SMYRNA, Georgia — City officials on Friday formally unveiled a massive jonquil statue in the heart of the city’s “historic” downtown.
Shortly before cutting a ceremonial ribbon, the city’s mayor blamed the city for standing in the way of previous efforts to add art.
“It wasn’t for lack of interest and talent. I’ll be honest with you, government was getting in the way,” Mayor Derek Norton told the small crowd gathered outside Zucca Bar & Pizzeria in the Smyrna Village Marketplace.
“If you remember this space, it’s so nice now, but if you remember this space, it was always dirt when it rained, it was muddy, you couldn’t grow grass here, it was just kind of unsightly,” Norton said. “And I said, ‘I’d love to have a good piece of art out there.’”
The city spent $19,1000 for the statue, which Norton said will be the signature piece of the city’s ARTery district. Artist Gabi Madrid created the sculpture, named “The Jonquil Bloom.”
Smyrna is nicknamed The Jonquil City. The origin of the nickname allegedly dates to 1883, when Samuel Taylor and his wife introduced the flowers to the city.
They purchased 80 acres along what is today Atlanta Road. The land is located south of the road’s intersection with the modern-day Collier Road.
“We’ve had a lot of talk over the last couple years with new logos and other things about, ‘Oh, they’re the Jonquil City, or they’re trying not to be the Jonquil City,’” Norton said. “We have always been the Jonquil City. It’s something that people identify with. They’re proud of. We are the Jonquil City today, and we will be in the future.”
