“Anatomy of A Dream,” the city’s newest mural, debuted on June 1 on a large wall outside Stage Door Theatre.
The mural, designed by Nicole Merizalde, was created in partnership with the city’s parks and recreation and economic development departments, and Living Walls, The City Speaks Inc.
Living Walls, The City Speaks Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Atlanta, GA that “creates inclusive, intentional, thought-provoking public art to inspire social change,” according to information from the city.
The group’s previous work in Dunwoody includes the 2,500-square-foot mural on the Dunwoody MARTA Station titled “Flora Chroma.“
“This mural captures the magic of theatre, from costume design to set design, lighting, singing, acting, and the audiences that bring it all to life,” the description of the installation said.
“The inspiration for this mural came from years of conversation between the Dunwoody Arts Commission, the parks department, Stage Door Theatre, and the Spruill Center for the Arts,” Creative Director Tatiana Bell of Living Walls said. “We listened to what all the stakeholders wanted and put it all together. It was kind of a unanimous choice to pick Nicole to bring all these concepts together.”
The total cost of the mural, $31,600, was funded by the city’s parks department, with $15,000 provided by the economic development department, according to city officials.
“We have been waiting a long time to take this wall, which has been vacant for decades, and make it fitting for the home of Stage Door Theatre, and part of our cultural arts scene,” Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch said during the dedication ceremony.
Dunwoody officials have made public art a priority in the past few years with dozens of installations, including Store Front Art using creations by Dunwoody High School artists, public art installed on the wall of a parking garage at Ashford Lane, Grounded Growth at Brook Run Park, and the Dunwoody Diorama at the Donaldson-Bannister House, created from a 100-year-old oak that had fallen on the property.
