DeKalb County selects local artist Richard Martin for “The Cows Are Coming” public art project

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—DeKalb County has selected Georgia-based visual artist Richard Martin to create the County’s signature cow sculpture as part of “The Cows Are Coming,” a public art initiative celebrating DeKalb’s history, culture and community through creative expression.

Martin’s winning concept, “DeKalb: Where We Grow,” transforms the cow sculpture into a visual journey through DeKalb County beginning with its agricultural and dairy roots and evolving to reflect community life, culture, diversity, arts, innovation and a forward-looking vision of the county’s future. Martin describes the cow as more than a reference to DeKalb’s history, but as “a canvas illustrating how a community can grow while carrying its history forward.” 

The selection was made Sept. 8 by a panel consisting of members of the DeKalb Arts Council and the Office of DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson. To ensure an equitable evaluation, the panel conducted a blind selection process. Artists’ names, genders, backgrounds and other identifying information were redacted, allowing panelists to evaluate submissions solely on the proposed artwork and concept statements.

Martin has a deeply personal connection to DeKalb County. He grew up in Decatur and attended DeKalb County schools from elementary through high school. In his proposal, Martin said those experiences introduced him to the diversity, culture, creativity and sense of community that would later influence his development as an artist. 

“This project represents the intersection of DeKalb’s history, its people and its future,” said DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson. “Richard Martin’s concept beautifully captures the story of a county that is deeply rooted in its past while continuing to grow, evolve and embrace the creativity and diversity that make DeKalb unique. We are especially proud that the selection process allowed the strength of the artistic vision itself to lead the way.”

Martin is a Georgia-based visual artist, muralist, designer and K-8 visual arts teacher. A graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design’s Atlanta campus with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography, he works across public art, large-scale murals, environmental design, illustration and visual storytelling. His portfolio includes projects for Amazon, Atlanta-area schools and a public mural project in Forest Park developed through the NASA Lifelines initiative. 

“Having grown up in Decatur and spent my elementary through high-school years in DeKalb County, this project is personal to me,” Martin wrote in his concept narrative. “DeKalb was one of the places where I first experienced the diversity, culture, creativity, and sense of community that would later influence my development as an artist.” 

Martin’s design follows a visual progression of community, past, present and future. Rather than presenting a literal collection of landmarks, the artwork is designed to evolve as viewers move around the three-dimensional sculpture, incorporating DeKalb’s agricultural heritage, community life, culture and diversity, arts and education, innovation and aspirations for the future. 

The finished fiberglass sculpture will be created with professional exterior-grade materials and protected with a UV- and weather-resistant finish designed to preserve its color and detail as a long-term public art installation. 

Additional details regarding the unveiling and public display of DeKalb County’s cow will be announced in the near future. 

Image: DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson promotes “The Cows Are Coming” public art project honoring DeKalb’s  legacy as the "Dairy Capital of Georgia. "