Atlanta Arts category interest

A rotation of immersive public art has begun at Woodruff Park.

The Atlanta Downtown Improvement District and Arts and Entertainment Atlanta are partnering to bring a new piece of interactive public art to the park each month through the fall of 2025.

The Art in the Park installation by local and international artists opened Oct. 3 with work by Atlanta-based designer and muralist Lisette Correa aka ARRRTADDICT.

Correa’s “Taino Night Glow” celebrates her Caribbean heritage with a whimsical image inspired by the El Yunque rainforest in Puerto Rico.

Correa describes the mural as a “vibrant visual escape.” Her hope is that it inspires conversation and connection, she said.

“This installation is an homage to the resilience of Caribbean Indigenous culture and the power of storytelling through art,” the artist said. “I wanted the colors and shapes to evoke the magic and mystery of the natural world while also inviting people to reflect on the history and spirit of the Taino people.”

The artwork was produced in collaboration with Dashboard, a creative non-profit that produces transformative art experiences in public spaces.

Noa Hecht, creative placemaking lead at the Downtown Improvement District , told SaportaReport that previous art installations have led to a “dramatic” increase in people coming out to Woodruff Park.

“We’re really helping to change the perception of Woodruff Park and the way people interact with it,” Hecht said. “It’s been such a positive impact to see students come and engage, and residents, and office workers after their day using the lawn, using the path.”

The “Taino Night Glow” exhibit will end Oct. 29. It will be replaced Nov. 7 with large, colorful spinning tops woven by Mexican designers Héctor Esrawe and Ignacio Cadena.

Their work “Los Trompos” was on exhibit at The High Museum in 2015 and invites community interaction and play.

“There are multiple 3D spinning tops that are about seven feet wide and eight feet high. And people can sit on them, they can rotate, they can spin them. So it’s very interactive and very family-friendly,” Hecht said.

An opening party is planned at the park on the first Thursday of the month for each new installation, she added.

Nancy Zintak, vice president of Communications and Engagement at Central Atlanta Progress, says the Woodruff Park art event affirms Downtown Atlanta as a “thriving cultural arts center.”

“By focusing on local and international artists, we aim to offer dynamic art experiences that reflect the diversity and creativity of our community while making the arts accessible to all,” a Zintak statement said.