A New, Community-Led Piece for the Atlanta Beltline

For the past seven years, visitors to the Southwest Trail near Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard have been greeted by Singer, a mural depicting expression and song by Suzy Schultz. Now, visitors will notice a new, vibrant work of art in its place. 

The Light We Carry, a mural celebrating healing and collective resilience, is the latest mural to come from Thriving Together Atlanta, a public art initiative that utilizes art events and experiences to create meaningful dialogue and inspire concrete community action that addresses health disparities. 

This project, which is a collaboration between the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office for Cultural Affairs, the National Black Arts Festival, and Out of Hand Theater and supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge partnered with the Atlanta Beltline to bring the new piece to life after an extensive community engagement effort that began back in July. 

After a public call for artists' proposals, the Thriving Together Atlanta and Beltline teams met to select the strongest submissions out of 40 applicants. A few weeks later, a community day was held at Hammonds House Museum, where community members heard from project partners, enjoyed a performance from Out of Hand Theater, and reviewed presentations from the five artist finalists. From there, votes were cast for the piece that would soon adorn their neighborhood walls.

"With Thriving Together Atlanta, we’re using art to spark connection, conversation, and care," said Leatrice Ellzy, President & CEO of the National Black Arts Festival (NBAF). "It was important to us that the community helped shape the story being told on their own walls. This mural is both beautiful and a visual reminder that through community engagement and in partnership with local government, we can build healthy, thriving neighborhoods.”

The winning artist was Chloe Alexander, a local printmaker, whose The Light We Carry proposal focused on bringing to life symbols of joy, transformation, and light.  

“Winning the Thriving Together Atlanta commission is such an honor, as it allows me to contribute to the community that has deeply influenced Atlanta’s cultural identity,” Chloe shared with NBAF last month. “This project is an opportunity to celebrate resilience, caring for one's community, and connection, while expanding my studio practice further into the realm of public art.” 

The finished piece is officially ready for visitors after being unveiled during a community ceremony on October 4. It depicts an empowered youth contributing to a thriving community where health inequity is not a privilege, but a shared right.  

“We’re thrilled to welcome Chloe Alexander’s mural to the corridor,” said Amina Cooper, Atlanta Beltline, Inc.’s Director of Arts and Culture. “Community engagement is at the heart of everything we do at the Beltline, and that extends to our Atlanta Beltline Art efforts. The Westside community has a long and significant public art legacy that we are proudly upholding through the addition of Chloe's artwork.” 

To get directions to the mural, click here. 

The Light We Carry was commissioned in partnership with Thriving Together Atlanta, a Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge project. 

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The 2025 Atlanta Beltline Art exhibition and programming are sponsored by Delta Air Lines and Norfolk Southern at the Gold level; Northside Hospital and Ponce City Market at the Silver level; and Cox Enterprises at the Bronze level, with additional philanthropic funding from the Atlanta Foundation.  

This program is supported in part by the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. Funding for this program is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. This program is supported in part by Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. Georgia Council for the Arts also receives support from its partner agency – the National Endowment for the Arts. This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.