The Mural Decades in the Making

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Summer 2026

by Shannon Doyle Bell

Back in 2023, when Ashley Dopson arrived at Bolton Academy as the school’s new art teacher, students and families quickly realized she was bringing more than lesson plans and paintbrushes. She was transforming the way students experienced art, literally. Bolton Academy’s hallways have never been more colorful, now filled with student murals. She launched an after-school mural club, creating opportunities for students to see themselves as artists while introducing them to the power of public art and storytelling. While shaping young creatives in the classroom, Dopson continued to balance independent mural projects throughout Atlanta, unknowingly preparing herself for what would become one of her most meaningful projects yet.

“Murals give voice to the voiceless and shows the hidden parts of the community.” 

- Ashley Dopson

PUTTING HER STAMP ON THE UPPER WESTSIDE

What began as her labor of love has come to fruition as the long-awaited Bolton Road CSX rail underpass mural project becomes a reality. After decades of staring at dull cement and dated graffiti while other parts of Atlanta embraced public art and vibrant murals, Dopson successfully brought the stories, history, and the spirit of the Bolton, Riverside, Whittier Mill, and Moores Mill corridor together through art. For Dopson, this mural represents far more than another wall to paint. Living, teaching, and raising her daughter in the Upper Westside has given her a unique understanding of the community’s energy and all-around vibe.

WHERE THE LOVE OF ART EMERGED

Raised in Atlanta, Dopson credits her early childhood experiences in New Orleans for helping shape her artistic identity. The rich colors, textures, and visual energy of the city became foundational influences on her work. She often compares her creative process to making gumbo — gathering different ingredients, techniques, memories, and unexpected moments to create something larger than the individual parts.

Her work mirrors that philosophy. Influenced by the storytelling traditions of William H. Johnson and printmaker Steve Prince, Dopson developed a style that combines heavily textured surfaces with contemporary interpretations of visual storytelling rooted in African American experiences.

One of the most personal elements of her work emerged from family. “I began building texture into my paintings for my blind grandmother,” she explains. “This was so she could physically feel and experience the stories within the artwork.” To Dopson, paintings are more than images. They become tapestries capable of provoking conversations about childhood, culture, dreams, identity, and society. 

She later studied art at Hampton University before building a twenty-year career teaching art in public schools and private schools in Atlanta. Along the way, her work expanded into murals, sculpture, community activism, and public art initiatives. Her work has been exhibited at institutions including the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, New York, and the Charles H. Taylor Gallery in Hampton, Virginia, while her murals continue leaving their mark across Atlanta in communities including Avondale Estates, South Fulton Grady Hospital, and beyond. Now, her attention has turned toward the Upper Westside community she has grown to love and now calls home with her daughter, Olivia.

TALENT MEETS OPPORTUNITY

Bolton Road is more than a neighborhood street and the underpass is more than a cement wall. The road serves as one of the major arteries connecting commuters traveling between southwest Atlanta, Marietta, Smyrna, Vinings, Buckhead, Midtown, Downtown, and beyond. While thousands of residents live within the neighborhoods flanking Bolton Road, many times that number simply pass through it every day on their way somewhere else. One traffic survey conducted more than a decade ago noted more than 17,000 vehicles travel through the corridor during a morning commute alone. With the uptick of residential builds in the last decade, it’s safe to say that number has increased exponentially. Whether positive or negative, most Atlantans have formed an impression of the area, consciously or unconsciously, as they pass through the corridor.

When she moved to the area, the empty wall was one of the first things she noticed and was drawn to the blank canvas. Dopson took on the challenge of telling the story of one of Atlanta’s oldest communities while honoring the people, places, and natural beauty that continue to define it today. She did her research and came to find out the community wanted this project done for years. 

Community organizers made attempts, but none had the tenacity, experience, or talent that Dopson possesses. For decades, residents discussed transforming the underpass into a gateway worthy of the community it serves, but funding, approvals, and coordination challenges kept the vision on hold until now. She forged on applying for a grant with the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs with approval needed from Councilman Dustin Hillis and CSX. After almost two years of working to get the project greenlight, momentum accelerated on February 18, 2026, when Bolton NPU-D Beautification Chair,  

Jennifer Douglas announced that the mural project had officially been approved to move forward with funding secured and support from the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. In March, she attended the NPU-D meeting, this time unveiling a design intended to celebrate the rich history and natural character of the area. The proposal presented imagery inspired by local nature trails and historical references including Whittier Mill and the history of the Chattahoochee Brick Company, and local residents. “The meeting went better than I expected. So many neighbors have been extremely supportive of this project and I’m super grateful for that and their excitement,” Dopson shares. Many of her students and their families sought the chance to paint the mural and requests began flooding in from the community about how they could be involved. 

Community involvement immediately became a central part of the process, with residents encouraged to submit photographs, memories, landmarks, and pieces of neighborhood history that matter most to them. “I received tons of pictures documenting some really beautiful people, animals, and places in Bolton and Riverside (specifically),” said Dopson. Dopson had strict guidelines for residents who physically volunteered to participate in painting the mural itself due to traffic and safety considerations surrounding the underpass. She quickly developed a separate community art component where neighbors could create individual pieces that ultimately become part of the final installation. The effort ultimately allowed hundreds of neighbors, young and old, to paint tiles representing their favorite parts of Atlanta. “I loved including our senior citizens from Marietta Towers who are longtime residents and keeping them connected with the community. It’s been great to see how young and old have been so excited about their tiles,” says Dopson. “My process has been all about the community who lives here, who used to live here, and who still lives here. Do you know your neighbor??” 

“I’ve seen folks almost run the curb telling me how beautiful it is!! I’ve seen us middle aged folks tap into the relaxing, peaceful, in a creatively playful state for hours. It really has been like cooking gumbo and I started to smell the waft of many many flavors boiling on the stove,” says Dopson, “My hope is that the volunteers who came out to help with the mural experienced more than painting strokes, but also leave with an appreciation of the stories about their neighbors shared with all who drive by.” 

BRIGHTENED MEMORIES

As the mural started to come together, the love was evident from drivers that rolled by with beeps, honks, hollers of -”It’s amazing!” “It’s so pretty!” “That’s dope!” regularly heard. Community once again— Coming together. Supporting each other. Celebrating each other. Caring for each other. Remembering each other. 

While grant funding and approvals from the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs ultimately opened the door for the project, bringing the mural to life required a rare combination of persistence, community trust, artistic vision, and large-scale mural experience. Dopson possessed all four. What a sight it has been to see the transformation of this large grey and gloomy wall now come to life in such a colorful way.  

The finished mural weaves together a visual tapestry of the Upper Westside’s past and present. Community members and longtime residents appear alongside local landmarks, scenes from Whittier Mill Park, references to the area’s industrial roots including Chattahoochee Brick, and imagery connected to historic businesses such as Adams, Inc. with nature scenes flowing throughout, and reflections of the generations who continue shaping the community today. The location itself makes this mural especially meaningful, but for the community to be part of this makes a statement just as unique as the mural itself and is a true gift from Ashley Dopson. It serves as a reminder that beyond the brake lights and congestion, people live life here. Families are raising children here. Students are going to school here. Neighbors are gathering in parks, stopping for morning coffee, meeting friends for dinner and drinks, volunteering, worshiping, and building community— here. For many neighbors, this project represents more than paint on concrete walls. It is a visible reminder that the stories here matter and that community identity deserves to live boldly in public spaces.

For decades, the Bolton Road underpass has been a passage through the community. Now, it stands as a reflection of it — a mural decades in the making. Perhaps amid the traffic and rush to get  somewhere else, the mural offers something unexpected—a moment to look up, appreciate the community around you, and experience a little beauty along the way. Some murals simply brighten spaces. Others preserve stories. 

While the mural may brighten the underpass, it is Dopson’s ability to bring people together through art that may leave the most this work because it gives light to the power of art. I’m darn proud of it, my kiddos, and my neighbors,” says Dopson. “Each and every one of them. Support is felt and experienced. God-willing, this mural will be memorable and one for the books!” Though the painting is complete, residents can continue exploring the stories behind the artwork through additional photos, interviews, and community submissions available online, with a curated list of those featured in the mural by Dopson herself. Even better, take a walk and enjoy the art.//