Sandy Springs has decorated turtles on display, while visitors to Dothan, AL can’t miss the fanciful peanuts that dot the town. Soon, Buckhead will have it’s own artful identifier – the adorable “Buck,” who sports a cheerful stance and handsome antlers.
Local artists will eventually give Buck a unique look of their own to be displayed in the Bucks on the Streets public art exhibit. And, this month the community can celebrate with Buck at the Buck Naked Party on Thursday, Sept. 22, at Phipps Plaza Court of the South. This event will launch the project and tickets are $10.
The Bucks on the Street project will raise money for Livable Buckhead to develop green space with a network of trails and parks. Project GreenSpace identified Atlanta City Council District 7, greater Buckhead, as having fewer parks per capita than any other district in the entire city.
Spearheading Bucks on the Street are Donna Kain and Elizabeth Gill, both past Buckhead Business Association presidents. “The reaction has been very favorable in the community,” says Gill. “I think, like us, people in Buckhead want to have fun again and see this an opportunity to rebuild a vibrant Buckhead community. The Buckhead Business Foundation selected Livable Buckhead because we thought it was in line with our vision to give back specifically to Buckhead.”
Buckhead CID executive director Jim Durrett attended the Buckhead Business Association quarterly lunch in July and raised a big applause for this effort. “The funds will help us get us this biking and pedestrian greenway built. And, it’s an opportunity for a lot of people to have ownership of it – to have a share in this new investment,” he says. “Not only is it a quirky, interesting and fun project, but all the proceeds are going to benefit all of us. It’s a slam dunk opportunity.”
Sponsors will choose an artist and location of their designed 8-foot tall statue. The final statues will be unveiled at an auction party in 2012 and the whole project will be displayed on the streets in spring 2012. For information to become a sponsor, contact Elizabeth.gill@expresspros.com or donnalkain@charter.net.
For information about The Buck Naked Party and Bucks on the Street, visit BucksontheStreet.org.
