As you may have noticed, I have become a big fan of public art. Public art adds to the sense of community, making public spaces more interesting and enjoyable. I am delighted that Atlanta has fully embraced public art, and I was even more pleased to learn that the City of Decatur has done so as well. Decatur is the county seat of Dekalb County, the next county to my east, but only a few miles from my house.
While researching locations of Atlanta’s public art, I happened find a link for Decatur that showed the location of murals, sculptures, and painted utility boxes. The Decatur Arts Alliance manages the art spaces and provides an informative website for those who want to keep abreast of exhibits and locations. Thus far, most of the public art I’ve photographed in Atlanta has been along the Beltline, which has a park-like atmosphere, or on the grounds of commercial buildings. So, I was surprised to find that many sculptures were on sidewalks and in residential areas, such as Oakhurst.
Having worked in Oakhurst for a couple of years in the early 1990s, I began my art tour there—eager to see how much things had changed. Later, I ventured to downtown Decatur and walked around the town square and nearby areas. This foray also had the practical value of allowing me to continue testing my Konica Pearl II. For this outing, I brought along Lomography CN 400 film and ND filters. To be safe, I brought along a trusty Minolta AF-C loaded with Fuji 200 as well as a partial roll of Fuji Pro 400H.