ATL1000 was Atlanta's celebration of our city's 1000 murals (as counted by the Atlanta Street Art Map) held in the fall of 2020.

Link to Press Release

Already known as a hotspot for murals, Atlanta can now boast it has more than 1000!  In the Fall of 2020, the ATL1000 awareness campaign thanked and honored the artists who created Atlanta’s 1000 murals.  ATL1000 sponsored a new celebratory mural, featured artwork by Atlanta’s muralists on digital billboards, offered self-guided walking tours, and promoted the Goddess Glow project, a mural mix-tape featuring Black women artists.  ATL1000 aimed to thank and promote Atlanta’s muralists, to promote Atlanta as an arts destination, to encourage a community discussion about Atlanta’s street art, and to give Atlanta’s residents and visitors a safe street art experience.

Atlanta Street Art Map Logo - Murals and GraffitiIn 2017, recently retired engineer Art Rudick created the Atlanta Street Art Map website which catalogs and maps murals all over Atlanta.  Rudick's website also presents artist's bios, offers self-guided street art walking tours, and archives murals that are gone but not forgotten.  While running the website, Art realized that Atlanta was nearing the 1000 mural milestone and thought “A thousand murals in Atlanta is a huge accomplishment. Why should I be the only one to know this trivia fact?  Our muralists deserve recognition.” Art assembled representatives from several of Atlanta's mural sponsoring organizations for a series of brainstorming sessions that ultimately led to the ATL1000 campaign. ATL1000 will take place during complex times, amid a larger pursuit of justice, as the city experiences great pain, but shares healing images with strong messages of empowerment.

Instagram post of Ashley Dopson as the Krog Tunnel Mural winnerThe Cabbagetown Initiative, and ATL1000 partnered to sponsor a celebratory mural at the southeastern entrance to the Krog Street Tunnel. This location is significant as the intersection of a famous graffiti tunnel & a renowned mural wall; a cultural bridge between two proud Atlanta traditions of street art. Atlanta’s muralists were invited to submit their qualifications.  Thirty artists responded and a ten-member Artist Selection Panel representing diverse expertise and backgrounds narrowed the field to six finalists.  Ashley Dopson was selected as the winner.  Her mural titled "Fish are Jumping and the Cotton is High" was installed in October 2020.

Power Haus Creative LogoIn celebration of the Atlanta Street Art Map clocking Atlanta’s 1000th mural, Power Haus Creative presented “The Goddess Glow Project”, a multiple mural mix tape in which 100% of all imagery and content were created and documented by Black women for Black women and girls to see authentic reflections of themselves in street art, in ways that only they can share their stories.  In this exhibition curated by Creative Director and Arts Advocate Ash Nash, you’ll find imagery in Atlanta street art that amplifies Black Women and everything that makes them DOPE AF!  Use the following link to donate.
Artists, Videographers, Mural Titles, Locations
1. Yuzly Mathurin        Evelyn Quinones      Respect Black Women   212 Edgewood Ave 
2. Courtney Brooks    Melissa Alexander    Shine On ‘Em                 831 York Ave
3. Zipporah Joe’l        Logan Lynette           Peace                             785 Lee St

ATL1000 partnered with Central Atlanta Progress to display images by Atlanta's muralists on four large scale digital billboards in the Downtown Arts & Entertainment District.  Here were the four muralists and billboard locations: Muhammad Yungai at Peachtree Center at 235 Peachtree Street, Gilbert Young at The Reverb Hotel at 89 Centennial Olympic Park Drive, Ashley Dopson at The Westin Hotel on Carnegie Way, and Angie Jerez at 101 Marietta Street. (photo by Matt Odom Photography)

What's Special About Atlanta's Murals - Atlanta's murals combine the work of internationally known street art luminaries, local icons, and under-served artists to create a visual mixture that sometimes delights, sometimes soothes, sometimes evokes laughter, and sometimes forces the privileged gentrifier to look in the mirror.  Our street art isn't concentrated in one or two districts, it permeates every community in the city.  Each neighborhood is different creating a unique synergy between the neighborhood and its murals.

Atlanta's 1000th Mural

By the count of the Atlanta Street Art Map, the "Black Lives Matter" mural by Ashley Dopson at Kipp Strive Academy in the Westview neighborhood put Atlanta over the top.  Ashley's mural features the words “Black Lives Matter” in large brilliant multi-colored text.  The names of all who helped to paint are listed along the bottom of the mural.  In an article dated November 27, 2019 ArtsATL said "Muralist Ashley Dopson likes to paint on the walls. Of public schools, libraries, bridges, hallways, street corners, bus stops and community centers, often holding a mirror to the colors and whimsical moments of childhood while reflecting the stories of Southern black women, contemporary takes on biblical principles and philosophies of empathy."  Originally from New Orleans, Ashley moved to Atlanta in 1990.  She earned a bachelor’s degree in art from Hampton University and has a master’s in education administration from Cambridge College.  Dopson has painted several murals around Atlanta including a 150 foot long epic wall on Dill Avenue titled "Flight of the Fireflies".

During the first half of 2020, Atlanta's mural activity had slowed down in response to the Covid-19 pandemic with the total mural count hovering just below 1000.  With the wave of protests following the murder of George Floyd, Atlanta's muralists contributed to the movement with a stream of Black Lives Matter murals.  Mural by Alannah Vincent featuring a Black Lives Matter theme - Found on the West End Atlanta Map - one of Atlanta's 1000 Murals - ATL1000This outpouring of creative expression through protest murals pushed Atlanta over the 1000 mural mark.  Other notable examples of recent Black Lives Matter murals include a portrait of George Floyd by Dustin Emory at 383 Marietta Street downtown and this powerful message by Alanah Vincent on MLK Jr. Drive near James P. Brawley Drive.  Although all of these recent protest murals are equally compelling, Ashley's happened to be the 1000th.

ATL1000 Celebratory Mural at the entrance to the Krog Street Tunnel


Downtown Digital Billboards

A few of the Forward Warrior Murals

Goddess Glow Mural Mix-tape

Some of Atlanta's murals result from direct collaborations between a wall owner and an artist.  Others are underwritten by organizations who actively promote the arts by sponsoring murals all around Atlanta.  The following are some of the organizations that we can thank for sponsoring many of Atlanta's murals listed in alphabetical order.  Some of these organizations are 501c3's and some are not but all of these organizations could use your help, so please consider supporting them.  This list is presented for your convenience and the organizations listed are not associated with ATL1000 unless noted.

Artbound    MARTA is Atlanta's transportation agency with a mission of advocating and providing safe, multimodal transit services that advance prosperity, connectivity and equity for a more livable region.  Artbound is MARTA’s public art program, dedicated to helping you enjoy the ride! With engaging visual art, dance, theater, and live music, we hope the stations will feel like destinations in themselves, a place to see or hear something that brightens your day!  Artbound has commissioned murals at several of Atanta's transit stations.  Here is a link to the MARTA Artbound webpage:  https://www.itsmarta.com/artbound.aspx

Art on the Atlanta Beltline    When completed, the Atlanta Beltline will convert 22 miles of abandoned railroad right of way into a network of multi-use trails circling the city of Atlanta, connecting 45 diverse neighborhoods forming the largest outdoor art and sculpture park in the southeastern US.  Spanning seven miles of trail on the east and west sides of Atlanta, Art on the Atlanta BeltLine strives to make art accessible to all. The linear gallery represents artists from across Atlanta, the nation, and the world and in a variety of mediums: sculpture, murals, dance, music, theater, photography, fashion, film, and more.  Art on the Atlanta BeltLine features a year-round public art collection as well as temporary exhibitions designed to engage the community in thoughtful expression.   Here is a link to the Art on the Atlanta Beltline website:  https://art.beltline.org/

Civic Walls Project      With a growing number of coalitions & networks banding together to loudly align with the fight for racial justice in our nation, a new movement is taking shape within Atlanta’s transformative outdoor art scene with hopes to spur meaningful conversations surrounding social injustice.  Fueled by a longstanding mission to raise awareness for community service and equality, founder & creative director of MeddlingMinds Agency Toyin Adon-Abel has launched the Civic Walls Project, a street art initiative aimed to join together black creatives, artists & community leaders in support of equality, #blacklivesmatter and any family who has lost a loved one due to senseless violence and racial injustice. Civic Walls was designed to connect with Atlantans through visual reminders & storytelling. Our goal is to empower our city daily to work towards a more peaceful future.  Here is a link to the Civic Walls Project Website:  https://www.civicwallsproject.com/

Elevate Atlanta    Hosted annually by the City of Atlanta, Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs in various locations around Atlanta, ELEVATE is a temporary public art program that seeks to invigorate the Atlanta area through visual art, performances, and cultural events. The focus of ELEVATE is to enhance the city’s cultural offerings by providing free, quality cultural experiences that highlight what makes Atlanta unique and increasing Atlanta’s cultural and economic vitality. Each October, ELEVATE is presented with a specially curated “theme” that emphasizes various artistic elements and features local, national and/or international art and artists strategically presented to capture the interest and imagination of viewers, while providing an entirely new and accessible experience for Atlantans.  Here is a link to the Elevate Atlanta Website:  https://www.elevateatlart.com/

Forward Warrior  is an annual live mural painting event sponsored by the Cabbagetown Initiative.  Curated by Peter Ferrari, the event assembles about 40 artists to paint on the half mile long wall bordering CSX's Hulsey railroad yard.  The event started in 2011 with Ferrari and a few of his friends painting behind the Melvin Gallery. In 2014, Ferrari was invited to curate the Wylie Street wall in Cabbagetown. The neighborhood had been partnering with muralists to beautify the pedestrian area in various spaces, but it was Forward Warrior that realized the vision to cover the entire wall from Carroll Street to Krog! Here is a link to the Forward Warrior Facebook Page: https://cabbagetown.com/forwardwarrior

Living Walls  promotes the power of public art as a social and economic engine, providing an artistic workforce to create healthy, sustainable urban spaces for the city of Atlanta. Living Walls has facilitated over 100 public murals featured throughout the metropolitan area, created through year-round work and past annual citywide conferences attended by 5,000 art enthusiasts annually. We have featured a host of world-renowned local and international artists, with collaborative projects in Miami, South Africa, Rome, Barcelona, and Moscow. Living Walls connects public art to urban development, helping to establish Atlanta as a destination for provocative arts and culture.  Living Walls, The City Speaks Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Atlanta, GA.  Here is a link to the Living Walls Website:  https://www.livingwallsatl.com/home

OuterSpace Project  (presented by ABV Gallery and Terminal West)  OuterSpace is an event series that merges public art, live music, design, action sports and culture. With an outdoor mural project at its core, OSP's goal is to enhance outdoor spaces, generate positive energy, expand the mind, and engage the public through urban beautification and creativity.  By blending all aspects of contemporary culture, OSP presents a unique experience that ignites the expansion of the arts and supports the ever evolving creative spirit.

Power Haus Creative    Power Haus focuses on creative project management and art and community advocacy by aligning underrepresented artists with national brands, neighborhood organizations, real estate developers, and private collectors. Power Haus offers project management, consultant services, and more. The artists represented by Power Haus include artists, muralists, illustrators, and designers including International Artist Dr.Fahamu Pecou, Fabian"Occasional Superstar"Williams, Yuzly Mathurin, Craig "Flux" Singleton and DL Warfield among others.  Broadly recognized for her impassioned work ethic, Ash has led several highly successful campaigns, including mural installations for Papa John's and Nike. Nash gained International attention in 2019 for her strategic work coordinating #Kaeperbowl, a public art/activism initiative centered around muralist Fabian Williams and former NFL player Colin Kaepernick.  Here is a link to the Power Haus Creative website:  https://www.powerhauscreativeatl.com/

Other organizations bringing artwork to our city include Central Atlanta Progress, Decatur Arts Alliance, Hapeville Arts Initiative, and Invest Atlanta.

The Atlanta Street Art Map website shows you all of Atlanta's murals on interactive maps of 14 different neighborhoods.  Click here to see Atlanta's murals.

The Atlanta Street Art Map website offers free self-guided walking tours of seven different neighborhoods.  Click here to take a tour.

Autumn is a great time to be in Atlanta.  Several of Atlanta's mural sponsoring organizations host their annual events in the fall.  The following is a list of some of these events that took place in the fall of 2020.  The events listed below were not associated with ATL1000 unless noted.

Any Time

Self Guided Street Art Walking Tours - As part of ATL1000, the Atlanta Street Art Map offers street art tours of the following seven Atlanta neighborhoods:  Beltline Eastside Trail, Cabbagetown, Downtown, East Atlanta, Edgwood Avenue, Pittsburgh neighborhood.  Easy to follow on-line interactive maps will guide you on your tour right from your own smart device.  The tours are free and you can take them any time.  Click Here to take a tour

September and October 2020

ATL1000 in partnership with Central Atlanta Progress present images of murals by Atlanta's muralists displayed on large scale digital billboards downtown.  

  • A mural by Gilbert Young will be on the Reverb Hotel digital billboard at 89 Centennial Olympic Drive
  • Two murals by Muhammad Yungai will be at on the Peachtree Center digital billboard at 235 Peachtree Street
  • A mural by Ashley Dopson will be on the Westin Hotel digital billboard on Ted Turner Drive
  • A mural by Angie Jerez will be on the digital billboard at 101 Marietta Street

Unfortunately, a time schedule for these billboards is not available

October 4-10, 2020

Elevate Atlanta - Hosted annually by the City of Atlanta, Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs in various locations around Atlanta, ELEVATE is a temporary public art program that seeks to invigorate the Atlanta area through visual art, performances, and cultural events. Set against the backdrop of a global pandemic, racial unrest, an economic recession, food shortages, and a political struggle, ELEVATE: Equity, Activism, Engagement invites artists, thought leaders, and the public to Atlanta’s historic West End neighborhood to examine issues of inequity and injustice with the goal of inspiring community building, activism, and hope. As a sign of the times, Elevate 2020 will be nearly all digital this year, allowing patrons to experience and engage from their homes or on the go through their mobile devices. Click Here for more information

October 23 - Nov 8, 2020

Goddess Glow Project - Power Haus Creative presents “The Goddess Glow Project”, an installation of multiple murals in which all imagery and content will be created by Black women for Black women and girls to see authentic reflections of themselves in street art, in ways that only they can share their stories.  This project is in partnership with ATL1000. The following are the featured Artists, Locations, and Installation Dates:

October 28, 2020  8:00-10:00 PM

Drink & Doodle Virtual Edition - Sponsored by ABV Gallery. How it works: Artists will create new work on Livestream throughout the evening, finished work will be available for purchase through the online auction at: https://www.32auctions.com/drinkanddoodle80. You can view the livestream at:  https://www.twitch.tv/abvgallery.  To RSVP: Click Here 

Late October, 2020

Forward Warrior - As always, several talented artists will be painting murals along the 1/2 mile long wall bordering Wylie and Tennelle Streets.  Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this year's mural painting will not be a public event, but please stop by any time after the murals are completed to enjoy the results or watch a live stream video of work in progress. Here is a link to the Forward Warrior website

Mid-November 2020

Honorary Mural Unveiling - ATL1000 is partnering with Cabbagetown Initiative to sponsor a mural at the entrance to the Krog Street Tunnel.  The artist is Ashley Dopson and her mural is titled "Fish are Jumping and the Cotton is High" Details to come.

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