GOCU’s Atlanta Skyline building honors President Carter with a mural

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – As President Jimmy Carter is laid to rest this coming week, Georgia’s Own Credit Union has returned its mural honoring him to the Downtown Atlanta skyline.

The brightly lit mural displayed 450 feet above the city, will remain in place through the National Day of Mourning on January 9th.

Laura Sterling, Vice President of Marketing for Georgia’s Own Credit Union, spoke with us about the significance of the mural.

“This is a mural created by a local artist, Dane Jefferson. We’ve honored Jimmy Carter before because of his importance to Georgia and everything he’s done—his humanitarian efforts and contributions throughout his life. This mural is something we wanted to feature again, especially in light of his passing.”

The sign, which serves as a digital canvas visible from downtown Atlanta and beyond, has become a platform for celebrating individuals and events significant to the community.

“Because it’s digital, we can change out the content as often as we’d like,” Sterling adds. “It allows us to share events and honor people important to the community. While we have the Georgia name up there, we use it to support what people in Atlanta want to see—things that matter to them.”

Sterling elaborated saying, “We put a lot of thought into what’s going to be on the sign, often planning several months. For instance, we’ve featured events like the Peachtree Road Race and the Breast Cancer Walk, as well as people we’ve honored, such as Kobe Bryant and John Lewis. Celebrating our 90th anniversary last year was another opportunity to showcase individuals and milestones important to Georgia.”

For this particular tribute, Georgia’s Own Credit Union once again partnered with Dane Jefferson.

Jefferson explains, “It feels great—just a humbling experience to try and capture so much of the greatness that Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter have both contributed to the world. I’m very thankful for the opportunity.”

“The main inspiration was the longevity of Jimmy Carter’s public service—from his time in Georgia to his national leadership, and ultimately his global impact through the Carter Center. He’s been an incredible ambassador for peace and health. I wanted to represent that by illustrating his life and career across three stages, Georgia, the United States, and ultimately the world.”

Jefferson shared how Carter’s legacy has shaped his own perspective.

“Given my age, Jimmy Carter has always been present and active—a benchmark of what a good human being is. When I was painting, it was out of admiration and a bit of pressure to capture everything he’s done in a simple, easy-to-read image. Something someone driving by on the highway could see and immediately understand.”

As the state of Georgia and the world mourn the loss of Jimmy Carter, this mural stands as a vivid reminder to his authentic life and legacy.

For Jefferson, the experience of creating this mural goes beyond art.

“It’s an honor to create something for someone I truly respect. Jimmy Carter is the ideal example of a public servant—from teaching Sunday school to his global work through the Carter Center. I hope this piece resonates with everyone who sees it.”