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Greater Charleston West Virginia Public Art Tour

Zone 1 of 7: West Side

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This is a contributing entry for Greater Charleston West Virginia Public Art Tour and only appears as part of that tour.Learn More.
Like many of the works in this area, Elk City Mural is a community collaboration. Created in 2015 by Josh Martin, an art professor at West Virginia State University, the paint on concrete piece was enhanced by contributions from West Side locals. West Side Main Street commissioned the work as a source of pride for residents. Martin painted geometricized hills and the outline of an elk, which is defined via negative space. Community members painted small additions throughout the hills of the work. These range from cartoon figures, to flags, to objects important to their painters. The mural wraps around the building and the side that faces Tennessee Avenue features the words "Elk City." West Side has slowly grown into the Elk City moniker over the years due to its proximity to the Elk River. Martin envisioned the mural as one that combines the natural prehistory roots of the area with the current expansion and revitalization of its human culture.

Elk City Mural.

Window, Plant, Building, Azure

Young, Maria. "100 Seconds": Painting a sense of place, Charleston Gazette-Mail. November 6th 2016. Accessed January 25th 2021. https://www.wvgazettemail.com/life/seconds-painting-a-sense-of-place/article_83bdc787-7a99-5d3f-9221-d96977752b43.html.

Young, Maria. How Do You Remember Elk City?, Facebook. January 6th 2017. Accessed January 25th 2021. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=10154170966856272.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Office of Public Art, Charleston WV. Accessed January 25, 2021. https://gisweb.cityofcharleston.org/storymaps/arttour/#.