Faces and Friends: The Transformation of the North Highland Avenue Bridge Underpass

by Kyle Brooks

I finished painting two concrete uprights under Highland Avenue in Atlanta’s Inman Park on Oct. 17. This painting was in collaboration with Art on the Atlanta BeltLine 2012. This year I painted on the eastside trail. I spent a week painting. One day was for priming and six full days were spent painting colors. I rode around in a green lift.

I painted eyes and faces and friends. I painted bright colors and big bold shapes. I was reminded that an expensive brush is much better that a cheaply made one. I saw many people and dogs. I saw many bikes and carts. I saw many joggers and strollers. I saw a black cat. Many people asked me what I was doing or yelled out encouragement as they passed. I yelled, “hello!” back from my hydraulic perch. I drank a good bit of coffee.

Under the bridge there are pigeons and dirt. There is dust and debris. But now there is also color and happiness. There are friends with big eyes and interesting faces. Under the bridge you will now smile. Keep walking and rolling and jogging and biking but when you return on your BeltLine journey you will see the friendly faces smiling at you again.

Mr. Brooks is an Atlanta-based artist and author of the Black Cat Tips blog.