Wellspring Living has completed the third of their 20th Anniversary murals with a group of committed community partners: Livable Buckhead, MARTA and Rotary Club of Buckhead.
The piece, which is approximately 500 square feet, is along PATH400 in Buckhead. PATH400 runs along the spine of GA 400 and a MARTA rail line giving this particular mural the highest public visibility of the three murals in the campaign to date. The artwork was funded jointly by MARTA’s public art program Artbound, the Rotary Club of Buckhead and Livable Buckhead.
“Public art has been part of PATH400 since the first section of the trail opened in 2015,” said Denise Starling, who initiated the mural partnership in her dual roles as Livable Buckhead’s executive director and a member of Buckhead Rotary. “There is nothing like the power of beautiful local art to create a sense of connection, which is one of the main reasons we built PATH400. We are thrilled to partner with Wellspring, MARTA and Buckhead Rotary to add this beautiful work of art and its important message.”
The project was envisioned and led by local artist Ashley Bella. Bella, who runs ArtzyBella Co., a startup using art for mental health and wellness, has spent more than a decade dedicated to driving social change through mental health services, social work and community involvement. On the design inspiration, Bella shared: “I put butterflies in this piece to represent the transformation that survivors go through. From being in a dangerous environment to being identified as a victim or exploited to coming into programs like Wellspring Living and getting the help and then, going through their own unique transformation.”
“As we continue celebrating our 20th Anniversary this year, the mural along PATH400 brings attention and awareness to the work Wellspring Living does and the clear and present problem of trafficking in our community,” stated Wellspring Living Founder and Executive Director Mary Frances Bowley. “This mural is such a beautiful depiction of transformation and also of the fact that there have to be many people involved to make a difference for survivors.”
The campaign theme “Hand in Hand” represents the hundreds of mission-minded and community-focused partners, like Livable Buckhead, Rotary and MARTA, who are committed to seeing lives transformed.
This initiative is a multi-site, multi-partner campaign in which unique murals will be painted around the Metro Atlanta area depicting communities coming together to see lives of sex trafficking survivors transformed. Through these partnerships, organizations are educating their community members on the reality of sex trafficking and are a part of celebrating transformation.
