The third community piano provided by the Play Me Again Pianos non-profit in an East Cobb location will be unveiled Jan. 9 at the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center (2051 Lower Roswell Road).
The debut for “Vincent” takes place at 6 p.m. and is open to the public. Guests can play the piano afterward.
The East Cobb-based Play Me Again Pianos is providing 88 repurposed and repainted pianos throughout the metro Atlanta area. Vincent, named after the painter Vincent van Gogh, is the 20th completed project.
Previously, community pianos were installed at East Cobb Park and the Egg Harbor Cafe restaurant on Lower Roswell Road.
“Street pianos and public pianos inspire people to connect with each other in ways that were once common, but seem increasingly rare. By adding our pianos to the landscape throughout the metropolitan area, we hope to nurture that connection into an evolution of Atlanta’s culture, community and the arts,” said Jason Brett, co-founder of Play Me Again Pianos.
Vincent was designed and painted by Suzzanne Anicette, a local artist and the arts coordinator at the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center.
“The idea and design for Vincent grew out of a desire to have an easily recognizable reproduction of a Master work, since we’re placing him inside the Gallery,” Anicette said. “I wanted to depict the feeling of van Gogh’s Starry Night using slightly more vibrant colors to entice players and help them feel at ease enough to enjoy playing.
“Painting Vincent was truly a labor of love. I can see him symbolically unifying the Visual and Performing Arts that are housed at Sewell Mill and being enjoyed for years to come. I’m grateful to Play Me Again Pianos for affording artists the opportunity to complete these public art pieces. I cannot wait to see the subsequent works take shape.”
Anicette is a former arts teacher in Rochester, N.Y. and Atlanta public schools and community arts centers and museums. She joined the cultural arts division of Cobb County PARKS in January.
Vincent will be located in the Carol and Jim Ney Art Gallery near the entrance to the library.
On Thursday, Jan. 10, a “Play In” will include staff from the Cultural Affairs Division of Cobb County PARKS and the Cobb County Library system playing Vincent in an all-day celebration from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
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