Public Art

Rainbow Forest

"Rainbow Forest," a public art installation visible from Martin Luther King Parkway on a small hill on the North Oconee River Greenway, was officially unveiled in August 2021. "Rainbow Forest" is located at is 875 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy, Athens, GA 30601.

After a national call in early 2021, “Rainbow Forest” was selected out of 34 proposals from 32 artists by a selection panel of community members and ACCGov staff. The selection was approved by the ACCGov Mayor and Commission on May 4, 2021.

This art installation was funded by TSPLOST 2018 and created by artist Andrew Kovacs. He is a Los Angeles-based designer and educator, who worked with two local artist assistants, Eli Saragoussi and Patrick Sprague.

“Rainbow Forest” consists of a grid of 36 slender, brightly colored columns that are visible from the trail and road. The intention behind the work was to spark a new imagination for the possibility of what art and architecture can be, while trying to generate a culture of art and architecture that is accessible to a broader public audience.

“Rainbow Forest” is made out of standard concrete block masonry units. The use of everyday building materials and techniques not only creates a work that can last in all weather conditions with minimal maintenance, but also celebrates the role that architecture and art can have in re-imagining the everyday life of people in the public sphere.

Kovacs is best known for his previous work “Colossal Cacti” at the 2019 Coachella Music Festival.

Athens Music Walk of Fame

Athens is a community known worldwide for its creative and diverse music scene, with a rich musical heritage dating from the nineteenth century.

The Athens Music Walk of Fame is a two-square-block area in downtown Athens bounded by Pulaski Street, West Washington Street, North Lumpkin Street, and West Clayton Street. The walk passes several renowned music venues in western downtown, including the Morton Theatre, the 40 Watt Club, and the Georgia Theatre.

The inductees for the Athens Music Walk of Fame are:

2020
- The B-52s
- Danger Mouse (Brian Joseph Burton)
- Drive-By Truckers
- The Elephant 6 Recording Company
- Hall Johnson
- Neal Pattman
- Pylon
- R.E.M.
- Vic Chesnutt
- Widespread Panic
2021
- Bob Cole
- Low Down & Duddy
- Nuçi's Space/Linda Phillips
- of Montreal
- Art Rosenbaum
2022
- Bloodkin
- Tituss Burgess
- The Glands
- Ishues
- Love Tractor
2023
- Monroe Bowers "Pink" Morton
- Normaltown Flyers
- Jackie Payne
- Calvin Orlando Smith
- WUOG

Inductees are selected by a local resident committee appointed by Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz. During the selection process, committee members consider the contribution to the identity of Athens, established career, diverse representation in cultural and racial identity, distinct musical style, and historical context. Additional artists will be selected for induction into the Athens Music Walk of Fame in the coming years.

Bronze plaques installed in sidewalks honor these performers who have contributed to Athens’ musical legacy. Through a competitive process, a panel of community members selected Allen Sutton, an Athens-based multidisciplinary designer, and his plaque design. The design is inspired by both a guitar pick and a location pin to illustrate the link between the medium and the place it was created. The Athens-Clarke County Transportation and Public Works Department’s Streets and Drainage Division installs the plaques.

The Athens Music Walk of Fame is funded by the Athens Cultural Affairs Commission and supported by community partnerships, including the Athens Downtown Development Authority, ACCGov's Transportation and Public Works Streets & Drainage Division, and ACCGov's Leisure Services Department Arts Division.

For more information, contact the Athens-Clarke County Public Information Office at 706-613-3795 or info@accgov.com.

Hot Corner Mural

A mural paying tribute to the legacy of Hot Corner was installed during summer 2019 on the side of the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government-owned Costa Building near the intersection of West Washington and North Lumpkin streets.

The nearby Hot Corner was the center for commerce and culture for black Athenians for many years. The mural depicts several local figures, as well as figures who are representative of the history surrounding the area.

Miami artist Elio Mercado led the large-scale project with the assistance of Athens artist Broderick Flanigan. The Athens Cultural Affairs Commission coordinated the project.

Art Bus Shelters

A new set of one-of-a-kind artistic bus shelters are being installed throughout Athens-Clarke County as part of SPLOST 2011’s Project #7 for Transit vehicles and bus stops. This is the third round of art bus shelter installations since 2005 coordinated with the Athens Cultural Affairs Commission.

While 11 shelters were installed in the two prior rounds combined, over 30 will be installed by the time the third round ends in 2020. There are two types of the art shelters in this installation: 12 completely fabricated by the artists and 20 standard-type shelters with artist-designed laser cut panels in place of the standard panels.

Fire Up the Hydrants

Fire Up the Hydrants is a project of the Public Utilities Department's Water Conservation Office, in partnership with Fire and Emergency Services, the Athens Downtown Development Authority, and the Athens Area Arts Council. Local artists transformed 20 fire hydrants in downtown Athens into functional, life-saving, creative pieces of art to help celebrate 80 years of drinking water delivery service from the JG Beacham Drinking Water Treatment Plant. The hydrants are a reminder that Athens has reliable, clean water delivery for all of our needs, including for fighting fires.

Read more about the project or download a map of the hydrants at accgov.com/fireupthehydrants.