2024 was a big year for the city’s public arts program, as they added a number of pieces and murals to the growing collection. While public art isn’t totally new to Chamblee, now that the city has a dedicated person on staff and the Public Arts Commission, they continue to make great strides in public arts.
Teneisha Jones, public arts coordinator for the city of Chamblee, says having a public arts initiative and collection, is something that brings people together as a community.
“It’s something that creates conversation,” she says. “It beautifies and creates space and creates place. All those things are important for communities.”
And it can also make a city memorable and can create landmarks.
“The things you remember are the things that are different and interesting,” Teneisha says.
Some of Chamblee's newer pieces of art include:
Metaphysica by Phil Procter is a red steel sculpture measuring 15’x13’x12’ located in front of the MARTA Station near downtown Chamblee.
Flatlander is a yellow sculpture by Richard Pitts located at Peachtree Road and Pierce Drive.
The Rail Trail Piano painted by Phillip Clark and installed in partnership with Play Me Again Pianos.
Yellow Bench by Jim Gallucci located along Peachtree Road at the bus stop near the previous Chamblee City Hall. The bench features a whisper tube making it a fun attraction for kids and adults.
In Free Fall by Hannah Jubran, a colorful sculpture located near Malone Drive.
And around 20 murals located along the Chamblee Rail Trail from the Babe Walls Mural Festival that took place in fall 2024.
Teneisha explains that the budget for public art comes from tourism fees. When someone visits Chamblee and stays at one of the hotels or motels located in the city, there’s a fee collected when the visitor pays their bill.
“It’s usually just a couple of bucks,” Teneisha says. “Those dollars add up.”
A portion of those funds are earmarked as designated funds for tourism, and public arts receives some of those funds.
“A lot of people don’t realize that we have many hotels in Chamblee,” Teneisha says.
For 2025, the city plans to hold many of the same community events such as the Annual Chalk Walk, Art Drop and more. Teneisha says new for 2025 will involve a performing art event such as a play, where residents can picnic on the lawn and enjoy a performance. This is something that Teneisha says is being considered for late spring.
The Chamblee Public Arts Commission meets monthly every fourth Thursday at 6 p.m., with the exception of November and December, at Chamblee City Hall. Teneisha says the public is invited to attend these meetings and there’s a public comment section for those who would like to speak . Time allotted for each speaker is three minutes.
A website is dedicated to Chamblee Public Arts. For up to date information, and more, visit storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/b77a95256b344b948b4d37980917ab35.
Sculptures recently added to Chamblee's Public Arts collection:
Metaphysica by Phil Proctor
Flatlander by Richard Pitts
Yellow Bench by Jim Gallucci
In Free Fall by Hannah Jubran
Learn more about them and more, at https://arcg.is/1G1bfO1.