Philosopher Aristotle said, “The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.”
Art is more than just a picture with pretty colors scribbled up on a wall. Macon is a city full of artists’ creations on public display. With the help of Macon365’s directory of public art in the city, let us break down some of the art pieces in our town that can very easily go unnoticed if you don’t know what you’re looking at.
1. Circles in Coleman Hill Park by Kathy Wright
If you’ve ever been to or driven past Coleman Hill Park, you might have noticed these large white-circle statues. Created by Kathy Wright in 2014 and funded by a Knight Neighborhood Challenge Grant and the Community Foundation of Central Georgia, the circles are meant to seem like circles rolling down a hill. There are 6 circles all of them different in size with the biggest being 5-feet tall and the smallest being about a little over a foot tall. The pieces are just one of many artistic pieces in Coleman Hill Park.
2. Cherry Street Crosswalk painted by: Mama Hawk Draws and Bike Walk Macon
In 2021, Macon artist Mama Hawk Draws with the help of Bike Walk Macon and many other volunteers completely transformed the crosswalk on Cherry Street in downtown Macon intending to make the street safer for pedestrians. “We were able to use a local artist who highlighted a lot of the things that we love about Macon – the river, the music, Little Richard – and put it right in the middle of the most iconic street in downtown, demonstrating that Macon is a place that is committed to embracing art and culture and also embracing multimodal transportation,” said Rachel Umana, Founder and Executive Director of Bike Walk Macon in a quote on Mama Hawk’s website. The crosswalk is a bright blue making the street pop with color and is covered with music notes that tap into Macon’s rich music history. The mural covers the crosswalk that crosses over Cherry Street between 2nd and Third Street downtown.
3. Skate Macon painted by Will Barker
On the east side of Macon is Carolyn Crayton Park where you will find a little skate park and in that skate park next to the skating rink you’ll find this small yet vibrant building covered in flowers and plants along with someone riding a skateboard. The bright building provides a pop of color next to the gray skate ramps.
4. Welcome to Macon mural by Colin Penndorf
Right behind the Macon Welcome Center, located at 450 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, and in the same parking lot of the Tubman Museum, you will find this huge mural covering the entire back of the welcome center. The mural is perfect for a welcome center as it features all of Macon’s main attractions like the Ocmulgee Mounds, cherry blossoms, St. Joseph Catholic Church, and of course a big Georgia Peach, all things that perfectly sum up what to expect when coming to Macon for the first time making the perfect “Welcome” to the city.
5. H&H Soul Food Restaurant Mural by Steven Teller
In 2021, artist Steven Teller painted a mural on the side of one of Macon’s most historical restaurants, H&H. The mural features The Allman Brothers Band who famously spent a lot of time at the restaurant visiting the original owner of H&H “Mama Louise” Hudson who is also featured in the mural.
Macon is a city covered in different murals and sculptures everywhere you go. Art is something that just by being in its presence can completely change someone’s emotions and is a great way to spread more positivity and joy, and here in Macon, we could always use a little more of that in our city.
