Mayor Kasim Reed to Dedicate the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Mural During King Week

Jan. 12, 2010 - PRLog -- Mayor Kasim Reed to Dedicate the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Mural During King Week

Sunday, January 17th 2010

Time:
2:00

Mural Location:
Martin Luther King, Jr. Natatorium (back wall)

Reception Location:
Peace Plaza facing the MLK National Historic Visitor’s Site, 450 Auburn Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30312

Parking:
John Wesley Dobbs Avenue between Boulevard and Jackson Street

“The dedication of the Martin Luther King Memorial Mural marks the beginning of a mural program that the City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs intends to bring to fruition in 2010. We couldn’t have selected a more exemplary artist and subject to launch a city-wide program. We congratulate Louis for his outstanding work and the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs for funding this and other public art projects around the city,” said Camille Russell Love, director of the City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs.

The dedication marks the King Holiday celebration and the public ceremony will be presided over by Camille Russell Love; joining her will be Mayor Kasim Reed, Isaac Farris, Chief Executive Officer of The King Center, June Dobbs Butts, youngest daughter of John Wesley Dobbs and other guest speakers.

A native of Brooklyn New York, Delsarte has been creating murals since 1967. He earned a BFA from Pratt Institute in 1967 and an MFA from the University of Tucson in 1977. He has completed artist residencies at several institutions including Howard University, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Robert Blackburn Print Making Workshop in New York City, Experimental Printmaking Institute at Lafayette College in Easton, PA, Brandywine Printmaking Workshop in Philadelphia, PA and the Faculty Resource Network at New York University.

MLK Memorial Mural
His work can be found in many public and private collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Cocoran Gallery of Art, Fort Lauderdale Museum, Kansas City Art Museum, the Camille Hanks Cosby Museum at Spelman College in Atlanta, GA, the Paul Jones Collection at University of Delaware, the Hammond House Museum in Atlanta, and The National Gallery of Art in Bermuda.

Since childhood, Louis Delsarte has been captivated by the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr. Delsarte said of his commission to create the mural, “This is the most incredible honor that I have been given since the beginning of my career. I want this mural, entitled ‘Dreams, Visions and Change’ to reflect the magnitude of King’s sacrifices and his work as a Civil Rights Leader.”

Atlanta’s Public Art Program is administered by the Office of Cultural Affairs, Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs and is supported by one and one half percent of capital project funding set aside for the inclusion of public art in municipal projects. Delsarte’s mural is one of six commissions administrated by the Public Art Program for the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs 2005 Greenspace and Recreation Opportunity Bond program.



About the Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA)
The OCA, a division of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs, was established in 1974 to encourage and support Atlanta's cultural resources. The initial mission was to solidify the role that arts and other cultural resources play in defining and enhancing the social fabric and quality of life of Atlanta citizens and visitors. Today the OCA is working to enhance Atlanta's reputation as a cultural destination. The OCA supports programs that educate and expose the public to a rich and diverse range of cultural expressions through a variety of initiatives.

About The Opportunity Bond Municipal Art Projects
In 2005, Mayor Franklin challenged the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs (DPRCA) to invigorate parks and recreation facilities through the 2005 Greenspace and Recreation Opportunity Bond. The department took up the challenge and initiated an aggressive plan to install art in Atlanta’s parks. The Public Art Program team, led by Eddie Granderson, developed temporary art projects in 11 parks, managed the selection process, contracted artists to develop five gateways in neighborhood parks and commissioned a major mural for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Historic District. The “Community Gateway Project” represents the installation of public artworks in five distinct communities. New public art was installed in Adair I, Cleopas R. Johnson, Isabel Gates Webster, South Bend and Southside Parks. These public art installations serve as gateways to the parks and neighborhoods and are now a part of Atlanta’s landscape.

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