Earlier this fall, one of the city’s most adorable sculptures received a touch-up thanks to the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs’ Public Art team.
Donkey, created in 1996 by Burgess Dulaney and located in Folk Art Park near Courtland Street NE, sustained multiple abrasions in suspected vandalization from a blunt object.
Photos of the damaged sculpture before restoration
The impact of the suspected object broke the small statue’s top layer of paint and protective coating, causing noticeable dents near the artwork’s right eye, the nose, jaw, rear legs, and underbelly.
The Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA) Conservation and Maintenance Manager, Shannon Douglas Kimbro, assessed the damage sustained by the installation and oversaw the restoration.
Photos of the damaged sculpture after restoration
In partnership with Central Atlanta Progress, a nonprofit community organization providing leadership, programs, and services to preserve and strengthen the economic vitality of Downtown Atlanta, the restoration team lightly washed the artwork and removed loose materials with water and a soft bristle nylon brush. Voids caused by the vandalization were filled with a polyester resin and a new coating of paint was applied to complete the restoration.