“Mirroring Atlanta from the Ashes, a depiction of the city’s rise from the ashes of the Civil War to become a world city, ‘From the Ground Up’ embodies Atlanta’s rebuilding amidst the nation’s current civil unrest and its fight to unite against the coronavirus pandemic.”

“ ‘Throughout history, Atlanta has endured triumphs and tribulations to create and foster a culture of appreciation and individualism,’ said Craig Alan. ‘My hope for this piece is that it ignites a conversation to demand change in order to unify us as one human entity.’ ”

“The allegorical creature joins Alan’s ‘Populus’ series, in which he ingeniously creates artworks using hand-painted people as the pixels. Among the notable local figures featured in ‘From the Ground Up’ are Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms; William Hartsfield and Maynard Jackson, for whom Atlanta’s airport is named; Killer Mike; Outkast; media mogul Ted Turner; Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone With the Wind; and a range of essential workers, including Instacart shoppers, a UPS delivery driver, a janitor, a farmer, nurses, and doctors.”

- Excerpts from 8West Press Release, “Atlanta’s Newest Public Art Piece Flies High Above West Midtown,” August 4, 2020