Two conservators dismantling one of the windmill installations that is a part of the multi-piece artwork called”Whirlygigs” by artist Vollis Simpson in Folk Art Park.
Prior to the Atlanta’s 1996 Centennial Olympic Games, Folk Art Park, an homage to southern folk artists’ techniques and traditions, opened to beautify the Downtown Connector. Two decades later, each section required extensive restoration to preserve the public artwork for the enjoyment of the pedestrians and commuters that frequent the area.
Partnering with the Georgia Department of Transportation, the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District, and the Community Foundation, the City of Atlanta’s Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs has revitalized nearly every section of Folk Art Park, except for the southwest corner of the Ralph McGill Boulevard and Courtland Avenue intersection. Adorned with works by Vollis Simpson and James Harold Jennings, the intersection is the final phase of the park’s restoration.
Jeffry Loy, a local artist and art conservator, was hired by Renew Atlanta’s TSPLOST Landmark Art Program to dismantle the four Whirlygigs by artist Vollis Simpson. In addition, Loy is working with art re-finisher Jan Riley to fully restore Simpson’s kinetic masterpieces.
Loy was on-site in late July 2019 with a crew of four conservators to dismantle the large artworks so the pieces can be restored off-site. Watch the time-lapse video below to see how the crew tackled the project.