Local Stories Spring 2025
Local Stories is an initiative that uses creative storytelling to present lesser-known facts about Downtown Atlanta's rich history. For this round of stories, A&E Atlanta worked with curator John Dirga to select three Atlanta artists tasked with interpreting a local story through a visual lens.
Local Stories are displayed monthly on the digital sign at Margaret Mitchell Square (140 Peachtree St NW). Artwork can be seen daily in between commercial content.
Selected artists: Pam Peacock, Liliana Penagos, Linda McNeil
Artwork schedule
March: Atlanta's Airport by Pam Peacock
April: Fairlie-Poplar: The Birds Moved Uptown
May: Hotel Row by Linda McNeil
John Dirga is an Atlanta artist, musician, and organizer. He works with wood, acrylic, watercolors, discarded toys, and interactive video. Absurdity and its rewards motivate him to innovate and improvise, creating art that pushes against his otherwise strong inclination to make everything with graph paper and plastic bricks. His practice often incorporates a depth of hidden elements beneath a quirky layer of off-kilter ease. As a curator and arts advocate, John hopes to improve venue access and mentoring assistance to emerging talent. He founded Stacks Squares Mural Project with Austin Blue in 2017, improving opportunities to participate in the neighborhood’s popular mural culture, and he manages the “Forward, Warrior!!” installation with curator Peter Ferrari. Dirga has organized live music for the annual Chomp & Stomp since 2004, and co-founded its counterpart Brookshire Amphitheater Concert Series. John is Executive Director of The Cabbagetown Initiative, a non-profit community development corporation devoted to activating public spaces and empowering residents.