Dunwoody’s Spruill Center for the Arts announced the second-ever winner of its AMPLIFY art installation contest during an October fundraising event.
Spruill officials unveiled a mural called “Together We Bloom” by Atlanta artist Alea Hurst during the art center’s annual Spirits for Spruill event on Oct. 16. The mural replaces last year’s winner – “Find Your Wings” by artist Christopher Michaels – on the side of the Spruill Gallery’s smokehouse building, which faces Ashford Dunwoody Road.
Hurst, a graduate of both the University of Georgia and Savannah College of Art and Design, said she hoped to evoke something positive with the piece, especially during a time that has been difficult for so many.
“The figures are personifications of nature and Mother Earth, blowing color and life out into the world, bringing us joy and rebirth,” Hurst said in an emailed statement. “The flowers each have their own symbolism and meaning and combine to create a sense of pride and unity in our community.”
Spruill CEO Alan Mothner helped unveil the mural during the Oct. 16 event. He spoke about the public art Spruill has invested in across the city throughout the past year, such as the murals outside of its arts center and other installations.
“Last year we said that science will get us out of this, but art will get us through this,” Mothner said. “That’s never more true than it is today.”
The Spirits for Spruill event was one of many events taking place during Dunwoody’s Arts and Culture Month in October. During the event, residents could try an “Artsy Fartsy Pale Ale” from Porter Brew & Que, which the brewing team made especially for the Spruill event. A team from Shortbarrel Bourbon also hosted a tasting inside the gallery where guests could be some of the first to try their Shortbarrel Rye.
Spruill Gallery Director Jennifer Price said she hopes the combination of Spirits for Spruill and the AMPLIFY contest will become a fall tradition.
The post Spruill unveils AMPLIFY mural winner appeared first on Reporter Newspapers.