Play Me Again Pianos Unveils Public Piano at the Chastain Arts Center

Play Me Again Pianos, a nonprofit aspiring to make metro Atlanta more musical through 88 public piano installations, will cut the ribbon on its newest donated piano Saturday, Nov. 12, at 11:00 a.m. at the Chastain Arts Center on the Gallery Porch. The event is free and open to the public and everyone is encouraged to play the piano, named "Elmer," after the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

"Street pianos and public pianos inspire people to connect with each other in ways that were once common, but seem increasingly rare," said Jason Brett, co-founder of Play Me Again Pianos. "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."

Having partnered with the Chastain Park Conservancy in 2016 to host their very first public piano at the Chastain Park Playground (now retired), Play Me Again Pianos is excited to extend that relationship to include the Arts Center for the debut of their 25th piano installation.

"The Chastain Arts Center is a community arts center home to a multitude of visual artists with varying skill levels and this is the first time we are incorporating a musical component to our programming," noted Alma Kadri, Facility Administrator. "Elmer brings us the opportunity to be a dynamic place for people to not only look and create visual art, but also to immediately impact anyone within earshot of the Chastain Gallery porch. This new permanent experience will bring joy to all from the novice to the experienced, including any passers-by to visit the historic building turned arts center."

Donated by Mary Thomas of Marietta, this newest street piano was brought to life by the Joseph Sams School (JSS) Fine Arts Team of Misty Lackey, Visual Artist and Art Teacher, and former JSS Music Therapist, Caroline Beson. Lackey was inspired by the classic children's book "Elmer and Friends," a book about Elmer the patchwork elephant by David McKee. This fueled the conceptual design for the JSS piano named "Elmer." Every classroom was designated a color, therefore, every student had a hand in the process of painting.

The Joseph Sams School is a private school which specializes in the education of children with special needs. The message from McKee's book has been an instrumental literary example and encouraging self-expression while bridging literacy through art. "The meaning behind McKee's books is to embrace and celebrate our differences while being true to oneself," Lackey explained. "The literature is quite symbolic and reflective of our special school, a reminder that we are not all the same and that we should celebrate our differences with compassion, inclusivity, and friendship".

The school's Fine Arts team uses community outreach through the arts as a bridge for their students and families, as they focus on ABILITIES rather than disabilities. Their vision of a community enhanced by the meaningful contributions of their students aligns perfectly with the Play Me Again Pianos vision to enrich and strengthen communities, inspire joy, and bring people together through shared encounters with public music and art.

You can find other pianos installed by Play Me Again Pianos in Atlanta at the Woodruff Arts Center, Ponce City Market, and Atlantic Station as well as in Alpharetta, Brookhaven, Chamblee, East Cobb, Roswell and the Serenbe Art Farm Community.

With the increasing rarity of home pianos, public access to them uplifts the entire community, but donations to charities for non-essential services have been crushingly low since the pandemic. Contributions right now can make the difference between a charity surviving or closing its doors. If you love the thought of having pianos available to the public in your city, please donate today, while it's on your mind. It's never been needed more. For information about volunteer opportunities, the impact of Play Me Again Pianos, and a link to donate, visit www.PlayMeAgainPianos.org.

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