Castleberry Hill: Art for Art’s Sake

The Castleberry area of Atlanta is known for its artistic expression, especially along Peters and Walker Streets. The sidewalks are paved with murals painted by graffiti artists or museums featuring the works of known or rising stars. This area offers a different side of Atlanta, specifically the West End, than what many are used to seeing on national television, movies, or music videos. Through the media, Atlanta is seen as either extraordinarily glamorous or extremely poor. There is not a middle ground or a respectable medium between the glamor and the inner city. Luckily, Peters and Walker Streets provide the medium that many seek, and it also shows the intellectual, the entrepreneurial, and the artistic perspectives.

Art is an aesthetic that is highly valued within the Atlanta metro area. In various parts of town, there are museums, such as the High Museum of Art Atlanta. These museums often show only high art, or art from a well-known and reputable artist. This is not saying that they look down upon other forms of art, such as building murals or graffiti, but it does not take precedence in their area of expertise. This is where areas like Castleberry become valuable. The Castleberry area of Atlanta thrives on the art of those who are unknown to the masses. Castleberry caters to not only mural art or graffiti art. There are tattoo shops, art galleries, and natural, architectural art that Castleberry boasts. For example, on Walker Street, there is a tattoo parlor called City of Ink. This parlor is ran strictly by artists who do paintings, sketches, and graffiti alongside tattoo art. On the walls of their parlor are original paintings that some of the tattooists have created. City of Ink often hosts its own art showcases, as well.

One of the greatest discoveries found during the “Castleberry Tour” was the Marcia Wood Gallery located on Walker Street. Upon first glance, it looks like a simple office building until the “Marcia Wood Gallery” banner is seen. Luckily, the gallery has an open-door policy and allows visitors to escort themselves in without having a patron. The art adorning the walls were a mixture of funny, thoughtful, inspirational, and overly sexual, but that is expected since art expresses the consensus of society.

Another added treat was the murals that adorned the corner of the intersection between Walker and Peter Streets. The murals presented two forms of human condition and natural states-- sleep and death. In one mural, a woman is drawn as having a dream about wolves. Some of the wolves are nurturing and maternal, showing the true wants and desires of the young woman. Other wolves were artistically arranged as being aggressive, dominanting, and showing fangs, hinting at the moral plight of many people. It also alludes to the cliche "wolves in sheep's clothing." Everything is not what it seems and that's what the mural captures.

The next mural is a relatable "RIP" depiction that many have seen inscribed on the sides of abandoned buildings all across the country. Some are written in graffiti font, while others simply take the shape of their author's handwriting. This mural, however, shows memorial murals at its best. "RIP Jax" was all that it stated, but the face of Jax was also drawn. The viewers are allotted a moment to peek into the mind of its creator and place a face to the fallen's name. Death becomes humanized and personified, while it sends chills down the spines of many as we reflect on what our artwork would look like if we created memoriums. As you turn the corner, there is a painting of a man with a gun, joining the two murals as one. It symbolizes, in the opinions of many, how violence and guns kill individuals and individual dreams.

Overall, the Castleberry area of Atlanta is a true gem that is catered to all in the city. If you are a person who is into tattoos, murals, graffiti, architecture, or just the day-to-day possibilities to witness artistic expression, Walker and Peter Streets are the places to go. Inspiration is everywhere from the historic linoleum carpet stores to the “around the way” beauty shops. Art is expressed in the culinary art forms from the local restaurants and to the architectural designs of the sports bars. Castleberry is booming with artistic expression that is hidden behind the woes of the West End and the glamor of music and “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.” Castleberry is art. It is art for the sake of art.

Written by: Sescily Coney