Beautifying an otherwise utilitarian space, Art Decko is a public art project intended to bring creativity into unexpected places—in this case, the stairwell of the College Avenue Parking Deck. With its sky blue walls and sunny glass block windows, the “Vertical Gallery” of the stairwell now displays a collection of nine new 4’x8’ mural panels that were installed in late September.
Art Decko originated as a project of the nonprofit Athens Area Arts Council in which students attending various public schools in Athens-Clarke County collaborated on displays for the stairwell. In 2018, over a decade later, the AAAC revamped Art Decko to spotlight local talent and create a paid opportunity for professional artists. The AAAC worked in collaboration with the Athens Downtown Development Authority, Lyndon House Arts Center and Athens Cultural Affairs Commission.
Now funded and organized by the ADDA with support from the LHAC, Art Decko has entered its third chapter. Nine artists were chosen by a selection committee that reviewed 36 proposals submitted to an open call last June. Each artist received a $1,100 stipend for their painting, as well as a three-month studio membership at the LHAC.
On the cover of Flagpole this week, Parker Lindsay’s “I Love My Friends and My Friends Love Me” was inspired by feelings of connection and community. Using techniques of world building, multiple storylines are brought together as creatures interact in a treehouse.
“There is also a bit of escapism to creating a little community of critters living in a tree that is very healing for me,” says Lindsay, a tattoo artist at Pink Goblin. “I can build a whole world of characters that don’t have to struggle with the issues that I do. They don’t have to worry about the outcome of an election, if they’ll be able to marry the person they love, if they can access life-saving medical care, or if they can continue to safely live life authentically. As someone who has had to consider all those things my entire life, it’s refreshing to imagine a world free of prejudice where everyone intrinsically cares about each other and the hardest decision to make is what flavor of jam to have on your toast.”
Nat Blooming’s painting, “Night House,” is also narrative in nature, weaving characters and eye-catching details together into a dark and dreamlike story left open to interpretation. Blooming’s work explores intersectional lived experiences within the South and her personal upbringing through the lens of magic realism.
Painted in his signature folk art style accented with dizzying dots, Peter Loose’s panel “YES KNOW” depicts over two dozen animals against a backdrop of local landmarks like City Hall and the UGA Chapel Bell.
“My painting was a daydream about Athens without all the people,” says Loose. “The wild neighbors are always around by night and day, but all the people running and doing makes them harder to see.”
Will Eskridge’s painting, “The Forest is Alive,” similarly brings the great outdoors inside with a collage of animals such as a fox, bat, snake, raccoon, opossum and bear. Envisioned as a community mural project, the panel was painted with the participation of attendees at FoxSaid Fest, a music and arts festival co-presented by the Athens Cotton Press and AAAC last July.
Jaci Davis’ painting, “Euphoria,” is the embodiment of Black joy, channeled by a woman with a contagious smile. Influenced by her experiences and perceptions as a biracial individual, Davis often explores themes of racial and cultural identity within her work.
“A big goal in my work is for more representation of the colored figure in art, so I thought the Art Decko project was a great way to bring that representation to a public space,” says Davis. “For the piece itself, I just wanted to make something that was bright and easy to read that brought out a happy, euphoric feeling with the colors, flowers and facial expression of the figure.”
“Noble Power” by artist, musician and yoga instructor Kelsey Wishik similarly touches on identity and was inspired by a small series of paintings exploring the theme of women’s empowerment.
“I wanted to represent and celebrate the diversity of our many forms, cultures, backgrounds, beauty and styles,” says Wishik.
Influenced by Hindu art and American folk art, “God Sees You” by Kiran Fernandes depicts a figure with many extra faces and limbs that reflects the artist’s interests in the bold lines of linoleum prints and stark contrast of black and white colors.
Shelby Little’s “Gorgon Sisters” depicts the faces of Medusa, Stheno and Euryale framed by their infamous snakes and surrounded by metallic gold stars. Inspired by the ancient world, Little often looks to Greco-Roman myths as reference points for paintings that explore themes of mortality, the cyclic nature of time and the inherent duality in all things.
A hometown homage, Lila Jimenez’s “Big Ath Panel” spells ATH through clever linework and blocks of pink, red, yellow, brown and seafoam green paint. A graphic designer and illustrator, Jimenez is the founder of Calor Creative, a design studio specializing in brand identity and website design.
The Art Decko panels previously installed in 2018 have been relocated to new places where they can still be enjoyed by the public. Paintings by Ruth Allen, Hannah Betzel, Jeanne Whatley and Jacob Wenzka were purchased by Chris Peterson—with proceeds supporting the Athens Area Arts Council—and are now on view in the Michael Brothers Building located downtown at 320 E. Clayton St. The AAAC donated Kiran Fernandes’ painting, a psychedelic cityscape called “A Portrait of Athens and the Absurd,” to the Lyndon House Arts Center, where it now hangs in the administrative hallway. The remaining paintings by Ashley Anderson, Jared Brown, Dorian Edwards and Will Eskridge are on long-term loan to the Jittery Joe’s Roaster.
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