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Chamblee commission plans immigrant-centered sculpture at Dresden Park, will gather community stories first
Summary
The Public Art Commission discussed community outreach for a Dresden Park sculpture that would reflect migration and immigration themes; commissioners said sketches should follow community input and the commission may hire a local Spanish‑language outreach/production freelancer to document the process.
The Chamblee Public Art Commission discussed plans this week to center immigrant stories in a sculpture project at Dresden Park and to collect community-sourced material before approving final designs.
Commission liaison Tanisha said she and commissioner William Massey met with a long-time Latinx community leader, Tony, who works with Plaza Fiesta and has strong Spanish-language outreach channels. Tanisha said Tony “has a green light” to help with outreach and suggested collecting stories in Spanish via events and a simple online form to reach people who may not attend in-person meetings.
Why it matters: Commissioners said the sculpture should reflect the lived experiences of residents who use Dresden Park and nearby Dresden Elementary School, where Spanish is widely spoken, and that the project should prioritize authentic community input before the artist produces final sketches.
Tanisha described three themes the artist has been considering: abstracted monarch butterflies, mothers carrying babies, and displays of immigration stories. She told the commission that the monarch butterfly is already used in local immigrant communities as a visual representation of migration and immigration and noted Chamblee’s existing monarch imagery on bridges and utility boxes.
Commissioners repeatedly urged staff and the artist to complete community outreach before releasing or approving sketches. One commissioner said it would be better to “hold off until that material has been made available” so outreach results can refine design choices.
Beyond outreach, commissioners discussed how to share the collected stories once compiled. Tanisha proposed a webpage and a QR code at the site linking viewers to videos, photos and narratives, and said the commission could consider hiring Tony — who produces freelance videos — to document the process. “Although he has volunteered many services, he is also a freelancer,” Tanisha said; she said she would check his pricing and whether the commission’s budget has room for a paid production.
Timing: Tanisha said the commission’s budget aims to accomplish project milestones in the first quarter, but the Dresden Park installation itself is now expected to be delayed beyond that window. Commissioners said the delay makes it more important to finish community outreach before approving a final design.
Next steps: Tanisha will follow up on Tony’s availability and pricing for any video or documentation work, and the commission will collect community input — in Spanish and English — before asking the artist to submit final sketches for formal design approval.
