Colony Square, Midtown Atlanta, Gets New Public Piano Courtesy of Play Me Again Pianos

Play Me Again Pianos announced today its newest public piano will open in the Plaza at Colony Square on Nov. 11, 2016 at 2 p.m. The public is invited to attend the ribbon cutting and join in the festivities at the corner of Peachtree and 15th Streets, near the MIDTOWN letters.

Play Me Again Pianos, a Georgia non-profit charity, is working to install and permanently maintain 88 free public pianos throughout the Atlanta Metropolitan area for the community to play and enjoy. "Street pianos and public pianos inspire people to connect with each other in ways that were once common, but seem increasingly rare," explains Jason Brett, Co-Founder. "By adding our pianos to the landscape throughout the city, we hope to nurture that connection into an evolution of Atlanta's culture, community and the arts."

The piano was painted by Max Lebven, who was also commissioned to paint two nearby murals at Colony Square. In keeping with Play Me Again Pianos' tradition of naming each piano, this one will be called "Harmony", named by Lebven.

"It was a joy to be a part of this endeavor," said Lebven. " While bright, brilliant colors are my passion, when I was painting Harmony, there was something more. You'll notice that the back, under the top board and the underside of the fallboard are painted dark blue with clouds. That was inspired by a scene from the movie "Immortal Beloved" where, as a child seeking to escape the wrath of his father, a young Beethoven finds tranquility floating on his back in a nearby

pond while Ode to Joy plays. I've always loved that scene and hoped that the dark blue sky might spark the imagination of some passing would be pianist."

Play Me Again Pianos and Colony Square will officially unveil the piano at 2 p.m. with a ribbon cutting ceremony, which will feature a performance by local young pianist Nico Brett, age 11. At the end of the performance, the piano will be open to everyone.

"We are thrilled to bring the art of music to our community," said Carla Toro, director of marketing at Colony Square. "The lovely piano 'Harmony' comes as part of a larger vision to reimagine Colony Square to be an arts-infused place to gather with community. We look forward to hosting continued cultural activations and events at Colony Square, especially around the holidays."

North American Properties acquired Colony Square late last year with plans to transform the iconic mixed-use community into a sophisticated business, residential and cultural hotspot. The reimagined Colony Square will be known as a foodie haven; a shopping mecca; an events destination; an amenity-rich, artful place to gather and soak up Midtown's vibe. The modernization will continue over the next 20 months, and Colony Square will celebrate its official rebirth in July 2018.

Play Me Again Pianos' first public piano is currently on display at the Chastain Park Playground in Atlanta. The second and third are at The Woodruff Arts Center at the north entrance of the Memorial Arts Building near the Box Office and in the Callaway Plaza along Peachtree Street near the RoBert Woodruff Statue. Another piano will be coming soon to The Dunwoody Nature Center and additional pianos are in various stages of planning and development.

About Play Me Again Pianos

Founded as a Georgia non-profit charity in 2016, Play Me Again Pianos installs and permanently maintains free publicly accessible pianos throughout the Atlanta area for the community to play and enjoy. Play Me Again Pianos is a registered 501(c)(3) corporation. For more information, visit www.playmeagainpianos.org.

About Max Lebven

Born in New England, Max currently resides in the Atlanta metro area. His art is about life... The Colors of Life... the trivial, the momentous, the mundane and the extraordinary... as refracted through paint on canvas. For more information, visit www.lebven.com.

About Colony Square

At the corner of Peachtree and 14th Streets, Colony Square is not only the heart of Midtown, it's the heart of Atlanta - an original icon at the very center of the ever-rising capital of the modern South. Today, Colony Square is becoming an icon of another kind, bringing the Art of Modern Life to Midtown. With two office towers totaling 720,000 square feet, residential condos, a 467-room hotel and a 163,000-square-foot retail center, Colony Square is a sophisticated business, residential and cultural hotspot, that like all great city squares, is alive with possibility. The reimagined Colony Square will be known as a foodie haven; a shopping mecca; an events destination; a beautiful, amenity-rich and arts-infused place to gather with community and soak up Midtown's vibe. Open, walkable and transit-friendly, the reimagined Colony Square will be seamlessly connected to the vibrant energy of the streets around it. For more information, visit colonysquaremidtown.com.

About North American Properties

Founded in 1954, North American Properties is a privately held, multi-regional real estate operating company that has acquired, developed and managed more than $5 billion of mixed-use, retail, multifamily and office properties across the United States. Headquartered in Cincinnati, with offices in Atlanta, Dallas and Fort Myers, Florida, the company has developed 19 million square feet of retail and 17,000 apartment units in 12 states. In the past three years, North American Properties has launched 36 projects totaling $1.1 billion in total capitalization. In Atlanta, North American Properties owns Avalon, Colony Square and Anthem on Ashley. For more information, please visit naproperties.com.

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