Pedestrian Tunnel Mural Grand Opening On April 21

JOHNS CREEK, GA — The pedestrian tunnel mural under Medlock Bridge Road/Ga. 141 will be unveiled during a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 21.

The Johns Creek Convention & Visitors Bureau will officially open the “Johns Creek Tunnel,” a 130-foot mural designed by Indian artist Hanif Kureshi. The pedestrian underpass is located beneath Medlock Bridge Road, just south of McGinnis Ferry Road. The east entrance of the tunnel is located near 11695 Medlock Bridge Road.

The unveiling of the mural will coincide with the first-ever Johns Creek International Festival, which kicks off at 11 am. Saturday, April 21 on the fields across from the Atlanta Athletic Club.

Kureshi’s work has been exhibited around the world at venues such as the London Design Biennale, Venice Biennale, and Centre Pompidou; however, The Johns Creek Tunnel is his first work completed in the United States.

The project is a collaboration between the CVB, the city of Johns Creek, Georgia Department of Transportation, Urban Catalyst Lab, Kureshi and fellow Atlanta-based artist William Massey and other volunteers in the Johns Creek arts community.

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Johns Creek Convention and Visitors Bureau staff were able to take advantage of Tourism Product Development funds that were made available in July 2016, and general improvements to the underpass were one of the recommendations the organization made to city leaders.

CVB Executive Director Shelby Marzen said the tunnel is in walking distance to hotels and connects visitors to nearby restaurant shops. Local hotel owners, she added, agreed that the tunnel plays a positive role in improving visitor experience for overnight guests.

With the goal of engaging local artists while also connecting Johns Creek to public art movements on a regional and global level, JCCVB contracted with Urban Catalyst Lab to facilitate a community intervention art project that would celebrate the diverse and unified community of Johns Creek.

“Public art has the power to transform average public space into a cultural destination," said Lynda Smith, chair of the CVB Board of Directors. "This public art project connects Johns Creek to public art movements happening not just in Atlanta, but around the world."

Inspired from the ethnically diverse demographics of the city, UCL invited Kureshi to collaborate with Massey to engage the community in a mural project that would set Johns Creek apart. Community members were engaged in all stages of production, from design input to installation. The JCCVB also partnered with the Johns Creek Arts Center to host community input sessions and engage local artists with this project.

"We are excited to collaborate with JCCVB in launching the first local to global community art intervention in Johns Creek,” said Ruxanda Renita, co-founder of Urban Catalyst Lab. “William and Hanif share the concept of creating inclusive spaces that amplifies and strengthens community's identity. This project is an example of art building global community with respect to the local one."

The design was inspired from community discussion of the area’s rich history, as well as the diversity that is celebrated today. Massey notes the project, which celebrates unity, also tells the story of how this diverse community came into being, where it is now and where the city has the potential to go in the future.

Overlapping geometric shapes symbolize the geography of Johns Creek’s community areas, while Kureshi’s signature letterforms will represent the many languages spoken by the diverse ethnicity of Johns Creek residents, both past and present. Stand at a central point outside the east entrance, and the design takes the shape of both a heart and peace sign, illustrating the sense of unity described from the community.

After the ribbon cutting ceremony, the artists, UCL and JCCVB will be on site at the Johns Creek International Festival to facilitating a letter form workshop, share information about the mural and gather community feedback on the project. Visit www.johnscreekcvb.com for more information and updates about the project.

Photo 1: Artists Hanif Kureshi and William Massey. Credit: Sean Randall Photography

Photo 2: Volunteers painting the mural. Credit: JCCVB