About Atlanta Artist Corey Barksdale
Corey Barksdale is an Atlanta-based visual artist known for vibrant color, cultural storytelling, expressive murals, fine art, illustration, and live painting experiences.
Rooted in color and community.
His work connects public art, African American culture, city identity, music, movement, and community-centered creative experiences.
A foundation in fine art and family.
Corey holds a BFA from the Atlanta College of Art, where he built the technical foundation for his work. His artistic voice draws on the influence of his grandmother and painter Romare Bearden, alongside the culture, music, and history of Atlanta and the American South.
Artist profile
Color, culture, movement, and public storytelling
Corey Barksdale is an Atlanta-based visual artist whose practice includes murals, original paintings, illustration, live event painting, and motion art. His work draws energy from music, history, everyday life, and the visual culture of the communities around him.
Across studio work and public projects, Corey approaches art as a way to create connection, recognize shared stories, and give spaces a distinctive sense of identity. Much of that work centers Black history, music, and culture — explore the full African American art gallery for paintings, murals, and commissions built around that throughline. He is available for commissions, cultural projects, events, licensing, and creative collaborations.
His public art includes a City of Atlanta–commissioned mural honoring the historic Blandtown neighborhood ahead of the FIFA World Cup, and murals installed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Explore his mural portfolio for the full body of work.
History & public art
From studio training to citywide murals
Corey's practice started with a BFA from the Atlanta College of Art, where he built the technical foundation — drawing, color, composition — behind everything that followed. That studio training grew into a career that now spans intimate paintings and some of the most visible public art in the city.
The public-facing side of that career includes a City of Atlanta–commissioned FIFA World Cup mural in Blandtown, murals installed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, work for the city's ELEVATE Art Festival (including a mural celebrating Southwest Atlanta), a community mural in Cabbagetown, a Martin Luther King Jr. memorial installation in Dublin, Georgia, and a mural in Underground Atlanta.
The work has also traveled beyond Atlanta — live murals painted during the CRE8IV festival in Rockford, Illinois, commissioned murals for Mellow Mushroom locations in Richmond, Virginia and Nashville, Tennessee, and additional projects in Newnan and Carrollton, Georgia.
Inspirations
Family, Romare Bearden, and the American South
Two influences run through Corey's work most directly: his grandmother, and painter Romare Bearden. Alongside them sits a broader inheritance — the music, history, and everyday life of Atlanta and the American South, which shows up again and again as subject matter rather than backdrop.
That shows up in recurring themes across the African American art gallery: jazz and music (including a poster commissioned for the Atlanta Jazz Festival's 35th anniversary), civil rights history, and figures who shaped it. The bold forms and symbolism in his linework also echo further back — traditions like the Benin Bronzes and Nok culture sculpture — carrying that lineage forward into new work. Corey's cultural storytelling has extended into media too, including a cover illustration for The Night Before Freedom: A Juneteenth Story and artwork for the television series Godfather of Harlem.
Helpful profile answers
Frequently asked questions
Where did Corey Barksdale study art?
Corey Barksdale holds a BFA from the Atlanta College of Art, where he built the technical foundation for his painting and mural work.
What inspires Corey Barksdale's work?
Corey's artistic voice draws on the influence of his grandmother and painter Romare Bearden, alongside the music, history, and culture of Atlanta and the American South.
What is Corey Barksdale known for?
Corey Barksdale is known for large-scale public murals, African American-themed paintings, live event painting, and illustration rooted in Atlanta culture.
Has Corey Barksdale completed notable public art commissions?
Yes. Corey was selected by the City of Atlanta to create a FIFA World Cup mural in Blandtown, and his murals are installed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, ELEVATE Atlanta, Cabbagetown, and Underground Atlanta, among other sites.
Does Corey Barksdale accept commissions?
Yes. Corey accepts commissions for murals, paintings, live event painting, and illustration, and can be reached directly to discuss a project.
Work with Corey Barksdale
Bring live art to your event
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