Brookhaven community leaders gathered Monday at Oglethorpe University’s Conant Performing Arts Center to announce the launch of a photo contest highlighting the “Wings of the City” travelling sculpture series currently installed in locations throughout the City of Brookhaven.
Left to right: Elizabeth Peterson, Javier Díaz de León, Stephen Chapman, Juan Bonilla, Lauren Kiefer, Linley Jones, Sophia Sobrino, Dr. Nicholas Ladany and Renee Areng
Administered by the Consulate General of Mexico and the Jorge Marín Foundation, the #WingsoftheCityBrookhaven photo contest is a social media celebration of the internationally-recognized exhibit, which seeks to unite communities through art and culture.
The grand prize includes a free trip to Mexico to meet with the artist, sponsored by Delta Air Lines and Viva Tequila.
Key figures in Monday’s announcement included Mayor Pro Tempore of Brookhaven Linley Jones, Consulate General to Mexico Javier Díaz de León, Chair of the Brookhaven Arts and Culture Commission Lauren Kiefer, Viva Tequila Festival President and CEO Juan Bonilla, and Oglethorpe University President Dr. Nicholas Ladany.
Serving as a backdrop at the announcement was an exhibit of photographs of the sculptures, currently on view in the Conant Performing Arts Center lobby.
“The arts are of the utmost importance here at Oglethorpe, and it’s our privilege to host this special installation of photography of Jorge Marín’s sculpture series,” says Ladany. “His sculptures have enriched not only our campus but the City of Brookhaven, and we are grateful for the opportunity to participate in promoting the arts. The contest is a creative way to expand awareness of the work and its cultural impact.”
Sophia Sobrino ’25 speaks at the photo contest announcement
Oglethorpe student and Mexican-American artist Sophia Sobrino ’25 emceed the event. Sobrino’s art has explored themes of identity and culture and has been featured in art competitions and exhibits at the Latin American Association, Mexican Consulate, and UPS headquarters. Her work was also acquired for the Oglethorpe University Museum of Art’s permanent collection.
“The Consulate General of Mexico in Atlanta is proud to partner with the City of Brookhaven to bring to Georgia the exhibition of one of the most celebrated contemporary Mexican sculptors. I am deeply appreciative of the generous participation of the Jorge Marín Foundation, Explore Brookhaven, Delta Air Lines, and Viva Tequila Festival, which allowed us to carry out a photography contest that exalts the diversity, plurality, and brotherhood of our communities,” says Consul General of Mexico in Atlanta, Javier Díaz de León.
Oglethorpe University was selected last year as a key cultural location in Brookhaven to host a striking winged sculpture — one of nine that comprise the “Wings of the City,” a globe-trotting group of travelling sculptures constructed by renowned Mexican artist Jorge Marín. The university shares the honor with the Mexican Consulate, Northeast Plaza on Buford Highway, the Peachtree Creek Greenway, the Latin American Association on Buford Highway and Cross Keys High School.
The sculptures serve as a connective tissue for thriving cities, uniting the community through art as a common language. Per the artist, the exhibit “seeks to transform the life of public space and give voice to the community, using art as an awareness tool around the issue of migration.”
Learn more about the Wings of the City Brookhaven photo contest.
