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 Wednesday, January 9th, at 6pm at the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center. The event is free and open to the public, and anyone is encouraged to play the piano, named “Vincent,” 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. 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," said Jason Brett, co-founder of Play Me Again Pianos.

The eventual 88 pianos represent the 88 piano keys. Vincent, the 20th installed overall and the first of several indoor installations, joins Sunny (at East Cobb Park) and Tommy (at the Egg Harbor Cafe) as neighborhood pianos in East Cobb. Donated by Michael and Rebecca Cochran, Vincent was designed and painted by local artist and Arts Coordinator at the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center, Suzzanne Anicette.

“The idea and design for Vincent grew out of a desire to have an easily recognizable reproduction of a Master work, since we’re placing him inside the Gallery,” said Anicette. “I wanted to depict the feeling of Van Gogh’s Starry Night using slightly more vibrant colors to entice players and help them feel at ease enough to enjoy playing.

“Being an artist that is primarily a painter, it was a challenge to paint a cohesive scene on an object that will be viewed from several angles. Having said that I enjoyed it so thoroughly that it’s likely that this concept will reappear in my personal artwork and be imaginatively interpreted over and over again. “Painting Vincent was truly a labor of love. I can see him symbolically unifying the Visual and Performing Arts that are housed at Sewell Mill and being enjoyed for years to come. I’m grateful to Play Me Again Pianos for affording artists the opportunity to complete these public art pieces. I cannot wait to see the subsequent works take shape.”

Vincent will live permanently in his new home at the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center, the Carol and Jim Ney Gallery. The day after Vincent is unveiled Sewill Mill will host a ‘Play In’. On Thursday, January 10th, from 10am until 6pm the ‘Play In’ will be an all day hands-on rotation of staff from the Cultural Affairs Division of Cobb County PARKS and the Cobb County Library system playing the piano to celebrate the new addition of Vincent to their facility. Play sets will be a maximum of 15-20 minutes. All ability levels are welcome to participate. Requests to be added to the rotation can be made by calling (770) 509-2711.

With the increasing rarity of home pianos, public access to them enriches the entire community. For more information about the volunteer opportunities and the impact of Play Me Again Pianos, visit their website.