Photos: Murals celebrate Atlanta’s civil rights legacy as backdrop for Super Bowl LIII

Find the new installations under bridges, at MARTA stations, and elsewhere

By Josh Green@JoshGreen1234 Dec 28, 2018, 10:46am EST

A photo of Yehimi Cambron’s Monuments: We Carry the Dreams. — Yehimi Cambron’s *Monuments: We Carry the Dreams* mural.

In just over a month, Atlanta will host its first Super Bowl in 18 years, and in preparation, a group of handpicked artists have been working to ensure the city’s street-art backdrop is more colorful and culturally significant.

A partnership between local arts organization WonderRoot and the Super Bowl Host Committee is creating a citywide art exhibit called Off The Wall: Atlanta’s Civil Rights and Social Justice Journey.

For several weeks, 11 artists have been painting 30 murals around downtown, Sweet Auburn, Vine City, English Avenue, and Castleberry Hill.

The results range from portraiture that honors specific achievements to more whimsical installations around transit hubs.

After the Big Game on February 3 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, each mural is expected to remain as part of the city’s permanent public art collection, officials have said.

Have a look at a few fresh examples from the initiative below.