In Person | Midtown and Piedmont Park
FREE
This Jane’s Walk, taking place in Midtown and Piedmont Park, focuses on themes of Art & Architecture and History & Culture.
What can a playground teach us about design?
Join interdisciplinary artist Felicia E. Gail and landscape planner Liza Mueller for an engaging exploration from MODA to The Noguchi Playscape in Piedmont Park, one of only two playgrounds created by the legendary sculptor Isamu Noguchi and completed in 1976.
As we journey from MODA through Midtown to this hidden gem, you’ll be invited to capture your experiences with a camera, pencil, and paper. Gain insights from experts like Dr. Gaylan Williams, Atlanta's Deputy Commissioner of Park Planning and Design, and Stephen Larkworthy, the Public Art Conservation Manager for the City of Atlanta. Together, we’ll delve into Noguchi's vision, the playscape's role in the park's history, and its enduring significance as a public art piece. Take part in creative activities like capturing images and free-writing in response to the vibrant environment around you. Bring your curiosity, a digital camera, paper, and a writing tool. Feel free to pack a lunch and enjoy the beauty of the park afterward, or stroll back with Felicia and Liza.
Experience this unique opportunity to explore design in a whole new light!
Arrive early to Design Book Club from 12-1pm in collaboration with MODA and Peachtree Branch Fulton County Library, as we delve into Listening to Stone: The Art and Life of Isamu Noguchi by Hayden Herrera.
About the Walk Leaders
Felicia E. Gail is an Atlanta-based interdisciplinary artist and the Public Programming & Membership Manager at MODA.. She founded Collections Stewardship Southeast in 2023, where she collaborates directly with individuals on their art and object collections. Felicia has been an educator, curator, and registrar at Emily Carr University of Art + Design, Carlow University, University of West Florida, and Jackson Fine Art. Her work, including the project Travel Back To Blue, has been exhibited and published in the US and Canada, most recently at Swale House NYC (2025).
Liza Mueller is a landscape planner and designer. She is a champion of green space, parks, and good urbanism in her work and advocacy, and was one of the original founders of the CNU Atlanta Chapter. Liza is also a longtime member of Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA). She is passionate about design, and committed to collaboration and relationships to create positive transformational impacts in communities; always seeking to be an agent of change.
Dr. Gaylan Williams is Atlanta's Deputy Commissioner of Park Planning and Design for the Department of Parks and Recreation, a professional landscape architect, licensed arborist, and LEED® accredited professional with over 20 years of expertise in climate-adaptive, sustainable, and equitable urban design. His work centers on integrating blue-green infrastructure into urban landscapes to combat the effects of climate change, leveraging forestry science to inform sustainable design, and quantifying the ecological services provided by trees to shape resilient and equitable communities.
Stephen Larkworthy is the City of Atlanta’s Public Art Conservation and Maintenance Manager in the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, where he directs and coordinates specialized restoration projects, supervises efforts to maintain and conserve Atlanta’s public art collection, and manages related communications with city officials and the public. Stephen’s background includes experience in graphics installation and television props, and he understands the public art conservation profession and is knowledgeable about best practices in the field.
The Details:
Arrive Early to check-in with your walk leader or MODA volunteer.
Starting Point: Museum of Design Atlanta
Ending Point: Museum of Design Atlanta
Distance of Route: 2 miles
Duration of Walk: 90 minutes
Walk Language: English
Accessibility: Terrain: The terrain is a combination of paved, and unpaved ground, with varying hills, and hardpacked dirt, grass. This event IS NOT Wheelchair accessible in all areas.
What to Bring: Phone or digital camera, paper, pencil, pen. Attendees should wear comfortable walking shoes and bring a bottle of water. Sunscreen is also advised. Packed lunch.
No weather-based adjustments. Barring a Watch, Warning, or Advisory from the National Weather Service in Atlanta, GA, indicating the walk should be canceled or other MODA weather-related policy, we will proceed as planned.
Know Before You Go: Details will be included in your confirmation email.
Registration | FREE
Jane’s Walks are free to attend, but registration is required.
Please click the link below to save your spot!
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Jane’s Walk is an annual global festival honoring the legacy of urbanist, activist, and writer Jane Jacobs with free, citizen-led walking tours through the neighborhoods that lend so much character to our cities.
The festival promotes civic engagement and encourages leaders and participants to share stories about their communities and use walking as a means of connecting with their neighbors.
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Walk Start & End Point: Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA)
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MODA reserves the right to cancel a program if the minimum enrollment requirements are not met. If you need to cancel your plans for any reason, we kindly request that you notify us 48 hours prior to the event start. By doing so, we can release your seat to another individual interested in joining us for this Jane’s Walk!
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Designers with different styles of learning or special needs are welcome in MODA public programs. We will be able to most effectively help everyone learn and enjoy this experience if we know about those needs in advance of the program. Please email the primary walk leader listed in your confirmation email with questions or information.
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Pictures and videos will be captured during MODA public programs and may be published on the official website, social media, and newsletters of the Museum of Design Atlanta. If you do not wish to appear on these platforms, please write to felicia@museumofdesign.org.
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Email Felicia at felicia@museumofdesign.org with any questions.