As I sat on the bench alone, strangers waved and smiled as if we’d crossed paths a thousand times before. A little girl asked to pet my dog and told me all about the King of Pops popsicle her Mom finally let her have on a school night. I sat feeling as if I’d stepped off the city streets into a small town escape. Swirled around the busy city of Atlanta, Georgia the (soon-to-be) 22 mile pathway invites people to stroll along restaurants, parks, and an amazing display of community art. 

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Many great movements are said to be born out of oppression or frustration. Pick a time and you can guarantee that there is always some art form that provides the pulse for a particular movement. Look at the rise of German expressionism, protest songs of the 60s, or the use of documentary film making to promote reform and you’ll see that they all serve as artistic time capsules.

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At first I found myself staring deeply into an image of an impressionist painting. The strokes of the water and flowers reminded me of the late French Painter Claude Monet. As I looked more closely into the texture of the strokes, I discovered  a curious glossy top layer similar to photo paper. Unsure if it was just the reflection of my computer screen or something more, I could not help but feel that there was something unusual about this piece. Was I looking at a painting or not?

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With his collection of charcoal pencils, acrylic supplies and oil paint, 26-year old Oliver Okolo is making his mark on the world. “I try to pass a message of self awareness and also bring our attention to all that is happening in our society today,” the self-taught artist tells The Spark, an art magazine.

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