POLIAS STATEMENT
On Art
The Artist in Residence program is one of many expressions of the Polias mission to be transformative, especially through weaving art and beauty into the spaces guests experience every day. This inaugural residency sets the course for welcoming local and regional artists into our projects, creating opportunities for collaboration that enrich both the built environment and the community experience. These artists help us imagine what a place can become, bringing new life and creative energy to the spaces we steward.
”On beauty... For they are not the thing itself; they are only the scent of a flower we have not found, the echo of a tune we have not heard, news from a country we have never yet visited.
C. S. Lewis
Holiday Market Artist Statement
Nostalgia is a key quality of being human. It reveals our ties to the past, present, and future. These five pieces set the tone for nostalgia in years to come, in a space that gathers us together in tradition. Each panel draws from iconic elements of the Beechwood Holiday Market: the cherry red tractor for hayrides, the tree lighting, holiday shopping, the spinning carousel, the 1940’s Mercedes Unimog, and Santa’s Post Office. As a team, we chose to present these icons in a magical space. A reality suspended in childlike imagination similar to that of a classic Disney animation. Christmas is a time for wonder, hope, and comfort. The complementary color choices of traditional neutrals and bold saturation aim to set the scene for you, the viewer, to immerse yourself in your own relationship to the season for years to come.
Flower Series Artist Statement
This mural project, designed and painted by wildlife artist Ella Sams, draws inspiration from the intersection of innovation and nostalgia. Growing up surrounded by historic Athens architecture and culture, Ella created these four panels to tell the story of growth through the perspective of vintage stamps. The colors tie to historic architectural Athens icons, while the chronological dates from 1961 to 2025 shine a light on the development of the Beechwood Promenade and the Fresh Market since their beginnings. Each botanical subject emphasizes a particular aspect of Athens. The “Tree that owns itself” is a white oak, a species rooted throughout Athens with ancient beauty. The orchid is a symbol of hospitality and peace, and is the first thing you smell when you enter the doors of the Fresh Market. The magnolia flower, while beautiful, is one of the most durable flowers. The daffodil is commonly planted to add life and warmth to a space, whether it be a home, or a highway. Together, these panels are a tribute to the people, natural life, and architecture of Athens, Georgia.
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