Catlanta tells Atlanta commuters to ‘hang in there’

No value assignedIn the few weeks since the infamous combustion and collapse of an overpass on I-85 (an event which now has its own Wikipedia page), the metro Atlanta traffic situation, already well-known for being terrible, has gone from bad to worse to comedic. Highlighting major issues with Atlanta public roadways, fortunately without reported injuries, the I-85 collapse has presented the opportunity to address the serious nature of transportation problems in ATL with humor. Memes and waze app downloads continue to spring from the the shutdown of the highway. In the aftermath, some turn to twitter, others turn to art.

Local artist Rory Hawkins, aka Catlanta, who is known for his surprise bkitten drops,b free public art left around the city for locals to collect, has come up with his own reaction to the disaster. bI was joking with friends about the collapse (only after we found out there were no injuries) and decided then that I would try my best to create a piece to put out the next morning,” Hawkins says. “It was obvious to me that this was a big event for Atlanta, so I wanted to jump into the conversation. I think as Atlantans, we can be kinda harsh when joking about our town, so I wanted to poke fun at the situation while also offering a tiny bit of hope and love for this city.b

The bBridge Kittenb T-shirt went live for pre-sale April 16, depicting the beloved Catlanta kitten bridging the gap left by the collapse of the highway with the caption bHang in there, Catlanta.b Twenty percent of proceeds from the pre-sale benefitted the Santa Fe Villas, a former hotel turned apartment complex that provides permanent housing for homeless individuals living in Atlanta. bI’m so happy this image can go from just being an Instagram post to help raising funds for people in the city,b Hawkins says.b I hope the shirts provide a chuckle but also a sense of hope for the future of Atlanta, we can and will make it through this together!b

A new batch of shirts are in production now, and 20 percent of the proceeds will again benefit Santa Fe Villas. Keep checking Catlantabs website and Facebook page for updates about when the next batch will drop.