The Integral Group, a Black-owned development company, partnered with cultural agency Next to support artists while revamping a historic Atlanta neighborhood with its BLVD NEXT arts initiative. Eventually, the current construction site will be a multi-use complex on 22 acres, replacing the former Atlanta Medical Center. The years-long project could undoubtedly be less than aesthetically pleasing. However, the owner of NEXT, Faith Carmichael, and the Integral Group came up with a plan to decorate construction fencing with murals that speak to the community in transition.
The project’s BLVD NEXT initiative seeks to create a space that honors and respects the present while simultaneously preparing for the future. Carmichael and inaugural artist Tracy Murrell spoke with BLACK ENTERPRISE about the initiative, discussing how visual art plays a part in development and how community history shaped their approach.
Why was it important for art to be involved from the very beginning of this development?
Carmichael: They [are] a Black-owned development company, and over the years of working together, they’ve shown a sincere and authentic commitment to community, to the Atlanta arts ecosystem, and to rising artists of color. This is a space with deep history and legacy, but also a history of disinvestment and real challenges. The question became how we could use the power of art to show that this developer was walking the talk. They were committed to building something that respected the legacy and the stories of the community, not just focusing on the future.
Tracy, as the inaugural artist, what did it feel like to know you were setting the tone for a project that would last for years?
Faith and I have worked together for years. When she calls with an idea, they’re always thoughtful. She never just asks if you want to put work somewhere. She asks if you want to be in conversation.
What kind of response have you seen from the community so far?
When I finally saw how people were responding, friends calling and saying they loved what they were seeing on Boulevard, it validated that the work was speaking to my people. That’s meaningful. It always makes me smile.
How do you think about working with artists as this initiative continues?
Carmichael: Atlanta has an abundance of creative talent. Our role is making sure more people know that. Artists inspire the vision. We already know the talent is there. The work is about engaging artists who are already telling our stories beautifully and giving them space to be seen.
What kinds of stories can the audience expect as the project continues?
Carmichael: Anything and everything we do will tell our stories—the stories of Black and brown communities and the narratives that come from them. Whether artists are Atlanta-based or not, the stories will always be rooted in this city.
Construction in an older, established area can be jarring for long-term residents. The separation of what exists from what will be can create a disconnect. By centering art rather than the finish line, the BLVD NEXT project reimagines what development can look like when it listens first.
Richard White, senior vice president of The Integral Group, told BE the company is determined to “honor the culture of this neighborhood and make it visible, even if others choose not to.”
White insists art is the proper medium to give that visibility as it “holds history, voice, and identity, and those things matter.”
For Murrell and Carmichael, the work is both personal and communal, a living conversation unfolding along a familiar Atlanta corridor. As the site continues to evolve, the art stands as an early promise that legacy, creativity, and community remain inseparable from what comes NEXT.
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