Young artists painted nature-themed murals this month in Buckhead’s Mountain Way Common park, decorating some of the towering pillars that support the Ga. 400 and MARTA overpass that shadows the unique green space.
The murals were created by eight students who won a juried art contest dubbed “Picture Your Path,” as the art is along a future section of the PATH400 multiuse trail. The contest was organized by Lovett School senior Katie Maier as Girl Scouts Gold Star project. Several years ago, Maier won a similar mural contest from PATH400 operator Livable Buckhead, which helped coordinate “Picture Your Path.”
According to Livable Buckhead, 75 young artists applied, with winners chosen by a panel that included Dianne Belk, the founding chair of the Girl Scouts-supporting Juliette Gordon Low Society; Katherine Dirga, MARTA’s director of art; City Councilmember J.P. Matzigkeit of Buckhead’s District 8; Livable Buckhead Executive Director Denise Starling; and teacher Fran Turner.
The winners were Berkeley Dana, Danny Diulus, Elizabeth Dobrotka, Milan Everhart-Chappelle, Autumn Lundy, Jagger Rogers, Emma Stoll and Noa Tsur. They were organized into two groups that painted their murals on April 10 and 18. The photos here were taken during the April 18 painting.
Mountain Way Common is located at 4124 North Ivy Road, beneath the highway and train overpass. For more information, see mountainwaycommon.net.
Photos by Joshua Crowder.
Livable Buckhead staff member Anna Sharp, left, who helped organize the contest, and Executive Director Denise Starling discuss some of the art. (Joshua Crowder) 
Galloway School student Emma Stoll works on her mural. (Joshua Crowder) 
Paint cups surround the reference drawing for Noa Tsur’s mural. (Joshua Crowder) 
Elizabeth “Ellie” Dobrotka, a fifth-grade student at Bolton Academy, paints her mural. (Joshua Crowder)
Correction: An earlier version of this story misspelled Katie Maier’s name based on an incorrect press release.