Several artists are being considered for two major art installations at Brookhaven’s new City Centre, the $78 million city hall project being built at the intersection of Peachtree Road and North Druid Hills Road.
City Centre is scheduled to open in summer 2025.
The Brookhaven Arts and Culture Commission has identified three mural artists as finalists to create a gateway to the city where traffic runs underneath the Brookhaven/Oglethorpe MARTA station. The commission’s selected artists will be presented to Brookhaven City Council in 2025.
In preparation, about 4,500 sq. ft. of concrete walls will be pressure washed and repaired by the city before the chosen artist paints the large scale mural. The proposed cost of each project ranges from $118,000 to more than $210,000.
Decatur resident Elise Garcia’s bright, high energy mural submission includes the phrase, “No one belongs here more than you.” Garcia, who goes by Hey Elise, says the design ties in the City Centre building, MARTA, and other symbols to promote a sense of community, welcoming visitors and residents home.
Krista M. Jones, aka Jonesy, is a contemporary artist based in East Point. Her design incorporates vibrant color, natural elements, and patterns to “transform urban spaces into moments of joy” to symbolize movement, growth, and connectivity. Jones’ passion for murals is rooted in transforming public spaces into moments of unexpected joy and connection, she said.
A visual artist known as Teresa Afternoon, Teresa Abboud lives on the border of Brookhaven and Atlanta. Her design centers on a subway train surrounded by whimsical flowers and nature, as well as iconic scenes from the metro area. Abboud has executed large wall murals in downtown Atlanta and Lawrenceville.
Finalists for a massive art piece inside City Centre are artists Sabre Esler and Armando Chacon.
Armando Chacon captures movement through surrealism, using color and deconstructed lines to represent playfulness. “The design is made with the intention to describe the surroundings in a playful and fun way,” Chacon’s proposal states.
Brookhaven resident Sabre Esler is a multidisciplinary artist who creates installations, sculptures, and prints with 26 corporate and public art collections. Her design combines a wallpaper with subtle shades of sea foam and white covering the entire 17×11-foot wall, a mesh wall sculpture, and colored plexiglass sculptures.
After the City Council has reviewed the proposals and chosen the winners, the Arts and Culture Commission will work with each artist to refine the design and return to council members for final review.