ART IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Reynoldstown and Cabbagetown have become haven for artists

shown in exhibitions at MOCA-GA, Swan Coach House, Beep Beep Gallery, MINT Gallery, Gallery 72. I’ve done murals with Forward Warrior, Living Walls, the Atlanta Beltline, W Hotels in Midtown and Buckhead, Bantam + Biddy, 1 Kept Restaurant, Yoga Collective and more. I also designed a label for Orpheus Brewing’s Sykophantes beer. Currently, I’m teaching a public art class for high schoolers at

Wylie at Tennelle in Cabbagetown and an underpass in Piedmont Park off Westchester Road. Follow Freeman at mollyrosefreeman.com, and on Twitter and Instagram @mollyrosefree.

Peter Lalor Ferrari

Cabbagetown

I’ve lived in Cabbagetown on and off for five years and my medium is paint – mostly acrylic and spray. I’ve been making art since I was about 5. I’ve shown work at Kai Lin, Faye Gold, ABV, Beep Beep, Nelson St. and a few others. I’m the founder of Forward Warrior, an annual mural arts event in Cabbagetown. We paint the big wall along Wylie once a year. I’m a big believer in arts as activism, and I’m hoping to get more involved with nonprofits and socially beneficial projects in the future. I’ve done a few murals around town. Most notably, the

By Isadora Pennington

Cabbagetown and Reynoldstown share some common ground on the south side of the CSX rail line, bordering one another at Pearl Street. The area first saw development back in the 1860s when the Georgia Railroad began attracting freed slaves and rail workers to the area, while the Fulton Bag & Cotton Mill (now converted into trendy lofts) employed hundreds of laborers. Row upon row of small houses, quaint and utilitarian, were built, and the area soon blossomed into a vibrant community.

The decline of the railroad industry in the 1950s, and later the closure of the mill in 1977, led to a distinct downturn for the area, but artists began flocking there looking for inexpensive homes and space to work. A sudden influx of artists in the 1980s, including the immensely popular photographer Panorama Ray, quickly transformed the area into an artlover’s paradise.

CSX also contributed to the art scene in these two post-industrial communities thanks to the building of bridges and walls. Krog Street Tunnel has become internationally known for its graffitied walls and appearances in countless music videos and fashion shoots.

The high retaining walls that run along Wylie Street have also blossomed into the perfect canvas for giant murals. The walls have not always been regulated, but many are now managed by a group called the Wallkeepers Committee of the Cabbagetown Neighborhood Improvement Association, and have most recently served as a home for the Forward Warrior festival in 2015, a live painting event that provided wall space to a number of hand-selected artists, all curated by local artist Peter Ferrari.

Sometimes you need a few neglected walls, a dark tunnel and a bit of anarchy to bring new life to a neglected neighborhood. Living in these communities is like being in the middle of a living, breathing art gallery. We talked to some of the artists who call these neighborhoods home.

Joshua StephensRay

Reynoldstown

I’ve lived here for around three years, but I’ve been making art longer than I can remember. I’ve shown my work nationally and internationally (California, Georgia, Michigan, New York, Italy, Japan, Singapore and more). I did a mural for Living Walls 13, participated in Free Comic Book Day at Criminal Records and exhibited work at Octane. Right now, I have a large mural in progress at Lang Carson Park in Reynoldstown and books available at Criminal Records and Oxford Comics, with hopefully more on the way. Follow Stephens on Instagram @jehosephatsunrays and visit thursdaycity.com.

Molly Rose Freeman

Reynoldstown

I’ve been making art for fun since I was a kid, professionally for about six years. My mediums are painting, drawing, cut-paper and installation. I’ve the New School and making a new body of work at my studio in the B Complex. You can see the large mural pieces I’ve done in an underpass at Whitefoord and DeKalb Avenue, Memorial Drive near Boulevard (on the Livery building),