West Side Wonder Mural

West Side Wonder Mural was created by Charley Jupiter Hamilton in 2014. At thirty by sixty feet, the enormous paint on brick mural took months to complete, even with significant community involvement. John Bullock, whose son owns the building on which the mural is painted, worked with his company Gaddy Engineering, the Payne family, First Bank of Charleston, and West Side Main Street to raise over $6,000 to commission and provide materials for the work. 

Seven colors of paint executed in Hamilton’s self-proclaimed “sloppy” style are the hallmarks of West Side Wonder Mural. This style is influenced by street art, East Village graffiti, Mexican muralism, and Primitivism. The mural is intended as a representation of Charleston’s West Side. Hamilton embraced stereotypes that the West Side is violent or crime-ridden when making the work. He felt that even if there is some truth to these preconceived notions about the area, there is still a strong sense of community and progress. Hamilton’s motto for the project was “they can never tame us.”1

West Side Wonder Mural includes hundreds of figures, each one a real person. Hamilton considers the mural to be narrative in nature. “I do figurative work. I really could not [not] do figurative work because of my feelings about storytelling — I love storytelling… Art should impact and surprise people, and if you have a story to tell, why not tell it?”2 Hamilton included likenesses of widely recognizable figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., Maya Angelou, Frida Kahlo, Tiger Woods, and the Virgin of Guadalupe — the lattermost a nod to the Mexican influence in West Side Wonder Mural’s composition. Union Civil War soldiers from the 34th Ohio regiment, which was stationed in Charleston, square off against the figure of patron John Bullock, who is dressed in Confederate gray. Political figures such as West Virginia Secretary of State Natalie Tennant and former Charleston Mayor Danny Jones also appear in the work. Despite the mural’s star-studded roster, a vast majority of the figures are inspired by community members. Ten-year-old Emma Del Torto and her pet goat, Milo, is one example of a local that Hamilton chose to include. Though it is a relatively recent addition to the area, West Side Wonder Mural has quickly become an iconic representation of the community. 

Cunningham, Craig. Charleston celebrates popular artist’s new mural, West Virginia Press. June 30th 2014. Accessed January 23rd 2021. https://wvpress.org/photos/charleston-celebrates-popular-artists-new-mural/.

Cunningham, Craig. Photos: Students’ urban hike takes artistic route, Charleston Gazette-Mail. October 27th 2017. Accessed January 23rd 2021. https://www.wvgazettemail.com/arts__entertainment/photos-students-urban-hike-takes-artistic-route/article_6d5fbbce-fb6f-5784-8e38-50240ffe5a52.html#sthash.iOK6JkD3.3EIEeVu4.

Hamilton, Charley Jupiter. Bio, Charles Jupiter Hamilton. Accessed January 23rd 2021. https://www.jupiter33.com/bio.

Hudson, Craig. PHOTO: West Side Wonder mural undergoing repairs, Charleston Gazette-Mail. October 5th 2018. Accessed January 23rd 2021. https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/kanawha_county/photo-west-side-wonder-mural-undergoing-repairs/article_52b23200-cc8d-550e-9526-2efe3b05fba1.html.

Lavender, Dave. Museum exhibits the vibrant world of Charles Jupiter Hamilton, The Herald-Dispatch. October 14th 2010. Accessed January 23rd 2021. https://www.herald-dispatch.com/features_entertainment/museum-exhibits-the-vibrant-world-of-charles-jupiter-hamilton/article_cc7366cb-bed4-516a-826b-2bc6f5b1a1e3.html.

2. Moran, Shawnee. Rainy weather marks end of FestivALL, West Side Wonder Mural unveiling, Charleston Gazette-Mail. October 27th 2017. Accessed January 23rd 2021. https://www.wvgazettemail.com/arts__entertainment/rainy-weather-marks-end-of-festivall-west-side-wonder-mural-unveiling/article_08778429-442c-5ad6-8ac5-5bb8cb9143f9.html.

1. Quinn, Ryan. ‘West Side Wonder Mural’ portrays half the town, Charleston Gazette-Mail. June 29th 2014. Accessed January 23rd 2021. https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/west-side-wonder-mural-portrays-half-the-town/article_c14f9cfb-ee40-5b59-97d4-970150fea87e.html.