Vision and Mission

The vision of the CCAC is for the streets, parks, events, and sites in Canton to be made more beautiful and meaningful through a collective and sustained effort to incorporate, celebrate, and promote arts of all kinds in Canton. By advancing arts and culture as an essential element of life in Canton, we build community and connectivity while increasing economic development opportunities and promoting tourism.

Public Art Master Plan

Why is Public Art Important to Us?
Public art can celebrate and make visible our aspirations, values, and heritage. It can give expression to the many directions that constitute our communities and can characterize our sense of place. Public art can be used to activate public space and invigorate cities. Thoughtfully implemented public art can offer cultural meaning to Canton and convey its spirit and energy to ourselves and our visitors.

Why Does Canton Need a Public Art Plan?
The Canton Public Art Master Plan integrates and unites our City together through defining and projecting our values and unique qualities to the immediate region and the world beyond our borders. Our plan creates a roadmap for how we begin to activate our many communities to implement and enjoy public art while also celebrating Canton’s spirit and artistic expressions.

How Can Public Art Transform a City?
Public art provides meaning to our public spaces, reflects our history, current conditions, and the aspirations of our city. It adds uniqueness to our neighborhoods and humanizes our built environment. Public art provides the intersection between our past, present, and future, and has the power to elevate and unite our city through its unique ability to create gains in social, economic, and cultural value.

• Social Value: When people see themselves reflected in their civic spaces, they have a sense of attachment that allows them to feel ownership and respect.
• Economic Value: Enhancing the identity and character of Canton through public art directly supports cultural tourism and economic development strategies, which can attract and retain residents.
• Cultural Value: Public Art has the power to invite contemplation, cultivate curiosity and creative thinking, and to create uniqueness through the reflection of local history and culture which gives communities a sense of place and identity.

Learn more about public art in Canton by viewing the Public Art Master Plan.

Public Art in Canton

SUNNYSIDE | Mural, 2024 | Graham Carraway
565 Marietta Rd., Canton, GA, Village on Sunnyside Shopping Center

 

 

 

 

 

Seeking to compliment public spaces with art that reflects the heritage of Sunnyside, the Canton Cultural Arts Commission put out a call for artists back in 2022. Village on Sunnyside property owner, Bill Kent, generously donated the wall for the mural, demonstrating a shared commitment to enriching the community. After a meticulous selection process, Graham Carraway of J. Graham Studios, with the assistance of fellow artist Gus Reynolds, was selected to transform the 60' by 12.5' wall into a vibrant representation of Sunnyside.

Learn More: https://explorecantonga.com/blog/sunnyside-shines-bright-with-new-mural/

It's a Vibe! | Mural, 2023 | Lauren Stumberg
110 Academy Street, City Hall Downtown Parking Deck

 

Artist Statement
My work honors the human experience through abstracted portraiture and symbolism, and my paintings are imbued with patterns that translate into the hieroglyphics of one’s journey; they are feminine, painterly and expressive of connective energy. My work is known to be vibrant and dynamic, with the main objective to put a smile on someone's face and brighten their day.

It is inspiring that the City of Canton called for a piece of work that nurtures community-building. Welcoming diverse communities celebrates the inclusivity of public spaces and cultivates the discovery of common ground that we share for the future.  

Symbolic Thematic Elements of the Mural:

• Magpies as omens of change (shirt pattern)
• House shapes to celebrate neighborhoods as collective vessels of safety
• Ladders for climbing towards goals
• Butterfly as symbol of transformation
• Honeycomb pattern to reflect community
• Figure of young woman playing music to celebrate arts and culture

Unite!| Mural, Summer 2023 | Rob Walker-Bunda
1200 Marietta Highway, Boling Park

A collaboration between CHS student Emily Hamilton, a non-profit called Art in the Paint, and the expertise of talented local artist Rob Walker-Bunda, this large artwork represents unity in Canton and serves to create connection and inspire happiness — both key purposes of public art and placemaking.

Canton Wildflowers |  Mural, 2022 | Madison Beaulieu

192 North Street, Historic Doss Building

Professional artist Madison Beaulieu’s wildflower mural concept is bold and whimsical. A perfect backdrop for visitor photos, the piece creates community and highlights the City of Canton’s focus on sustainability. Georgia’s popular purple coneflowers are a native perennial while the state’s smooth coneflower variety is listed as endangered. 
 
“I chose cheery wildflowers as the subject for this mural because they are so important to our local ecosystem,” explains Beaulieu. “Our native wildflowers help make Georgia a beautiful place to live and play!” 

Legs Through Time | Mural 2020 | Shanna Coulter
Railroad St. 

 

 

 

 

Legs Through Time tells the story of Canton’s History from prehistoric times through modern day. Lead artist Shanna Coulter worked with a team of Cherokee County School District teachers to carefully research photographs, events, and people from Canton’s history and bring them to life on a 540 foot long, 3-foot-high wall. At its beginning, the Mural is painted in black and white, with the exception of the blue Etowah River that runs throughout, connecting the past to the future, while the end of the Mural depicts the socially distanced times in which the artists were living.