Good design is something we often take for granted. Do you remember just how cool it was when they announced plans for Centennial Olympic Park—and the Fountain of Rings? Or the first time you saw the 1996 logo, with its flame of stars? If you think imagery is not that critical, remember our civic-wide embarrassment at the first incarnation of the animated mascot Whatizit? Okay, so you’re too young to remember those moments. We’ll bet you’ve been impressed with the annual Living Walls murals.
The Museum of Design Atlanta is a Smithsonian Affiliate and the Southeast’s only museum dedicated solely to design, including architecture, fashion, furniture, graphic art, jewelry, and media. Founded in 1989 as the Atlanta International Museum of Art and Design, the institution is now celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary. Three years ago, it moved from the relative anonymity of a downtown office building to sleek new headquarters across from the High Museum, and it has been staging increasingly creative exhibits ever since—from ones on skateboard art and Italian motorcycles to an upcoming retrospective on the Ebony Fashion Fair.
As MODA celebrates its first quarter century, it’s asking Atlantans to vote on their favorite local iconography, with nominees ranging from the Olympic symbols and the Living Walls celebration to Sara Blakely’s invention of Spanx shapewear. Top vote getters will be announced tonight at an anniversary party honoring visionary architect John C. Portman, Jr. Click here for tickets to the event, or go here get in last-minute votes for your favorite Atlanta designs.
