Atlanta Beltline Art Announces New Works, International Artist Residency and the Fall Return of Atlanta Beltline Lantern Parade Atlanta Beltline Art Announces New Works, International Artist Residency and the Fall Return of Atlanta Beltline Lantern Parade

Atlanta Beltline Art is continuing the rollout of its 2026 exhibition season with new commissions, installations and programmatic updates. 

After beginning the year with a series of public calls for art, the Beltline’s arts and culture program is announcing its first wave of selected artists for 2026. 

This round of updates also includes highlights from Atlanta Beltline Art’s artist development initiatives, including the graduation of its latest artist accelerator cohort and the return of its international residency partnership with ArtWorks Porto. Both programs are in their second year and reflect the Beltline’s commitment to strengthening Atlanta’s identity as a cultural hub and providing further support for the artists shaping it. 

Atlanta Beltline Art annually produces one of the largest temporary public art exhibitions in the U.S. Its commissioned works, installations and special events span the trail and its adjacent neighborhoods and parks. The latest announcements come as the Beltline marks the significant completion of nearly 17 miles of continuous mainline trail, creating new opportunities for residents and visitors to encounter free, public art throughout the city. The full 22-mile trail is on track for completion by 2030. 

Highlights from Atlanta Beltline Art's Expanding 2026 Season: 

• Beltline Artist Accelerator Graduates Second Cohort

• Atlanta Beltline X ArtWorks Porto Residency Returns

• Artists Selected Following Public Call for New Murals 

• Catherine M. Owens Memorial Debuts on the Beltline’s Southeast Trail

• Atlanta Beltline Lantern Parade Returns to Fall with its Largest Celebration Yet

Beltline Business Ventures: Artists Edition Graduates Second Cohort

Following a successful inaugural cohort in 2024, Beltline Business Ventures: Artists Edition returned this spring for its second installment, graduating 17 emerging and established artists from across metro Atlanta. 

Presented through a partnership between Atlanta Beltline’s Business Solutions Office, Atlanta Beltline Art and visual arts incubator TILA Studios, the 10-week accelerator is designed to equip local artists with the skills necessary to secure larger public art commissions and grow sustainable creative businesses. This year’s graduating artists include: 

• Melissa Mitchell

• Ieisha Sweatmon

• Sway Jones

• Quamaine Giles

• Domonique Stanford

• Teresa Abbound

• Emida Roller

• LeiSha Starchia

• Stephanie Brown

• Brandon Moultrie

• Lori Smith

• Joelle Ngalame

• Etienne Jackson

• Mia Anika

• Vanna Farley

• Craig Singleton

• Adana Tillman

Cross-Cultural Exchange: Atlanta Beltline X ArtWorks Porto Residency Returns for Second Year

Two Atlanta artists are traveling abroad to Portugal this summer to expand their public art practice through an international residency created exclusively for Atlanta Beltline Art. The cultural exchange program was developed through the Beltline’s partnership with ArtWorks Porto, Portugal’s highly-regarded art production and fabrication studio. 

The program builds on the Beltline Business Ventures: Artists Edition accelerator. Two accelerator graduates are selected each year to train internationally and develop specialized skills in sculpture, fabrication and large-scale public art production. In addition to supporting their technical expertise, the experience was also designed to unlock new economic opportunities and give the artists the opportunity to engage with Porto’s renowned contemporary arts community. The residency launched in 2025 in response to feedback from Atlanta artists who identified a need for more practical training to develop the skills required to create large-scale public art. It also supports Atlanta Beltline Art’s investment in developing the next generation of public artists. 

This year's residents are Tracy Murrell and Joelle Ngalame. They follow inaugural residency participants Charity Hamidullah and Marryam Moma. 

New Artists Selected Following Public Call for Murals

Three acclaimed Atlanta artists have been selected to create new murals at prominent locations along the trail following Atlanta Beltline Art’s public call earlier this year. The muralists will begin their works in the coming weeks with completion anticipated by late August. 

• “Rooted & Rising” by Poetry JacksonLocation: Jones Ave NW, English Avenue (Westside Beltline Connector)Poetry Jackson is a self-taught painter with more than a decade of professional experience and international acclaim. Jackson has become known for her ability to create artworks that reflect the voices, values and aspirations of communities. She describes “Rooted & Rising” as a celebration of community, inspired by the people, stories and spirit of Atlanta’s Westside. The mural, created in collaboration with artist Melissa A. Mitchell, will explore how strong communities are built through mentorship, education, creativity, entrepreneurship and collective care.

• “Next Stop” by Nick “Turbo” BensonLocation: Cameron Madison Alexander Boulevard, English Avenue (Westside Beltline Connector)At Cameron M. Alexander Boulevard on the Westside Beltline Connector, Nick “Turbo” Benson will create “Next Stop,” honoring the street’s namesake, the longtime leader of Atlanta’s historic Antioch Baptist Church North. Benson is an Atlanta-born muralist and illustrator. With an artistic practice spanning multi-story murals, detailed gallery installations and digital illustration, Benson brings fantastic worlds, feelings and characters into the everyday corridors of Atlanta. Benson describes his piece for the Beltline as “a love letter to our city, a celebration of the life of Cameron M. Alexander, and a tribute to everyday Atlantans from all walks of life.”

• “As Above So Below” by Brandon SadlerLocation: Virginia Avenue Bridge, Virginia-Highland (Eastside Trail)The Virginia Avenue Bridge along the Eastside Trail will be the site of “As Above So Below,” a mural showcasing multidisciplinary artist Brandon Sadler’s ability to combine bold, graphic storytelling with traditional and folkloric visual language from around the world. Sadler is an interdisciplinary artist based in Atlanta and graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design with a BFA in illustration. Sadler was awarded SCAD’s Distinguished Alumnus award in 2019 for his work on Marvel Studios’ Black Panther and his career to date. 

Catherine M. Owens Memorial Sculpture Makes its Debut on the Beltline’s Southeast Trail

The Beltline’s Southeast Trail will soon be home to the Catherine M. Owens Memorial, a sculpture by Savannah-born artist Y. Malik Jalal honoring the engineer whose vision helped shape some of today's most beloved Beltline trails. The former Atlanta Beltline leader spent more than seven years advancing the organization’s trail and transit work. She oversaw the designs of the Westside, Southside and Northeast trails and also helped artists ensure that public art installations along the corridor were safe and durable.

Created in collaboration with the Catherine M. Owens Memorial Fund, the sculpture will be installed within the rain garden along the Southeast Trail, the final project Owens led during her time at the Beltline. 

Jalal transformed an original rail switch preserved from the corridor into a water feature, connecting the site’s industrial history with Owens’ role in preserving and reimagining the former rail line as a public space. The sculpture is emblematic of Jalal’s signature style, drawing aesthetically and conceptually from the lineages of his mediums, welding steel and bronze to address histories formed by morphing industries and inequalities. Jalal earned his MFA from Yale University and a BA from Oglethorpe University. His work is in the permanent collection of LACMA (Los Angeles, CA).

For more information on the Catherine M. Owens Memorial Sculpture, visit https://beltline.org/art/catherine-m-owens-memorial.  

Atlanta Beltline Lantern Parade Returns to Fall for 2026, Expanding Scale and Footprint 

After stormy weather caused the 15th Atlanta Beltline Lantern Parade to be canceled, organizers are now preparing for the largest parade in the event's history. The annual tradition, which brings together thousands of Atlantans, live bands, marching bands and hundreds of lanterns and giant puppets, will return to its fall schedule on Saturday, Sept. 19, along the Southwest Trail. This year’s event will feature an expanded route, temporary pop-ups and artist and community activations. Visit Beltline.org/art/lantern-parade/ for additional details and updates.

The 2026 Atlanta Beltline Art exhibition and programming is sponsored by Delta Air Lines at the Gold level; Northside Hospital and Ponce City Market at the Silver level. The 2026 Kids Lantern Parade is sponsored by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

This program is supported in part by the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. Major funding for this organization is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. This program is supported in part by the Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly and funding from its partner agency – 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.

About Atlanta Beltline Art
Atlanta Beltline Art is the largest outdoor temporary art exhibition in the southeast, activating spaces along roughly 12 miles of the planned 22-mile corridor. The public art featured in the annual exhibition is carefully selected by an arts and culture expert jury and community members based on set criteria that aim to be as inclusive and equitable as possible. The linear gallery represents artists from across the region in a variety of mediums: sculpture, murals, dance, music, theater, photography, fashion, film and more. The Beltline welcomes over 2 million users a year, who are exposed to a number of art installations from the temporary and continuing exhibitions. To date, more than 90 projects have been commissioned as a part of the growing year-round collection. Stay abreast of Atlanta Beltline Art announcements and events at Beltline.org/art, or follow on social media @AtlantaBeltline and with #BeltlineArt.

About the Atlanta Beltline 
The Atlanta Beltline is the 22-mile rail-to-trail project that is transforming Atlanta’s neighborhoods, one mile at a time. The Beltline’s vision is to be the catalyst for making Atlanta a global beacon for equitable, inclusive, and sustainable city life. With an additional 11 miles of connector trails, the Atlanta Beltline is one of the largest, most wide-ranging urban redevelopment programs in the United States. In partnership with local communities and organizations, the Beltline is building a more socially and economically resilient Atlanta through job creation, inclusive transportation systems, affordable housing, vibrant public spaces, and community-focused programs that promote health and wellness, resident retention, volunteerism and advocacy along the corridor. Atlanta Beltline, Inc. is the official implementation agency for the Atlanta Beltline and collaborates with Atlanta Beltline Partnership, the foundation that raises private and philanthropic funds and delivers community programs that are fully supported by donor contributions. For more information, please visit www.beltline.org or follow on social media at @atlantabeltline.

Media Contacts:

Atlanta Beltline, Inc. Office of Communications and Media Relations
100 Peachtree Street, NW, Suite 2300, Atlanta, GA 30303

Keona Swindler, Communications & Media Relations Manager       
404.477.3550, kswindler@atlbeltline.org    

Sigele Winbush, PR Consultant
404.862.2081, sigele@sigelewinbush.com