a map!  We’ve provided two versions – a “hardcopy” map that can be printed out or picked up from select local Oakhurst businesses, and an online, interactive Google Maps version (also shown below).
  • If you’d like an idea of all the individual, grassroots offerings happening in conjunction with Porchfest, check out the comments from neighbors and musicians in this thread
• Why – You can read about the “Big Idea Behind Porchfest” in WABE’s recent feature.

All other details are likely covered in this extensive Porchfest FAQ.

See you all there!

We received some questions from readers about some new sculptures spotted around Decatur Square today.  Here’s the lowdown from the Decatur Arts Alliance…

​The Decatur Artway kicks off this year as Decatur’s outdoor art gallery, featuring five selected sculptures scattered throughout the downtown square. Sculptures will be displayed on temporary loan for two years, creating a dynamic rotating collection of public art around town. The Artway will include a printed walking, biking, and/or driving tour of the sculptures, a mobile-friendly online tour, and interactive community programming.

The Decatur Artway is presented by the Decatur Arts Alliance in partnership with the Decatur Tourism Bureau and the Decatur Downtown Development Authority.

Community reception of The Decatur Artway is Sunday, October 11, 2 p.m. in a downtown square area.

The photo above are:

• Top photo: Awesome COD Public Works crew – Work by Ira Hill
• Bottom photo: Awesome COD Public Works crew – Work by Scott Garrard

Three more sculptures will be installed Thursday – Monday

Take a walk downtown on this lovely, sunny Wednesday and check it out!  And you can read more about new The Decatur Artway HERE.

Tickets for the 2015 Decatur Wine Festival tickets are now on sale!  A bit o’ info for ya…

Here is the best opportunity to taste over 300 wines, sample great food from Decatur-area restaurants, and enjoy live music at metro Atlanta’s largest outdoor wine festival. Proceeds benefit the Decatur Arts Alliance, which produces the Decatur Arts Festival, YEA!, The Decatur Artway, The Book As Art and many arts events, free to the community each year.

Saturday, November 7, 2015
Hours: 12:30-4:30 p.m.
On the square in Downtown Decatur • Rain or Shine

Tickets are $40 each are available at TicketAlternative.

From the Decatur Arts Alliance website…

Saturday, Sept. 26 • Noon- 4 pm
Arts Event on the Square in Downtown Decatur

Returning for its third year, this wildly popular one-day arts event has been embraced by local students grades K-12 as a way to showcase their creativity and talent to the public. Shop at the juried outdoor artists market or enjoy live performances at the community bandstand!

Look for the big tent on the plaza packed with student artists showing off a bounty of jewelry, paintings, photography, drawings, culinary delights, and handcrafted goods, all for sale.

On the Community Bandstand is a nonstop line-up of high energy performances from wild-and-wooly rock combos to blues acts, singer-songwriters, soloists, and more.

“The quality of the applications for YEA! continues to amaze us. It’s exciting to see how much talent Decatur students possess,” says Angie Macon, executive director of the Decatur Arts Alliance. “We are so proud to provide a venue that connects our creative students with an arts loving public and get students to consider art as a career.”

The young artists gain practical experience in event organization, marketing, and sales of their art work. They are coached by the DAA staff, with participation by staffers from Decatur’s Children and Youth Services division, who have developed a successful summer entrepreneurs program.

This event is made possible by a generous grant from the Decatur Craft Beer Festival.

Signs are appearing around Decatur.

But these aren’t your garden variety, “Stay Off the Lawn”, “Dogs Should Poop Elsewhere” signs.  The Decatur Arts Alliance posted the pic above on Twitter a few days back, promising more in the coming days. The one above is hung Clairemont near the Decatur Visitors Center.

And here’s another right off Decatur Square, courtesy of Daren…

Where did they come from?

Well, we’ve heard that these signs were erected by the artist Larry Holland and Gerry Gorman in conjunction with the Decatur Arts Alliance.  Mr Holland was also responsible for the animal crossing signs and organizing the secret doors throughout the city over the past year.

The Arts Alliance’s Angie Macon tells us the quotes all come from books, poems and songs of Georgia artists and writers.  They are using the hashtag #gawrites, if you’re planning to snap a picture and post it on the internets in the coming days.

Take a walk on this beautiful afternoon and check them out!