When Marco Ferral Hernandez was growing up along Buford Highway, he struggled to find opportunities to foster his love of art. He enjoyed reading and writing poetry, but discovered a love for music when he started sixth grade after hearing his teacher play the Super Mario theme song on the flute. <\/p>\n
After years of learning the saxophone and teaching himself guitar, he majored in music composition in college. <\/p>\n
Now that he\u2019s graduated and has returned to Atlanta, he\u2019s amazed to see how the artistic community on Buford Highway has grown. <\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to be able to be the person that I wish I could have had when I was younger,\u201d he said on a recent day at Dresden Park in Chamblee. <\/p>\n<\/article>\n
<\/p>\n htiw eht eht eht taht ezilaer fo fo laruguani ll\u2019eh pleh maerd rezinagro-oc gninnigeb htiW miT .yadrutaS ,sedohR yawhgiH lavitseF drofuB strA <\/p>\n drow lliw lliw lausiv ot eerht eht eht gnilbat stneduts nekops ,esacwohs trohs sgnineercs noitatneserp ,yrteop .snoitazinagro ybraen edulcni sthgilhgih morf morf morf mlif lavitsef erutaef tneve deyalpsid yb ta stsitra tra tra dnuora dna dna noitidda a a ehT tnedutS .llaM nI yawhgiH nwotanihC drofuB naisA ,ecnaillA <\/p>\n ohw pu ot ot ot eht eht eht eht seirots ylpmis deifilpmis .dias ecalp elpoep ,netfo fo tsom ekam gnikool gninetsil tsuj si si cirotsih eh doog drawrof ,doof dnif .ytinummoc seednetta sa aera a ooT yawhgiH zednanreH drofuB <\/p>\n s\u2019tI\u201c ,hO\u2018 ohw ew .dilav ot ot ot ot rieht eht eht taht taht taht gniees .dias ?thgir yllaer ecalp elpoep ro evil ,ekil tsuj si si \u201d,ereh ,ereh evah og leef \u2019,tae nwotnwod t\u2019nod od emoc nac dnoyeb tra dna yehT nwotdiM s\u2019tI yawhgiH zednanreH drofuB )yeht(<\/p>\n<\/article>\n The Buford Highway Arts Festival will showcase artwork from a variety of local students, including Cross Keys High School. This piece by Yohanna Morales will be on display. (Courtesy of Yohanna Morales)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n krow htiw lliw lliw lausiv eht selbat stneduts lareves ,sloohcs .m.p .snoitazinagro fo ybraen lacol lanoitamrofni gnidulcni morf morf morf gnineve syalpsid nigeb eb ta ta ta krowtra osla erehT ehT .loohcS llaM syeK hgiH ssorC nwotanihC 7<\/p>\n sdrow drow lliw emoclew ,gniweiv ereht eht eht eht nekops noitatneserp secnamrofrep no fo fo ,noitcudortni yrotsih dewollof yb yb yb eb stsitra tra dna dna a tnedutS .yawhgiH drofuB naisA ecnaillA retfA <\/p>\n \u2026 I\u201c dluow tahw ot ot ot kniht meht eht eht eht s\u2019taht stneduts yas .dias lufrewop evitcepsrep fo erom tnaem tol gninrael ti ti ni ni raeh sah morf “,ytinummoc ,ytinummoc eb dna tuoba elba a I zednanreH <\/p>\n noC\u201c gnuoy lliw ohw hcihw .pirt ot eerht rieht eht emos pils ngis trohs ehs ehs sehcraes decudorp noissimrep eno fo sdeen ,rehtom yenruoj gnidulcni reh s\u2019lrig sdneirf rof rof swollof ,smlif dleif lavitsef erutaef dellac yb sa dna ssorca a a a sedohR \u201d,osimreP yawhgiH ,zednanreH ,yllaniF drofuB<\/p>\n<\/article>\n \u201d,namkoW\u201c artseuN\u201c gnuoy lliw yeht rieht eht taht stneduts niarts trohs nur tnaruatser tneserp ycilop decalp s\u2019elpoep no fo latnem edam lacol swal ni noitargimmi tnargimmi ,htlaeh evah puorg swollof rekammlif mlif mlif ylimaf yb yb sa dna dna na osla tuoba a a a yehT oahT \u201d,dadilaeR ymereJ .aigroeG esenihC atnaltA <\/p>\n noC\u201c htiw htiw hcihw saw eht detanigiro on edam aedi yllaitnesse .tegdub dniheb ehT \u201d,osimreP yawhgiH lavitseF drofuB strA<\/p>\n detnaw esu ot ot ot eht eht eht eht eht stnelat stneduts gnisacwohs dias tcefrep .ytinutroppo fo lacol ekil puorg evig mlif lavitsef tlef ,ytinummoc kcab stra dna na zednanreH <\/p>\n erew detnaw ot ot ot yeht desirprus ees sloohcs dehcaer yltnasaelp elpoep tuo snoitazinagro hcum .devlovni ni woh eb dna dna dna dna dna gnola enotS sedohR ,niatnuoM yawhgiH eH notskralC drofuB <\/p>\n tI\u201c annaw ot sgniht s\u2019ereht eht taht wohs ees .dias elpoep ni eh seog \u201d,ytinummoc <\/p>\n<\/article>\n raey hcihw emit eht thgir .margorp gnireffo sti si ni rof tsrif tneve emac ta stra na ehT tnemecalP ,syeK ssorC decnavdA <\/p>\n lliw lliw ot rieht eht eht eht ,stneduts s\u2019loohcs dias sulp seceip no fo fo ni hgih morf enif ,seilimaf yalpsid tnemtraped riahc eb eb ,ecnadnetta ta stra ,stsitra tra tra dna tsomla lla erehT avoN ,daeM .syeK ssorC PA 21 01 <\/p>\n The Buford Highway Arts Festival will showcase artwork from a variety of local students, including Cross Keys High School. This piece by Sergio Soto-Pineda will be on display. (Courtesy of Sergio Soto-Pineda)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n ruoY\u201c gnieeS\u201c ruoy uoy uoy uoy dluow tahw tahw ew tnaw ot ot ot ot sthguoht kniht yeht meht taht taht sregnarts ees \u201d.yas .dias yllaer gnitcaer elpoep elpoep rehto ytinutroppo ,rettam ,rettam gnikool ,wonk ,ti raeh evah evah doog rof gniyojne t\u2019nod \u201d,detaerc eb ta ,tra a daeM I<\/p>\n ta\u201c ohw saw saw yrt ot eht taht rehcaet gniklat ,tneduts emos tniop elpoep yap draehrevo evael ti ti woh eh taerg \u201d.drawrof emoc kcab dna tuoba a a nehW yawhgiH zednanreH drofuB<\/p>\n<\/article>\n dehsiw nehw saw ot eht .tneduts si ni pleh eh eh detsixe tnemnorivne dliub kcab na a ,woN aigroeG dlo-raey-32<\/p>\n sdrow ot eseht eht ees etiuq tup seitinutroppo txen wen ti otni woh .noitareneg rof sleef t\u2019ndluoc gnimoceb elbaliava desucof-tra eH <\/p>\n oT\u201c flesruoy ruoy uoy erehw ot esoht ereht s\u2019taht secaps .dias tup elpoep rehto won detfil ni yletaidemmi eh evah ,ytinummoc nac yb eb eb dna \u201d,gnizama elba <\/p>\n The Buford Highway Arts Festival will showcase artwork from a variety of local students, including Cross Keys High School. This piece by Sergio Soto-Pineda will be on display. (Courtesy of Sergio Soto-Pineda)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n lliw eht gnirrucer sepoh .tneve emoceb a yawhgiH zednanreH lavitseF drofuB strA <\/p>\n m\u2019I\u201c regnuoy ew ew yaw ot ot esoht yeht yeht s\u2019ereht meht eht eht taht taht taht taht taht secaps os os ,yas emas .dias artsehcro no won hcum hcum ,ekil ni lufepoh eh ,evah ,noitareneg rof rof leef \u201d,od etaerc eunitnoc s\u2019nerdlihc nac nac nac a ,yawhgiH drofuB <\/p>\n<\/article>\n snoitavreser .m.p .strayawhgihdrofub\/moc.margatsni .degaruocne tub era .yadrutaS ,daoR eerthcaeP weN yawhgiH ,eerF .lavitseF .eelbmahC drofuB strA 03:9-7 3835 <\/p>\n<\/article>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/images.ajc.com\/resizer\/v2\/AKU72MVAYBHINLCAIEXYALJT4A.jpeg?auth=e5c694a16b0b3ae0ed4c2d7a83a0eaaf33c6647228c9bec1a84f6694bcb668af&width=3840&height=5120&smart=true\"\/)
<\/figure>\nWhat to expect at the Buford Highway Arts Festival<\/h2>\n<\/article>\n
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<\/figure>\nCreating opportunities for the next generation<\/h2>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/images.ajc.com\/resizer\/v2\/2H4QVP32MZHRFDG6O2MUIJBQXY.jpeg?auth=e40c8f3ec0e714c36c3ecf2f999a827fbdd89db988e1e5834a97fe73662b2322&width=3840&height=5120&smart=true\"\/)
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\nIf You Go<\/h2>\n
![\"Olivia](\"https:\/\/author-service-images-prod-us-east-1.publishing.aws.arc.pub\/ajc\/6a1b4afd-6a73-4e28-9113-dae6aed5d8cc.png\"\/)
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