Artist Dee Dee Morrison lights up the Grant St. tunnel with a new installation

In front of a crowd at ZuCot Gallery Dee Dee Morrison revealed the motivation behind her latest work in Neighborhood of . While walking through the historic district, she is reminded of her life’s passion...to bring awareness to the natural environment. Inspired by the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Morrison is using her artistry to create a new ecosystem in the historic neighborhood.

Her latest project “Fierce Urgency,” an installation within the Grant St. tunnel located adjacent to the King Memorial MARTA station, pays homage to King’s call for social justice.

“I want to be a beacon,” Morrison says. “It will be an anchor that extends into the entire neighborhood.”

Under Morrison’s artistic direction, transforms into a canvas of lights displaying images of butterflies, plants, and flowers along the 125-ft. walkway. The project serves as a catalyst for creative place-making amid ongoing revitalization efforts to promote the neighborhood by Sweet Auburn Works.

“When you look at the what’s happened to the environment I think it’s similar to what’s happened in urban environments and their own ecosystems,” Morrison explains. “They’ve been compromised, depleted, and nothing has been given back to them.”

The Sweet Auburn Neighborhood is the site of and the home of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The area has a legacy as an incubator for Black owned businesses such as WERD, the first radio station owned and operated by African-Americans; Brown Boy Bottling Company, the first African American soft drink firm; Citizens Trust Bank, the first African- American owned bank to join the Federal Reserve, and more. Now, there is a new generation of entrepreneurs in the neighborhood breathing economic life into what was once known as “the richest negro street in the world.”

Morrison, in partnership with SAW, will activate the pedestrian corridor leading from the King Memorial MARTA station directly to Auburn Avenue, by providing a place-based experience where residents and visitors can contemplate it’s past, present and future. Her vision also involves community based projects that expand the themes of nature and revitalization well beyond the Grant St. Bridge itself.

The team of Morrison and SAW hope to bring a phased approach to this programming that will activate the space, and adopt a more holistic approach to its future public art initiatives. The first phase includes street furniture and wayfinding placed along the pedestrian route. Community murals, additional public artwork, an after-school program, and outdoor events are also all part of the redevelopment plan. A future highlight of the project may also include a bee farm and butterfly garden, hearkening to those that replenish the area with plant life and pollinators native to Georgia.

While designing the installation, Morrison pulled from African-American history and its connection to the natural world. The sculptures, suspended 18 inches from the tunnel ceiling, are images of butterflies associated with specific plant species. The physical patterns, made of laser cut metal, are visible during the day and at night “they come alive with light.” Morrison designated the pawpaw, magnolia, and Georgia oak leaf trees because they share similar narratives to the story her installation conveys. For example, the pawpaw tree has roots in African-American history.

“The slaves knew where they grew and that’s how they fed themselves on the fruit as they went North,” she says. “There’s this beautiful tapestry that needs to be celebrated, understood, protected, and preserved. That’s true about the history of this area of Atlanta and the biodiversity of Atlanta.”

Morrison begins installation of her piece in January of 2019. Programming for creative place-making will soon follow.