Pittman Park / ELEVATE 2019 / City of Atlanta
PITTMAN
PARK
In 2019, Corey Barksdale was commissioned by the City of Atlanta's Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs to create a community mural across Pittman Park's picnic tables, benches, pavilion, and grill — part of ELEVATE, the city's annual public art festival.
Three themes, one park
Civil rights, family, and the sound of the city
Rather than a single wall, the Pittman Park commission spread across the park's everyday gathering spots — picnic tables, benches, the pavilion, and the grill. The imagery moves through three connected ideas: a tribute to the civil rights slogan "I Am a Man," a mother-and-child scene representing the love and care of family, and musicians and dancers set against Atlanta's skyline, capturing the vibrancy and hope that give the city life.
I Am a Man
Mother & Child
A citywide public art festival.
ELEVATE is the City of Atlanta's annual public art festival. In 2019 it was hosted in the historic Pittsburgh neighborhood, Oct. 14–19, in partnership with the African Diasporic Art Museum of Atlanta (ADAMA), alongside murals, exhibitions, and community events across the area.
Community-inspired, built to last.
Corey's murals were installed across Pittman Park's picnic tables, benches, pavilion, and grill — sealed for durability so the park's everyday furniture became lasting public art.
See more of Corey's civic work.
Pittman Park sits alongside other City of Atlanta–commissioned work, including the Blandtown FIFA World Cup mural — see the full Atlanta murals gallery. As an Atlanta muralist, Corey also welcomes private clients who want to commission a painting outside of civic and public art projects.
About the project
A City of Atlanta community commission
Corey was selected through the City of Atlanta's Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs and worked directly with OCA staff and the Pittman Park community on the final design before painting began in 2019.
The same civic process — proposal, community input, City of Atlanta service agreement, on-site painting, and a protective finish — carries through Corey's public art commissions today, including his FIFA World Cup mural in West Midtown.
Helpful project answers
Frequently asked questions
What is the Pittman Park mural?
A community mural created by Corey Barksdale in 2019 for Pittman Park in southwest Atlanta, commissioned by the City of Atlanta's Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs as part of the ELEVATE public art festival.
What does the mural depict?
Three connected themes across the park's picnic tables, benches, pavilion, and grill: a tribute to the civil rights slogan "I Am a Man," a mother-and-child scene representing family love and care, and musicians and dancers set against the Atlanta skyline representing the vibrancy and hope of the city.
Who commissioned the mural?
The City of Atlanta's Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs, as part of ELEVATE 2019, the city's annual public art festival, held that year in the historic Pittsburgh neighborhood in partnership with the African Diasporic Art Museum of Atlanta.
Where is the mural located?
Pittman Park, 950 Garibaldi St SE, Atlanta, GA 30310.
Public art & civic commissions
Planning a community art project?
Cities, community organizations, and civic partners can commission Corey directly for public art rooted in a neighborhood's own story.