Arts & Recreation
HADLEY(s) Photography
Project 23Square By Cory Sekine-Pettite
T
o characterize the City of Marietta as art-friendly would be an understatement. Residents and visitors alike are blessed with a plethora of performing arts centers, galleries, museums, public art displays, and annual arts celebrations. One outstanding example is Project 23Square, which was started by the Marietta Arts Council in 2018 to elevate the arts throughout all 23 square miles of the city. The Marietta Arts Council is a volunteer-based 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the artistic and cultural landscape of the City of Marietta through advocacy, education, and public art. The impetus for Project 23Square began with the inaugural M2R TrailFest, which introduced a mural tour, sculpture garden, mile-long fence gallery, and numerous performances stretching along two miles of the downtown Marietta urban walking and
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biking trail known as the Mountain to River Trail. The Marietta Arts Council works with community leaders, the Marietta City Council, and representatives from each of the Wards of the City to identify appropriate areas for activation and installation. A dozen murals are currently on display, as well as two public art installations along the M2R Trail: The Bridge of Hope and The Bridge of Heroes. Additionally, the “Keys to the City” initiative features pianos painted by local artists. “The arts are such a crucial part of the fabric of Marietta. We are fortunate to have a rich and diverse offering of visual arts, performing arts, and cultural arts in our city,” said Marietta Arts Council President Bonnie Buckner Reavis. “The Marietta Arts Council works diligently to engage the public with installations and immersive experiences that showcase the city’s assets and its people. We are thrilled to hear that so many
visitors are drawn to Marietta because of the work we have been involved with. With only a few years under our belt, we are excited about what our continued efforts will bring to the Marietta art scene.”
The M2R Fence Gallery The M2R Fence Gallery is a curated installation, which debuted trackside in downtown Marietta last May. Currently on view in Aviation Park in Town Center until Mar. 14, 2021, the exhibition then will travel to Smyrna where it will be on display until April 19. The 2020 M2R Fence Gallery features more than 100 works of fine art and photography from over 50 artists, ranging from student artists to working artists. Images of the artwork have been printed on 30” x 40” weather-safe panels, thanks to the gallery’s production partner, MaxVision. Among the fine art and
