Director

Dammit Wesley is a community leader, social and political activist, and outspoken supporter of creatives of color. Wesley received his BFA from Winthrop University. He is a founder of the BlkMktCLT and a leader in the artistic community in Charlotte. In 2020, he was one of the project directors for the Black Lives Matter mural in uptown Charlotte. His art sheds lights on the Black experience through the lens of popular culture. This mural was completed during the inaugural year of Talking Walls in 2018. Talking Walls is a city-wide public art and mural festival bringing together artists with diverse styles and backgrounds to create murals around the city. Key Formal Elements:<ul><li>Strong use of outline</li><li>Secondary colors of green and orange</li></ul>Make the Connection: Look at the prominent title above the main figure in the mural. “Strange Fruit” refers to the song recorded by Billie Holiday in 1939. The song was written by Jewish American writer, teacher, and songwriter Abel Meeropol in 1937. The lyrics of the song compare victims of lynching to fruit hanging from trees. “Strange Fruit” became Holiday’s biggest selling recording and in 1999 Time Magazine named it “Best Song of the Century.” At the time of recording, Holiday’s label, Columbia declined to record it and Holiday went to a smaller label. Without knowing at least something about the reference here by the artist, it is easy to miss the entire content of this work. Wesley places the iconic song titled with its condemnation of racism with the reference to times of today. Connect the figure and the words to determine the meaning of this mural.

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This mural by artist Dammit Wesley is an important social justice statement.  It is located on a tucked-away side wall on Tryon Street between the business at the corner of E. 7th Street and Spirit Square.  Completed in 2018, it was a commission as part of the Talking Walls mural festival.  

Strange Fruit Mural

Uptown Charlotte is a lively and artistic center city destination.  Enjoy this selection of murals all along Tryon Street.  This tour was put together by ArtWalks CLT. 

With the Cultural Vision Grant, the Arts &amp; Science Council funds projects that seek to build community and increase diverse representation.  The artist presents seven portraits of real women. This group of women is racially diverse and LGBTQ inclusive. The artist found his models with the help of Time Out Youth, a local organization that provides a safe space and support for LGBTQ youth. Key Formal Elements:<ul><li>Scale – notice that the portraits are over life-size</li><li>Complementary colors of blue/orange simplify the background</li></ul> Nick Napoletano is an internationally known artist who came to Charlotte around 2015 when the mural scene was starting to explode. Napoletano has murals all over the city including South End, the Elizabeth, and Midtown area, Optimist Park, and NoDa. His realistic portraits are a hallmark of his style along with often highlighting social causes and celebrating beauty. Napoletano portrays humanity in his hyper-realist portraits along the side of this very visible building. The simple background of limited colors allows you to focus on the exceptional details in the portraits. Notice the modeling or shading of each of the faces. Find the highlights or lightest areas on each one and then begin to appreciate the many different shades of color represented in each face.  Of his art, Napoletano says, “A marker of successful public art in my eyes is work that functions as a mirror, identifying a truth about the world we live in while paving the way for the future we want to create,” he said.

The Mural at AerialCLT is located on the side of the Aerial CLT building along the I-277 beltway.  This mural by Nick Napoletano was funded with a Cultural Vision Grant from the Arts & Science and financial support from AerialCLT.  The mural is 140 feet long and 17 feet tall and was painted with spray cans in 2017. 

Mural at AerialCLT

Two Spanish artists form the internationally known group called Pichiavo. Their first mural in Charlotte is a collaboration with the Charlotte Shout Festival and Talking Walls. The Charlotte Shout festival was a celebration of art, music, and ideas that coincided with the commemoration of Charlotte’s 250th anniversary and was held in May 2019. The artists are known for their unique combination of classical art and contemporary urban street art. Key Formal Elements:<ul><li>Contour lines of the drapery</li><li>Variety of the graffiti colors</li></ul> Make the Connection: The artists have a distinct and unique style of painting. First, a solid layer of color is applied as a base coat. On the large wall, the base color is blue. On the smaller perpendicular wall, the base color is pink. Next, splotches of additional colors are added, upon which the graffiti is painted. Site-specific simples, or bubble-style lettering, are added for this mural. Find some words that relate to this site like dance, ballet, arts, etc. With the wall completely covered in graffiti, the artists then begin a delicate white washing of the form of the figure and add details that give the figure volume. The subject matter of the mural is Terpsichore, one of the nine muses and the goddess of dance and chorus. This Classical Greek goddess comes complete with wet-drapery style clothing and a lyre (a musical instrument) in a contrapposto pose. The artists combine Classical art with street art as a way of linking the past with present and connecting fine arts with more contemporary forms of art.

A bright and elegant Classical figure surrounded by graffiti is painted on the side wall of NC Dance Theatre.  This large-scale mural is located about half-way down along the side street of 10th Street.  It was painted by the artists Pichiavo in 2019 during the Charlotte Shout Festival.  


 


Delight in Dancing

North Carolina native Ben Long was commissioned by the former NationsBank to create this mural. Long has several other mural commissions in uptown Charlotte including the Bank of America Corporate Center, the CMPD building on Trade Street, and First Presbyterian Church. Long grew up in Statesville, NC and now makes his home in the NC mountains and the South of France. He trained in Italy to learn the type of painting called fresco painting.   Key Formal Elements:<ul><li>Implied lines of the figures pointing</li><li>Space – the shape of the composition is a dome</li></ul> Make the Connection: Fresco painting is a traditional type of painting but not used often by contemporary artists.  The fresco painting method was known to the ancient Romans and was prevalent during the Renaissance. Fresco painting involves painting into wet plaster directly onto the wall and is ideal for creating murals.   Drawing on the traditions of illusionistic ceiling painting from the Renaissance and Baroque periods, Long uses heavily foreshortened figures and linear perspective to create the illusion of depth and an opening to the heavens. Individual vignettes or groupings of figures tell stories along the circumference of the dome. Can you find the self-portrait of the artist standing at an easel? Also included is a portrait of Hugh McColl, former chairman of the Bank of America and long-time patron of Long’s art. Long tells a story of destruction and renewal to suggest the passing of time in this unique mural.

It’s not often you get to see a painting in a dome but once you walk into the entranceway of the 401 N. Tryon Center building, look up.  Artist Ben Long painted the dome of this outdoor breezeway in 1998.  Long was born in North Carolina but trained as an apprentice in Florence, Italy to learn the technique of "buon" fresco painting.   



Continuum

Alex DeLarge is one of original artists in the Charlotte mural community. He was one of the founders of the Talking Walls Mural Festival in 2018 and a founder of the Southern Tiger Collective, a cooperative group of local artists supporting the street art scene. Talking Walls is a local organization dedicated to elevating the creative spirit of Charlotte by showcasing a diverse range of artistic talent from across the southeast region along with national and international artists. DeLarge has murals all over the city with several in Plaza Midwood, South End, and NoDa. As an artist, he wants Charlotte to become a destination for mural art and a celebration of public art.  This mural was painted as part of the 2019 Talking Walls Festival. Key Formal Elements:<ul><li>Warm colors in sunset and fire</li><li>Implied motion</li></ul> Make the Connection: Remember Marty McFly and Dr. Emmett Brown? Back to the Future came out in 1985 with its DeLorean Time Machine allowing for travel back in time. The fiery tire tracks and electrical currents that surround the car signify its landing at another time. The artist made one change from the original however. Here the license plate reads “704.” Do you know what the original license plate said? Also, how is this mural connected to the its location at Discovery Place?

Located on the 7th Street side of Discovery Place, this mural by Alex DeLarge will bring back a lot of memories or inform some of the younger generation.  The subject matter is an icon of pop culture of the 1980s and if you are of a certain age, you will recognize it.  DeLarge painted this mural with spray cans for the Talking Walls mural festival in 2019.  




Back to the Future Mural

Caitlyn McDonagh is an internationally known artist and specializes in illustrations, paintings, and murals. She was a participating artist in “Dripped on the Road” which came to Charlotte for the Talking Walls festival in 2019. “Dripped on the Road” is a traveling artist residency program based out of Brooklyn, NY. For several weeks resident artists and mentors travel and camp in an RV in national parks, give talks to universities, and paint murals. Talking Walls is a local organization dedicated to elevating the creative spirit of Charlotte by showcasing a diverse range of artistic talent from across the southeast region along with national and international artists. McDonough’s style includes human and animal characters, sometimes combined together, precise lines, and flat shapes of color.Key Formal Elements:•	Flowing lines Make the Connection: Caitlin McDonagh is interested in folklore, fables, and fairy tales. And giving your imagination a workout. Follow the flowing ribbons in her composition through the trees, human-bird figure, eyes, and moon. Now tell your own story about what is happening here in this mural.

You have to be on the lookout for this mural.  Be sure to peek down the ally and look all the way up to see this vertical, four-story mural.  Canadian artist and illustrator Caitlin McDonagh painted this mural for Talking Walls 2019.  McDonagh paints with mostly brushwork to create flat shapes of color inspired by her imagination.  




Reach for the Moon Mural

Duarte Designs was a relatively new mural artist team here in Charlotte in 2019. This is only their second mural. As artists, they are interested in spreading positive messages of love, laughter, and hope. They have outdoor murals in Plaza Midwood and NoDa as well as indoor murals in lots of businesses around Charlotte. This mural was commissioned by Charlotte Center City Partners and the Blumenthal Center for Performing Arts to coincide with the Talking Walls festival. Key Formal Elements:<ul><li>Scale</li><li>Limited palette of purple tones and some yellow accents</li></ul> Make the Connection: With the simplicity of a gray-scale figure and limited colors, the artists use this vertical, four-story mural to spread their message of happiness. Note the quote from American spiritual and motivational personality Dr. Wayne Dwyer, “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change” on the right side of the mural. Combine the quote and their upside-down figure and their message is to see things differently.

Painted by the mother and daughter team of Duarte Designs, this mural really changes your perspective.  Find it on the side of Spirit Square but make sure you are looking all the up to the top of the roof.  This mural was painted in 2019 and was commissioned by Charlotte Center City Partners.

Perspective

American artist Allen “Big Al” Carter (1947 – 2008) was a prolific artist and educator. His art was widely exhibited in the Mid-Altantic and Southern regions during his lifetime. He largely lived and worked in the areas around Washington, DC, teaching art in public schools and making his painting, prints and sculptures. Collected by many museums including the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Carter rejected the New York art scene and preferred to operate somewhat as an outsider in the art world. While visiting Charlotte in 1992, the artist painted at different sites and even participated in a panel discussion with local artists titled, “Public Murals Through Community Intervention.” His art bridges the gap between modernism and traditionalism with his emphasis on abstract shapes, line and color but with the inclusion of figurative compositions. Brought up in a very religious family where both parents were preachers, spirituality often plays a role in his art.  Key Formal Elements:<ul><li>Use of outline and contour lines</li><li>Focal point is the basket of fruit</li></ul> Make the Connection: 1992 is so very long ago in the history of community murals and public art in Charlotte. To put it in perspective, the oldest other mural that is still up is from 2008. The Public Art Commission in Charlotte only started overseeing a public art program in 1993.The composition uses a lot of outlines around each of the figures in the painting. Contour lines inside the figure help to define the volume of each figure. In the center of the image, a basket of fruit is being shared between the main figures in the foreground of the mural. Perhaps the small depiction of a halo over the figure on the right identifies him as a religious figure.   While not much else is known about this mural, local organization Charlotte is Creative recently published an article renewing interest in this historic piece. Much of their information was provided by Karen Beach and a 1992 paper “A Report on an Arts Administration Internship with Spirit Square Center for the Arts” by Karen L. Thompson.

This is one of the oldest murals in Charlotte so make sure that you take note of its location on the side wall of Spirit Square along 7th Street.  Artist Allen Carter completed this mural in 1992 with the assistance of some local students.  The artist uses line and color to share a message of service within our community.

Man Feeding the Poor

Dammit Wesley is a community leader, social and political activist, and outspoken supporter of creatives of color. Wesley received his BFA from Winthrop University. He is a founder of the BlkMktCLT and a leader in the artistic community in Charlotte. In 2020, he was one of the project directors for the Black Lives Matter mural in uptown Charlotte. His art sheds lights on the Black experience through the lens of popular culture. This mural was completed during the inaugural year of Talking Walls in 2018. Talking Walls is a city-wide public art and mural festival bringing together artists with diverse styles and backgrounds to create murals around the city.  Key Formal Elements:<ul><li>Strong use of outline</li><li>Secondary colors of green and orange</li></ul> Make the Connection: Look at the prominent title above the main figure in the mural. “Strange Fruit” refers to the song recorded by Billie Holiday in 1939. The song was written by Jewish American writer, teacher, and songwriter Abel Meeropol in 1937. The lyrics of the song compare victims of lynching to fruit hanging from trees. “Strange Fruit” became Holiday’s biggest selling recording and in 1999 Time Magazine named it “Best Song of the Century.” At the time of recording, Holiday’s label, Columbia declined to record it and Holiday went to a smaller label.  Without knowing at least something about the reference here by the artist, it is easy to miss the entire content of this work. Wesley places the iconic song titled with its condemnation of racism with the reference to times of today. Connect the figure and the words to determine the meaning of this mural.

Artist and activist Rosalia Torres-Weiner is a native of Mexico and one of the leading mural artists and community builders in Charlotte. Her mural on the side of Discovery Place is a Charlotte Shout project curated by Talking Walls. The Charlotte Shout festival was a celebration of art, music, and ideas that coincided with the commemoration of Charlotte’s 250th anniversary and was held in May 2019.  Rosaliia Torres-Weiner had a productive career in the corporate world before she started painting community-based murals. One of her first murals was her iconic portrayal of Our Lady of Guadalupe along Central Avenue which acknowledged the growing Hispanic communities in that area. Her work is characterized by bold colors and shapes, use of outline, strong female figures, and social justice issues. Her murals are also in South End, Camp North End, and the EastSide of Charlotte.    Key Formal Elements:<ul><li>Symmetrical balance</li><li>Use of white outline</li></ul> Make the Connection: Torres-Weiner presents a colorful and decorated “Mother of Invention.” So many symbols are here to help you make the connection to both the location of the mural and her title. Notice first how the eyes are each rendered differently. One is painted as a natural eye and one is a robotic eye.  Some scientific symbols like the solar system and DNA helix iconography are combined with more mystical symbols like a dreamcatcher. What do you think this may suggest about the idea of invention? Perhaps, the DNA helix is there to remind us that a female scientist, Rosalind Franklin, played an integral, if often uncredited role in research of the double helix structure of DNA.  Also, look closely. Could there be a statement with the inclusion of “2020” and “46” in the bottom left corner? Remember, the title of this mural is “Mother of Invention.”

See this large-scale mural by Rosalia Torres-Weiner on the 6th Street side of Discovery Place.  This colorful and bold mural was painted for the Charlotte Shout celebration in 2019.  With an emphasis on science and the mystical sciences, the artist draws our attention to the idea of invention with multiple symbols and the use of iconography. 

Mother of Invention mural

Matt Hooker and Matt Moore are self-taught artists who largely deserve a lot of credit for starting the current mural explosion in Charlotte. Hooker and Moore, or the Matts, as they are known, have work all over the city with a style that is always changing and always engaging. Each project of theirs will seem a little different as they strive for innovation with each new commission. Key Formal Elements:<ul><li>Focal point on the far right with a bright yellow explosion</li><li>Asymmetrical balance</li></ul> Make the Connection: This mural explodes with pictorial imagery related to the city of Charlotte. For example, the crown surrounding the bright yellow explosion represents the city of Charlotte’s namesake Queen Charlotte. Can you find one symbol from Charlotte’s past and one from Charlotte’s present? Notice the gold miner swinging a pick ax as a representation of Charlotte’s gold rush during the 1790s. Above that, the kayaker is a reference to the new Whitewater Center. There are connections to other local attractions as well the city’s sports teams.

Matt Hooker and Matt Moore are two of the artists that helped to start the mural renaissance in Charlotte.  This mural at 105 E. 5th Street from 2015 was one of the first murals uptown and remains a favorite.  With its Charlotte iconography included through the mural, it’s like a scavenger hunt for all things Charlotte.  




Queen City Mural

Former Charlotte resident, artist Sloane Siobhan received her BFA in Studio Art from Appalachian State University. She now works out of Las Vegas and came to Charlotte to paint this mural for the Charlotte Shout festival in collaboration with Talking Walls. The Charlotte Shout festival was a celebration of art, music, and ideas that coincided with the commemoration of Charlotte’s 250th anniversary and was held in May 2019.   Key Formal Elements:<ul><li>Asymmetrical balance</li><li>Blue and orange complementary colors</li></ul> Make the Connection: Siobhan nestles a profile of an African-American female in light and fluffy blue and orange cloud-like forms. A flowing ribbon of wild style graffiti lettering leads your eye to the paper airplane. In a description of the work, Siobhan wrote, “because despite the cards dealt you can rise.” While this was completed before the national racial reckoning of the Summer 2020, Siobhan skillfully directs our attention to “all the little Black girls and their dreams.” As a social justice statement, the artist inspires Black girls to dare to dream and overcome the biases of racism. The mural inspires in its message and delights with its visuals.

Painted in 2019 for the Charlotte Shout festival, this mural by artist Sloane Siobhan almost hides in an alley on the side of a parking deck.  But don’t miss the beauty of its female figure, creative lettering and inspiring message.   This mural is located down 4th Street across from a dentist’s office. 

Fly Girl

Portland, Oregon based artist, McMonster, created this hidden gem for Talking Walls in 2018. Talking Walls is a city-wide public art and mural festival bringing together artists with diverse styles and backgrounds to create murals around the city. It is held annually in the fall. As an artist, McMonster is inspired by author J. R. R. Tolkien, nature, science fiction, fantasy, and dreamscapes. His subject matter in this mural, a person in a small boat holding a white balloon with a mountainous landscape behind, speaks to all of those interests.   Key Formal Elements:<ul><li>Symmetrical balance</li><li>Outline of the balloon shape and contour lines in the water</li></ul>Make the Connection: What does it mean when something is curated? According to Miriam-Webster, curated means “carefully chosen and thoughtfully organized or presented.” This mural was curated by Talking Walls and we see here how a curator can impact your experience of viewing a work of art. If you even walked down this alley, you may have felt a little uneasy. Where were you going? How far is it? What’s at the end? Maybe you experienced a little delight upon spying this work of art knowing, others may have passed it by. As you walk toward the mural and the noise of the city lessens, you are face to face with the beauty of this work which only leaves you with questions and mystery.  This concludes the Charlotte Uptown Murals City Walks tour. City Walks Charlotte would love to hear from you about your experience participating in this year's tours. To take a brief survey, click here.

If one stops at the small opening between two buildings around 203 S. Tryon Street and looks down the ally, they may see this mural by McMonster at the end of the alley... keep walking between the skyscrapers to the loading dock to see this hidden gem. This mural was completed in 2018 for the inaugural year of the Talking Walls festival.

Uptown Charlotte Mural Tour

Strange Fruit Mural

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information