Walk one block to back of Knight Theatre
Location: 400 block of S. Church Street on back side of Knight Theatre
Title: “Where the Magic Happens”
Artist: Duarte Designs
Date: 2021
Media: Spray paint and brushwork
Artist Info: @duarte_designs
Story: Commissioned by Blumenthal Performing Arts, this mural by Duarte Designs celebrates all those involved with the performing arts that you never see on stage. Duarte Designs, a mother and daughter artist team of Sydney and Ann Duarte, gives the viewer a behind the scenes look at back stage life from the stage looking out into soon-to-be-filled audience seats. Duarte Designs has another mural uptown on 7th Street and you can also find their work on a NoDa Artwalk.
Key Formal Elements:
- Primary colors of red, blue and yellow stand out
- Overlap of the three areas in the foreground creates depth
Make the Connection:
See if you can find all of the connections to being a part of the performing arts. Look at the incredibly detailed rack of costumes. During interviews with the long-time wardrobe supervisor, the artist asked about her favorite costumes over the years and each one in the mural comes from her favorites. There’s a costume from the Nutcracker and one from The Band’s Visit, a 2019 Grammy Award winner. Find the theatre union #322 mark on one of the trunks. Then imagine yourself ready to grab your seat in the theatre and take in all the magic of the show.
Scan the QR code for Uptown Interactive and watch a video of the artist and access a face filter based on the mural.
Walk down Levine Ave, thru The Green to College Street
Title: Presidents Cup Mural
Location: 401 South College
Artists: Sydney Duarte, @treazytreaz
Date: 2021
Media: Spray paint
Artist Info: @traveling_gypsy, @treazytreaz
Story: This mural celebrates the Presidents Cup, a biennial match-play golf event coming to Charlotte in 2022. The President’s Cup features teams from the United States and an International team of players not from Europe. Charlotte Center City Partners and the PGA commissioned the mural by Charlotte artist Sydney Duarte and Austrailian artist @treazytreaz. Duarte has murals on our uptown ArtWalks and NoDa ArtWalk.
Key Formal Elements:
- Scale
- Realistic shading and highlights on each portrait
Make the Connection:
What a celebration of golf, sports, and a hometown hero! One side of the mural is dedicated to the captain of the American team, Davis Love III, a Charlotte native and Hall of Fame golfer. With two colors of the South African flag, the other side honors Trevor Immelman, the International team captain.
Along the College Street side at pedestrian level, a nighttime skyline scene includes all the team colors and some super small details worth the look.
Find our mural running friend Mural Tours 704 at the bottom!
Walk to MLK corner, cross, walk toward light rail
Title: “Where Inspiration and Strength Blooms”
Location: Beside Convention Center at light rail
Artist: Owl, Sam Guzzie, Kalin Renee Devone
Date: 2022
Media: Spray paint
Artist Info: @owl.clt, @samguzzie, @kalin_renee
Story: Three female artists came together to create the tallest mural in Charlotte. Sponsored by Charlotte Center City Partners and US Bank, each artist painted components of the mural blending each’s unique style to create the overall mural. Owl is a street artist and muralist and is very active in the Charlotte art scene. Sam Guzzie is a co-founder of Brand the Moth, an artists’ collective and community arts organization. Kalin Devone painted her first mural in 2020 for Talking Walls.
Key Formal Elements:
- Scale. Tallest mural so far in CLT
- Highlights in the face on the nose and chin
Make the Connection:
Where do you get inspiration from? For these artists each was inspired by the creative energy of the others. Owl’s swirling lines create a type of energy flowing through the composition. You can see her work in the bottom and on the right and left sides. Sam Guzzie often feels connected to an energy source in nature. Notice her leaves and fruit floating high above the figure. Kalin Devone is known for her oil portraiture rich in details, texture and highlights. Devone renders a portrait of her friend as a way to honor the strength and support of her friends. Together, three distinct styles produce a stunning mural.
Continue to Brevard, walk one block to left
Location: 219 S. Brevard Street
Artist: Abel R. Jackson
Date: 2019
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @artbyabel
Story: Local artist Abel R. Jackson makes a terrific debut with his first mural in uptown Charlotte. Beautifully executed realistic portraits of three prominent African-American leaders of historic Charlotte float above tightly rendered depictions of the buildings behind this mural. The artist pays homage to the past while connecting to the future.
Inspired by viewing the historic stained glass panels in the Grace A.M.E. Zion Church, Jackson created abstract, colorful designs on the side of the mural. Look up and around to see his inspiration!
Key Formal Elements:
- Linear perspective of the buildings
- Highlights on the realistic faces
Make the Connection:
On the far left, Thad Tate was an important African-American businessman and founder of the Grace A.M.E. Zion Church, housed in the building in front of the mural. Dr. J.T. Williams was one of the first African-American doctors licensed in NC, and one of the first black diplomats serving as an ambassador overseas. On the right, W.C. Smith was a prominent businessman and the founder of Charlotte’s first black newspaper.
How do the colorful graphics on each side support the history of the site? And what do you think is the function of the MIC (Mecklenburg Investment Company) graphic?
Scan the QR code for Uptown Interactive and watch a video of the artist and play with a 3-D model based on the mural.
Check out the back of the building
Location: 219 S. Brevard Street
Artist: Abel R. Jackson
Date: 2019
Media: Spray paint and marker
Artist Info: @artbyabel
Story: Local artist Abel Jackson was voted Queen City Nerve Muralist of the Year in 2021 and we are lucky to have him in Charlotte. Jackson has murals in uptown, Camp North End, NoDa, and Historic West End. He is known for his detailed realistic portraits. On the back of the Mecklenburg Investment Company building, Jackson celebrates Black history of the Second Ward of Brooklyn neighborhood.
Key Formal Elements:
- Black and white value scale of the two figures
- Limited color palette
Make the Connection:
The Mecklenburg Investment Company building was constructed in 1922 and was the first office building built for and by Black professionals in Charlotte. Jackson depicts William W. Smith, the designer and building of the structure. Smith was one of the first Black designers in Charlotte and he is known for his intricate brickwork on the exterior of buildings. His brickwork designs often incorporate different color and texture bricks to create a compelling and creative design. Step around the building and look up to see some examples of his work. Smith also designed the beautiful Grace A. M. E. Zion church next door.
*Worth the Walk* Head to 300 Caldwell
Location: 300 S. Davidson Street (back of building facing Caldwell)
Artist: Curtis King
Date: 2021
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @piecesofceekay
Story: This mural was commissioned by the City of Charlotte, Charlotte Mecklenburg Food Policy Council and the Uptown Farmer’s Market to promote healthy nutrition at the farmer’s market. Curtis King is a school teacher and muralist. King has murals in the Belmont neighborhood and on the West Side of Charlotte. He started this large-scaled mural at the end of June and painted for about three weeks during the summer heat to finish it for the grand opening of the Uptown Farmer’s Market.
Key Formal Elements:
- Polychromatic color scheme
- Strong use of outline along the main shapes
Learn More
Find Queen Charlotte on the left and notice the purple and teal colors of her tiara and face as connections to important sports colors in Charlotte. From there, the artist celebrates all things farmer’s market with fish, eggs, fresh fruit, flowers and the rows of white tents as you move right. What’s your favorite part of a farmer’s market? Find it when you visit every Saturday from April to December.
Scan the QR code for Uptown Interactive and watch a video of the artist and play with a face filter based on the mural.
Walk to E Trade on either Caldwell or Brevard
Location: 408 E. Trade Street
Artist: Hoxxoh
Date: 2018
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @hoxxoh
Story: Miami-based artist, Hoxxoh, is interested in exploring time and the energy of time in his work. He created this work for Talking Walls.
Key Formal Elements:
- Saturated cool color blue dominates the far right
- Pattern and repetition are important
Make the Connection:
Color, pattern, and repetition mix together to create the effect of a tunnel, or a time travel tunnel. Even the gear-shaped edges of each layer suggest the precision of time. Do you feel trapped by this tunnel and its intense structure or do you feel movement and escape?
View on exterior of Spectrum Center
Title: “Count on Me CLT”
Location: 333 E. Trade Street
Artist: Lo’Vonia Parks
Date: 2020
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info:@lovoniaparks
Story: Count on Me CLT is a public service campaign created to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Working with Charlotte is Creative, they’ve commissioned various artists to paint windows with messages of social distancing, mask wearing, and reminders to wash your hands.
Key Formal Elements:
- Strong use of outline
- Use of positive shapes, overlapping patterns and colors.
Make the Connection:
Artist Lo’Vonia Parks makes all of our frequent reminders to wear a mask, stand 6 feet apart, and wash our hands, more fun than we could ever know. Bright colors, lively patterns, and simple messaging bring these windows to life. Parks is a muralist, graphic designer and caricature artist and you can find a mural by her on our South End Gold District Artwalk.
Walk to 220 E. Trade, see on left wall
Location: 220 E. Trade Street
Artist: Jonay di Ragno
Date: 2019
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @jonay_di_ragno
Story: Di Ragno describes himself as an Abstract Expressionist artist and was raised in both Spain and the Caribbean. He is most known in Charlotte for creating his “Fibonacci Spiral” mural in NoDa. Unfortunately the NoDa spiral mural was removed so the uptown version is the only one remaining. This mural is a project for Charlotte Shout and curated by Talking Walls.
Key Formal Elements:
- Cool colors of blue with accents of orange
- Focal point is center of spiral
Make the Connection:
Di Ragno’s mural is based on the Fibonacci Sequence, a mathematical series of numbers. These numbers are often expressed in nature and are seen to have divine or perfect connotations. His mural in NoDa has its own Instagram page @noda_charlotte_mural_fibonacci and quite a few followers.
Walk down Tryon to East 5th Street
Location: 105 East 5th Street
Artists: Matt Hooker, Matt Moore
Date: 2015
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @hookermedia, @puckmcgruff
Story: Look at that date! 2015. This is an early Charlotte mural. In one of the first murals completed by the duo of Matt Hooker and Matt Moore, this mural explodes with pictorial imagery related to the city of Charlotte. Hooker and Moore, or the Matts, as they are known, work all over the city with a style that is always changing and always engaging.
Key Formal Elements:
- Focal point on the far right with a bright yellow explosion
- Asymmetrical balance
Make the Connection:
This mural is full with symbols. 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?
Continue on Tryon to wall at Spirit Square
Location: N. Tryon Street between Duckworth’s and the library
Artist: Dammit Wesley
Date: 2018
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @dammit_wesley
Story: The artist Dammit Wesley is a community leader, social and political activist, and outspoken supporter of creatives of color. He is a founder of BlkMktClt, an artist's collective for artists of color. His art sheds lights on the black experience through the lens of popular culture. This mural was completed during Talking Walls.
Key Formal Elements:
- Strong use of outline
- Secondary colors of green and orange
Make the Connection:
Without knowing at least something about the reference here by the artist, it is easy to miss the entire content of this work. At the top, “Strange Fruit,” written in bold green letters is a reference to the song of the same name performed by Billie Holliday. The song was based on an original poem written by Jewish-American Abel Meeropol which protested American racism, particularly the lynching of African Americans. Connect the figure and the words to determine the meaning of this mural.
Cross Tryon St to side of Discovery Place along 7th
Location: 301 N. Tryon Street side wall down 7th Street at Discovery Place
Artist: Alex DeLarge
Date: 2019
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @alexdelarge
Story: Alex DeLarge is a leader in the Charlotte mural scene. He was one of the original 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. DeLarge wants Charlotte to become a destination for mural art and a celebration of public art.
Key Formal Elements:
- Warm colors in sunset and fire
- Implied motion
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 its location?
Walk along Tryon Street to other side of Discovery Place
Location: 301 N. Tryon Street wall along E. 6th Street
Artist: Rosalia Torres-Weiner
Date: 2019
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @redcalacastudio
Story: 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. With murals in NoDa, Plaza-Midwood, and South End, this marks her first mural uptown. The artist is known for her female subject matter, bold and colorful designs, and art as activism.
Key Formal Elements:
- Symmetrical balance
- Use of white outline
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. 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? Compare the two eyes. Also, look closely. Could there be a statement with the inclusion of “2020” and “46” in the bottom left corner?
Scan the QR code for Uptown Interactive and watch a video of the artist and play with a face filter based on the mural.
Continue on Tryon, cross Trade to 4th St
Location: West 4th Street across from Pearl Dentistry along a loading dock
Title: "Fly Girl"
Artist: Sloane Siobhan
Date: 2019
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @namasteloner
Story: Artist Sloane Siobhan is from Charlotte and received her BFA in Studio Art from Appalachian State University. She's worked out of Las Vegas recently and came home to paint this mural for the Charlotte Shout festival in collaboration with Talking Walls.
Key Formal Elements:
- Asymmetrical balance
- Blue and orange complementary colors
Make the Connection:
Siobhan nestles a profile of an African-American woman 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 writes, “because despite the cards dealt you can rise.” The mural inspires in its message and delights with its visuals. Can you determine what the wild style lettering says?
Scan the QR code for Uptown Interactive and watch a video of the artist and play with a 3-D model based on the mural.
Continue on S. Tryon St, down the alley
Location: 203 S. Tryon Street
Artist: McMonster
Date: 2018
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @mc_monster
Story: Portland-based artist, McMonster, created this hidden gem for Talking Walls and it is all things J.R.R. Tolkien and a fantasy world. The artist is inspired by 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 grey-scale, mountainous landscape behind, speaks to all of those interests. This was the first mural for McMonster.
Enjoy the lampshape installation by Studio Cultivate which was part of Charlotte Shout 2022. Pro tip: See this at night!
Key Formal Elements:
- Symmetrical balance
- Outline of the balloon shape and contour lines in the water
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 how a curator can impact your experience of viewing a work of art. If you 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 from the street 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 this mural which only leaves you with questions and mystery.