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Photos: Atlanta Beltline’s new Eastside Trail has artful backdrop of graffiti, murals

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Recent Wylie Street mural additions join street-art menagerie along Beltline’s latest finished leg

By Josh Green
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A sampling of newer pieces along the Beltline’s Wylie Street section.
A sampling of newer pieces along the Beltline’s Wylie Street section.
Photo: Jonathan Philips, Curbed Atlanta

Atlanta old-timers might recall the days when a Cabbagetown anti-graffiti vigilante dropped from trees to pounce on spray-can-wielding miscreants. It was part of a larger pushback against non-commissioned public painting (or outright vandalism) that eventually spurred Atlanta police to dedicate seasoned officers to squashing the issue.

Times have changed.

On the very street where the headline-grabbing attack on taggers happened in 2008, a wonderland of intricate, large-scale pieces and more traditional, quicker graffiti now forms the backdrop of the Beltline’s latest Eastside Trail stretch.

Instantly, it’s become a popular selfie pitstop for Beltline patrons and a magnet for more professional photo shoots. And it’s naturally a good subject for the latest installment of our Visual Journeys series. (Note: The bulk of the work was created as part of the Forward Warrior series.)

Have a gander below and get lost in the details—both those by design and the result of nature’s toll:

Artist Lela Brunet's yellow piece is the first one to be seen after turning east onto Wylie Street from the Krog Street Tunnel intersection.
Photos: Jonathan Philips, Curbed Atlanta
The outdoor gallery in question ends near this Reynoldstown mural, where the Eastside Trail’s newest leg turns southward toward Memorial Drive.
Blue Leopard by Maddy Barreto. It’s a new addition to the wall along Wylie Street.
Blue Leopard by Maddy Barreto. It’s a new addition to the wall along Wylie Street.
Panoramic photos of mostly new additions, beginning from left ...
... to right and ...
... ending here.
Artist CatLanta.
Three heads and intriguing use of color and pattern. Artist Lela Brunet.
More traditional graffiti that’s accrued along Wylie Street for many years.
Outta Beer Outta Here. Artists Chris Wright and Chris Sturdivant.
The last of more recent additions to Wylie Street pays homage to MLK and, maybe, America. Maybe not. Artist Unknown.
At points, cracking, fading, and peeling graffiti forms the new Beltline’s backdrop.
Artist Sanithna Phansavanh
Artist thoughtthefishr.
Heads reminiscent of comic book characters such as the Human Torch and Magneto float along the red-worded background of a newer piece near Krog Street Tunnel.
Robot world. Artist Travis Smith.
“Lauren.” Artist Lonnie Garner.
Purple is the color of Janice Rago's piece.
A.J. DeWitt's contribution to Wylie Street near Krog Street Tunnel.
No Carbs, Just Sauce, or Trap God. Artist Unknown.
Someone didn’t get the memo that “Hotlanta” is passé.

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