Location: 101 Independence Center
Artist: John Rietta
Date: 1983
Media: Polished stainless steel
Story: American artist John Rietta created this large, abstract sculpture for the plaza of the new twenty-story Independence Center. The site was the original location of Independence Square, where Mecklenburg County was established in 1763, and the town of Charlotte was created in 1768. Independence Center replaced the historic skyscraper called the Independence Building that was erected in 1906 and demolished in 1981.
Key Formal Elements:
** As of 9/7/2018, the sculpture was removed by the development company completing renovations of the plaza. It's location is unknown.
Abstract art of the 1970s and 80s sometimes is critically referred to as “plop art.” “Plop art” is a pejorative term used to describe art made for government or corporate plazas that lacks any connectivity to its site, therefore appearing to have been “plopped” down without context. Is there some way to connect this sculpture to its location by considering its potential meanings?
Location: Charlotte Rail Trail
Artists: Kia Jones, Amy Reader, Sydney Sogol
Date: 2015
Media: Yarn
Artist Info: @amyreaderartist, @sydsthread
Story: This is another Charlotte Rail Trail project and was funded through an Art Place America grant. The artists are three fiber artists. Reader was a local artist who just moved to Portland, OR, Sogal is Durham based.
** As of 3/2020, the yarn bombing was removed as part of the construction at this site.
Key Formal Elements:
Yarn bombing is a type of graffiti or street art that uses colorful displays of knitted or crocheted yarn or fiber arts. The artists were inspired by the textile history of South End and the movement of people and cyclists on the Rail Trail.
Location: 101 N. Tryon Street
Artist: John Hairston, Jr.
Date: 2018
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @jagolactus
Story: Artist John Hairston, Jr. grew up drawing superheroes, comics, and cartoons. His Instagram name is a combination of his name and Galactus, a Marvel supervillain. This mural was completed during a live painting competition at the end of Talking Walls, a city-wide mural festival held in 2018. His mural won the competition and became the featured artwork for Charlotte Shout. Charlotte Shout is 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:
** As of 3/20 this temporary mural was removed.
In this energetic and colorful composition, the artist gives us a larger than life superhero surrounded by symbols of Charlotte. For instance, can you find a sly reference to a hornet or the handlebar top of the Duke Energy building? Notice the many dogwood blossoms dotting the canvas. The flowering blossom of the dogwood tree was designated as the North Carolina state flower in 1941. Look around the 4 corners of this intersection to find one more iconic symbol of Charlotte in the mural. Hint: It tells time.
Location: 1217 The Plaza, side wall of the former Sushi Guru restaurant
Artist: Darion Fleming
Date: 2018
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @da.flemingo
Story: On a large side wall of the restaurant, a massive fish entices you to dinner.
Key Formal Elements:
** NOTE: This mural was removed in August 2020.
The artist creates a humorous connection to the type of restaurant formerly located in the building. How specifically does he design the fish?
Title: "Elemental" Mural
Location: 1226 Central Avenue
Artist: Georgie Nakima
Date: 2018
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @gardenofjourney
Story: Georgie Nakima is a Charlotte-based artist who completed this mural for the inaugural Talking Walls Mural Festival in 2018. Three larger-than-life-size female faces boldly occupy the main space of the mural along the side wall of the hair salon. Nakima creates strong and fierce women in her art as a way to empower women of color and all womanhood.
Key Formal Elements:
** As of September 2020, the mural was removed.
The women in her mural suggest the cultural aesthetic of Afrofuturism and its emphasis on examining African culture and technology. Think Black Panther. Nakima’s background in math and the sciences is often expressed in her work through her use of geometry, patterns and nature which connects her art to ancient artistic cultures. Which features of the faces demonstrate strength to you? Which features look futuristic?
Location: Central Avenue and Thomas Avenue
Artist: Kelly Rose Creations, Ashley Jane
Date: 2020
Media: Fiber arts
Artist Info: @kellyrosecreations, @fromyarntostitches
Story: Two fiber and textile artists cooked up this fun new piece in Plaza Midwood. HaHa. See what we did there. Part of the We Craft CLT artist collective, these two artists collaborated to create the backing and the cup of coffee and plates of breakfast in front of Zada Janes.
Key Formal Elements:
** This yarn bombing was removed in 2020.
Plaza Midwood has been yarn bombed! It had to happen. All the cool neighborhoods have them. Yarn bombing is a type of graffiti or street art that uses colorful displays of knitted or crocheted yarn or fiber arts. A temporary art installation, it creates visual interest and connects to the business located at the corner.
Location: 1501 S. Mint Street
Artist: Rosalia Torres-Weiner
Date: 2018
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @redcalacastudio
Story: On the side wall of the former Max & Lola Bodega, Torres-Weiner creates a distinct pair of artworks by dividing the wall in two. The upper part features our very recognizable skyline with the Duke Energy “handlebar” tower and the crown of the Bank of America. Look at the wall and then turn the other way to see the skyline in full view. The lower half of the wall features four pairs of angel wings and colorful flowers.
Key Formal Elements:
** As of 11/20, this mural was removed.
Step into the angel wings. Yes, put on your pair of angel wings. There are wings for adults, for children and even dogs. Be encouraged to seek your dreams with the inscription, “What good are wings, without the courage to fly.”
Location: 1507 Camden Road at the Powerhouse
Title: "Urban Eddy"
Artist: Carmella Jarvi
Date: 2018
Media: Vinyl
Artist Info: @carmella.jarvi
Story: Local artist and Charlotte native Carmella Jarvi received a Creative Lab grant from Historic South End to complete this project. A micro-grant program, Creative Lab projects seek to enhance the public realm of the South End Neighborhood. Jarvi is a glass artist and made 13 glass rounds for this project. She then photographed each piece and printed them onto vinyl. The vinyl is now attached to the glass of the Powerhouse building.
Key Formal Elements:
** This public artwork was removed as of 2/2021 when the Urban Design Center rebranded the building.
Jarvi works in kiln glass, which is glass that is fired many times in a kiln to achieve her desired look. She likens the process to painting with glass as it takes many layers of glass to create the translucent feel to her artwork. Jarvi is inspired by water, and uses this project to bring elements of nature into urban South End. In fact, nature is a common thread running through many of the pieces on this artwalk. Can you recall other artworks on this walk that are inspired by nature? Why is it important to bring nature into the city? How is the placement pattern of the piece connected to the theme of water?
Location: 821 W. First Street
Artists: WeCraftCLT
Date: 2021
Media: Fiber arts
Artist Info: @wecraftclt
Story: As part of the Lovers Art Trail, ArtWalksCLT partnered with WeCraftCLT for an interactive fiber art piece at the Community Matters Café. WeCraftCLT community members and fiber artists from out of town, made flowers of all kinds of colors and variety. The flowers were strung together on a background to create the main part of the flower garland. Visitors to the café wrote messages on felt hearts which were then incorporated into the flower garland.
Key Formal Elements:
For this fun project, the idea of community and connection is key. All of the different flowers coming together to create a beautiful, unified piece of art represents our community that is built on the common thread of love. The large heart of Matthew Clayburn’s mural with delicate, intertwining lines connecting to other hearts suggests it all starts with love.
Location: 227 West Trade Street inside the Carillon Building (Hint: Look at the elevators)
Title: "Wall Drawing 684"
Artist: Sol LeWitt
Date: 1991
Media: Acrylic paint
Story: Conceptual artist Sol LeWitt was commissioned by the developers of the office building. LeWitt’s work features a floating cube on a gold background, which takes up most of the space at the end of the atrium above the elevators.
Key Formal Elements:
** This painting was removed as of 3/21.
LeWitt works in a very unconventional way. Conceptual artists believe that the idea or concept is the art. LeWitt writes very detailed instructions for his work which is then executed by his assistants. What do you imagine his instructions looked like for this work?
When you purchase a Sol LeWitt, you only purchase the right to reproduce the painting for a set amount of years. When that period of time is up, the artwork is removed.
Title: “Tapestry”
Location: Intersection of Monroe Road and Idlewild Road
Artist: Obra Collective
Date: 2019
Media: Vinyl wrap based on watercolors
Artist Info: @obracollective
Story: This mural is part of the City of Charlotte’s CLT 250 Placemaking Program with partner MoRA (Monroe Road Advocates). The vinyl wrap mural is placed around the Charlotte Water facility at this prominent corner location. The Obra Collective, a pro-immigrant art organization, held several community outreach meetings to get input for this mural which celebrates this diverse EastSide area.
Key Formal Elements:
** Photo credit @mattshdr Matt Henesy
During community workshops with members of the public, some were asked “What do you miss most about your home country?” Often the response was related to the landscape or the environment. Working along this theme, the artists included plants and birds that represent a variety of countries. Over 20 countries and their native bird or flower are represented in the mural.
Location: 307 Lincoln Street
Artist: E.C Laney
Date: 2015
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @upawall
Story: This mural is a great starting place for the Gold District ArtWalk. The Gold District, named after the discovery of gold and the operation of gold mines in the area, is a small section of South End with general boundaries of Morehead, Summit, Church and Graham Streets. The Gold District is undergoing a revitalization with support from business owners and the city. Art is playing a role in its redevelopment and this mural is one of the first pieces commissioned in the district. Pro Tip: Catch the mural at twilight or evening and see the elements that light up!
Key Formal Elements:
Signature buildings and South End neighborhood icons are positioned in front of the Charlotte skyline profile and draw your eye around the mural. Take a short visual tour of the neighborhood by locating some of these icons. Does every cool neighborhood have a water tower? Queen Charlotte hoisting craft beer in imitation of the pose of a well-known airport sculpture is a nod to our history and to the present craft breweries. The transformative light rail train creates diagonal movement of progress through old neighborhoods like Wilmore. Take note of some of the business names as you continue your walk in the Gold District.
Location: 821 W. 1st Street at Community Matters Cafe
Artist: Matthew Clayburn
Date: 2020
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @matthewclayburn
Story: The Community Matters Café helps the recovery program graduates of the Charlotte Rescue Mission learn skills and creates opportunities to help them thrive. According to the artist, the heart is his logo and it is a portal that can turn anything into love. Here it symbolizes the transformation offered by the Charlotte Rescue Mission to its residents. Matthew Clayburn is a Charlotte-based artist with a love of basketball and art. Maybe you’ve seen some of his art featured on the brands like Converse All Stars, Converse Hoops, and Curry Brand.
Key Formal Elements:
The heart symbol was used first to denote love during the Middle Ages around 1250 in a French manuscript. A forlorn prince in prison sent a love manuscript to his beloved with a shape resembling the iconic heart symbol. Before that, the heart represented different foliage and plants with a similar leaf shape.
Location: 235 West Tremont Ave
Artist: Jen Hill with assistance from Matt Moore
Date: 2017
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @2hills and @puckmcgruff
Story: Zeppelin, an upscale restaurant and bar commissioned Jen Hill to paint a mural for their side wall. Hill, a relatively new mural artist, is making her mark quickly. Her graphic, pop art inspired art celebrates women, bright colors, and anything sparkly and glittery.
Key Formal Elements:
Make the Connection: A woman aviator graces the right side of the zeppelin ship. Her bright lipstick and long thick lashes gives her a pop art or comic book style. She confidently meets your gaze. How many female zeppelin pilots are there do you think? Google it.
Location: N. Tryon Street between 3rd and 4th Streets
Artist: Multiple
Date: 2020
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info in order of letter: B - @dammitt_wesley, L - @dakotahaiyanna, A - @part_t1m3, @shin.tytsumaki, @najiarts, C- @artbyabel, K - @2gzndcountin, L - @arko.clt, @owl.clt, I - @thekylemosher, @tragiczack, V - @fk.creative, @lovoniaparks, E - @kmuiii, S - @marcus_kiser, @jason_woodberry, M - @gardenofjourney, A - @matthewclayburn, T - @frankie.zombie_, T - @chdwckart, E – @jagolactus, R - @daricalamari
Story: Two weeks after the death of George Floyd, protests continued in Charlotte and all over the world. But the City of Charlotte, Charlotte is Creative, Brand the Moth, and Black Market Charlotte collaborated to plan something special. Modeled after the yellow Black Lives Matter mural in Washington, DC that seemingly sprang up overnight, artists gathered on the morning of Tuesday, June 9 and painted through the day to complete Charlotte’s Black Lives Matter mural.
Key Formal Elements:
Curators Sam Guzzie and Dammit Wesley, invited 17 artists to design each letter of the mural. While highlighting the Black Lives Matter movement, this design allows for continual and unique connections through the variety of letter designs by each artist. Through this celebration of color, shape, text, ideas, and line, this response offers education, choice and action.
Title: "United Buddy Bear"
Location: 310 N. Tryon Street
Artist: Sharon Dowell
Date: 2014
Media:Fiberglass, acrylic paint
Artist Info: @sharon_dowell
Story: United Buddy Bears is an international art exhibit that started in Berlin in 2002 with 140 life size bears, each painted by an artist from a United Nations member country. Every year the bears go on display in a different country in the world. As an exhibit highlighting unity, the bears appear to be touching paws when together. Why bears? The Bear as a symbol for the city of Berlin dates back to the founding of Berlin as early as the 1200s.
Key Formal Elements:
** You can now find this sculpture in the Gateway Center area of Third Ward along 3rd Street.
Our United Buddy Bear was designed by artist Sharon Dowell and features a portrait of Queen Charlotte, the city of Charlotte’s namesake. Princess Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in Germany married England’s King George III at the age of 17 to become queen. Surrounding her portrait, there are flowers that acknowledge her passion as “botanist queen.” Symbols of binary code signify the technological and economic connections between Charlotte and Germany.
Location: 1306 Central Avenue
Artist: Valeriya Volkova
Date: 2019
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @valtastic
Story: Valeriya Volkova painted this mural as part of “Dripped on the Road” for Talking Walls 2019. “Dripped on the Road” is a traveling artist residency program based out of Brooklyn. For several weeks, resident artists and mentors travel and camp in an RV in national parks, give talks to universities, and paint murals.
Key Formal Elements:
Volkova likes to paint cities, houses, and landscapes of your imagination. Her fantasy worlds are connected to Surrealist painters like Salvador Dali and the world of comics. In this mural, individual purple islands flow across the wall of the building. Perhaps, but maybe not, this is a commentary on social isolation. Or just a fun, colorful imaginary place. What do you think?
Location: 229 S. Brevard Street
Artist: Kate Deciccio
Date: 2020
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @k8deciccio
Story: This mural is a partnership of Dear Frontline, Big Bowl of Ideas, the Brooklyn Collective and Studio 229 on Brevard. Dear Frontline is a community organization organized by artists to give thanks to our frontline workers during the pandemic. Facilitated by public relations agency Big Bowl of Ideas, the mural is located on the back wall on the Mecklenburg Investment Company historic building.
Key Formal Elements:
Thank our frontline workers. Pay fair wages. From a recent report issued by the Brookings Institute, “frontline workers earn lower wages, are less educated, and are more likely to be people of color than national averages.” Bringing awareness to these concerns yet providing humanistic portraits, helps the viewer to make this a personal issue and perhaps prompt action.
Location: 1212 Pecan Avenue, the former Peculiar Rabbit Restaurant
Artists: Mike Wirth, Dustin Moates
Date: 2018
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @southerntigercollective
Story: Large, outdoor, story and a half mural on the side of a popular former restaurant features a friendly rabbit inviting you in for a drink.
Key Formal Elements:
Check out the swirls and movement in the blue and yellow background of the artwork. The artists use the famous Vincent Van Gogh painting “Starry Night” for inspiration. According to Google Art, there are more searches for “Starry Night” than for any other painting. What is your favorite painting?
Location: 700 N. Tryon Street
Artist: Sebastian Coolidge
Date: 2018
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @sebastiancoolidge
Story: Sebastian Coolidge is a Florida-based artist who completed this mural for Talking Walls 2018. A large flower set horizontally in six different painted panels stretches across the façade of the former Hal Marshall County Services Building. The building now houses artist studios, performing arts spaces, and exhibit spaces as part of the Visual and Performing Arts Center (VAPA). If you are there on a first Saturday, check out the open artist's studios.
Key Formal Elements:
Perhaps it is nice to contemplate a flower. A lot of art features flowers. This flower sports a little mix of surrealism and fantasy as the flower has a face. How would you paint a flower?
Also check out the AR with this mural. Search Instagram stories for the artist's name and try the Dazey filter. With your phone in selfie mode see the mural element come to life with you. Definitely Insta-worthy!