Atlanta mural artist — City of Atlanta commission
BLANDTOWN
MURAL
A City of Atlanta–commissioned mural by Corey Barksdale honoring the history of the Blandtown neighborhood, painted ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
Public art and placemaking
A mural honoring Blandtown's founding family and post-Civil War history
Atlanta mural artist Corey Barksdale was commissioned by the City of Atlanta to paint a large-scale mural at the intersection of Northside Drive and 17th Street in West Midtown, honoring the history of Blandtown — one of Atlanta's earliest African American neighborhoods, founded after the Civil War by the formerly enslaved Bland family.
The mural traces Blandtown's story through imagery rooted in the neighborhood's working-class history, including the transportation industry that employed many residents and the stock car racing culture that took hold in the area — themes that connect the neighborhood's past to its everyday life.
The project is part of a citywide public art initiative under Mayor Andre Dickens to beautify Atlanta ahead of the FIFA World Cup, with murals installed across the city to welcome an international audience. The Blandtown mural has been featured in local and national coverage of Atlanta's World Cup public art program, recognizing Corey Barksdale as one of the city's leading Atlanta muralists.
The full wall
10,000 square feet, start to finish
Once the scaffolding came down, the completed Blandtown mural stretched the length of the retaining wall along Northside Drive — big enough that it takes a drone, a sidewalk vantage point, and a slow drive-by to take in the whole thing.
Full Aerial View
Full Street-Level View
Along 17th Street
On the wall
A timeline, painted panel by panel
Working from a boom lift along Northside Drive, Corey Barksdale freehanded Blandtown's story across more than 10,000 square feet of wall — no vinyl, no projector tracing. The panels move through the neighborhood's founding, the railroad and foundry work that shaped it, and the industrial rezoning that displaced it.
Northside Drive / Aerial View
Industrial Heritage Panel
Blandtown Dance Hall Panel
Covered across Atlanta.
FOX 5 Atlanta, Atlanta News First, 11Alive, and UATL/AJC all sent crews out while the paint was still wet — see the coverage rounded up on the Media page.
One project in a larger body of work.
The Blandtown mural sits alongside Corey's other civic commissions and fine art — browse the full Work gallery, or read more about the artist on the About page.
A history lesson on a wall.
Tracing Blandtown's Black roots, its industrial displacement, and the workers who built it, this project sits at the center of Corey's practice as a Black muralist centering African American history and culture in public space.
Behind the brush
Freehanded, live, on camera
News crews caught Corey mid-panel more than once while the mural was going up, and its closing stretch — a contemporary Atlanta street scene — brings the timeline that opens with Blandtown's founding family into the present day.
Present-Day Atlanta Panel
Blandtown Mural / Northside Drive
On the Air / Local News
On the Air / 11Alive
Process
More from behind the brush
From the first freehand outline to fine detail work off a boom lift, Corey Barksdale worked the full length of the Blandtown wall by hand — sketching, spraying, and layering color panel by panel.
Freehand Outline Stage
Working the Boom Lift
Detail Work / Northside Drive
More panels
Faces, figures, and finishing touches
Beyond the industrial-heritage timeline, the Blandtown wall carries an abstract musicians-and-dancers panel and close-up character work — including the barbershop scene and portrait details Corey finished by hand.
Musicians & Dancers Panel
Barbershop Panel Detail
Portrait Detail / Ladder View
Helpful project answers
Frequently asked questions
Where is Corey Barksdale's Blandtown mural located?
The mural is located at the intersection of Northside Drive and 17th Street in the West Midtown area of Atlanta, Georgia.
Why was the Blandtown mural created?
The City of Atlanta commissioned the mural to honor the history of the Blandtown neighborhood, founded by the formerly enslaved Bland family, as part of a citywide public art initiative ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
Who painted the Blandtown mural?
The mural was painted by Atlanta muralist Corey Barksdale, who was selected by the City of Atlanta for the commission.
Work with Corey Barksdale
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