When District 3 DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson was president of the National Association of Counties (NACo), he had the opportunity to visit municipalities across the nation. Among the ideas that captured his imagination during his recently completed term with NACo was public art. On Jan. 22, Johnson hosted Public Art on Candler: A Community Conversation at South DeKalb Senior Center on Candler Road to engage public input on the concept.
“I saw public art being applied in interesting ways in such places as Dade County, Florida, and Portland, Oregon. I started to think about the possibilities here in south DeKalb County,” Johnson said. “I decided I’d like to do an art project here, but nothing just happens. A project such as this requires planning, commitment, and support. That’s why we’re here this evening.”
Much of Candler Road, a main artery running through Decatur and adjacent areas, has been a mixture of mismatched storefronts, Johnson noted. “It took me years to get the zoning that would set standards for construction in this area. Every new building has to be brick and meet standards with regard to signage and landscaping; however, existing buildings are grandfathered in. We can’t do anything about them, but everything coming out of the ground has to meet architectural standards.”
Public art, defined in the meeting as “art created for and displayed in public places. This includes parks, streets, plazas, government buildings and other areas accessible to the general public,” would be a worthy addition to the effort to upgrade the Candler Road area, according to Johnson.
“The Candler Road corridor between I-285 and Memorial Drive is poised to become a beacon of creativity and community engagement. Plans are underway to infuse the area with public art, transforming the landscape into a dynamic tapestry that reflects the essence of the community it serves. The initiative… aligns seamlessly with the 2050 DeKalb Unified…
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