Alpharetta, Georgia – Alpharetta’s public art is becoming harder to miss. And that appears to be exactly the point. Bright steel forms, nature-inspired designs and large-scale sculptures are showing up along walking routes, in parks and near civic buildings, turning everyday trips through the city into unexpected encounters with art.
The latest additions come through a partnership between the City of Alpharetta and Arts Alpharetta, which is bringing a new temporary exhibition, Dazzle & Discord, to locations across the community. At the same time, four works from the earlier RIFF exhibition are staying permanently after becoming established parts of the local landscape.
Two pieces are already in place. Nouveau Crane by Lee Bell stands at 2 Park Plaza between Alpharetta City Hall and the Library, combining a crane and iris motif with influences from Art Nouveau and stained glass. Behind the Alpharetta Community Center at 175 Roswell Street, visitors can also find A Crack in the Past by Tamara Robertson.
Several more sculptures are scheduled to arrive in the coming weeks.
Along Thompson Street at Chiswick Trace, King of Prairie Town by Nicole Beck is planned for installation. Brooke Street Park will receive Wonder by Abigail Cochran Law, while Rising Spirits by Harry McDaniel will be positioned at the entrance to Webb Bridge Park.
Other planned locations include Union Hill Park, where Red-Green Construction by Ray Katz will stand near the Greenway entrance, and Brooke Street Park near the Little River behind City Hall, where Sentry by Benn Stover will be installed.
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Later in September, Vertex Vortex by Lawrence Feir is expected at Thompson Street Park, followed by Urban Flow by Maxwell Emcays at Ole Milton Park.
The growing collection is deliberately spread across Alpharetta, allowing people to come across the works while using the Greenway, visiting downtown, walking through parks or stopping at City Hall.
One sculpture staying from the RIFF exhibition is Big Sky by Nathaniel Pierce, an interactive steel work centered on communication, imagination and the idea of outer space. Keeping the piece required a combined funding effort. The Alpha Loop Foundation raised $7,500, the City of Alpharetta contributed $16,000, and Arts Alpharetta relinquished $10,000 in commission.
With installations now appearing across more parts of the city, residents do not need to visit a gallery to see the collection. The Alpharetta Public Art Story Map provides locations, artist information and details about individual works, making it possible to turn a walk through Alpharetta into a public art tour.
