Walk 1/2 block along Central towards uptown
Title: Former Queen City Pie Building
Location: 1212 Central Avenue
Architect: Martin E. Boyer (1893-1970)
Date: 1946
Media: Brick
Story: With its streamlined and rounded corners, the former Queen City Pie building represents the Art Moderne or Art Deco style. Architect Martin Boyer was known for designing large homes for the posh early neighborhoods of Charlotte like Myers Park and Dilworth. His measured drawings of the historic U.S. Mint building allowed it to be rebuilt when it was dismantled and reinstalled to become the Mint Museum.
Key Formal Elements:
- Symmetrical balance
- Organic lines of the corners
Make the Connection:
Do you like architecture and history? Check out the website by historian Tom Hanchett www.historysouth.org. He has created several history walking tours for different areas in town including two for the Plaza-Midwood neighborhood.
Turn left down Oaklawn
Location: 1000 Central Avenue, down the side street of Oaklawn
Artist: Matt Hooker and Matt Moore
Date: 2020
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @hookermedia, @puckmcgruff
Story: Well the mural legends, Matt Hooker and Matt Moore are at it again. You really just do not know where they will pop up next but Plaza Midwood is always a good guess. Some of their most iconic work is in this neighborhood. All the credit to these two mural artists on the scene in Charlotte for forging the way with their early work in 2016 – 2017. You can find their work in uptown, South End, NoDa, Elizabeth, and Plaza-Midwood on all of our artwalks.
Key Formal Elements:
- Use of a value scale for the portraits
- Warm and cool colors on each side of the horizontal line of the helix
Make the Connection:
Commissioned by the Gibson apartments, this mural makes an important connection to the history of this place. The former Reflections Sound Studio stood on this site at the corner of Central and Louise and was an important recording studio up until 2014 when the founder retired. This mural honors the artists that recorded at the studio and includes the J. Cole, influential rapper, and Mary J. Blige, American singer and songwriter portraits which are accessible to see outside of the privacy fence.
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Continue on Central toward uptown
Title: "Community/Love/Equality"
Location: 920 Central Avenue
Artist: Gil Croy
Date: 2012
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @gilcroy
Story: The White Rabbit is an LGBTQ bookstore and office of Q-Notes, the longest running gay and lesbian newspaper in the Southeast. The artist, Gil Croy, worked with volunteers to paint all three sides of the building.
Key Formal Elements:
- Visible color spectrum
- Variety
Make the Connection:
Painted in the six Pride colors, the entire building is a celebration of all things Pride. One of the portraits included is a tribute to fellow artist Carlena Person who died tragically around the time the mural was being planned. Person created a well-known mural at the former Charlotte Art League in South End that was torn down in 2019.
Cross Central to 7th Sin Tattoo
Location: 927 Central Avenue
Artists: Alex DeLarge, Dustin Moates, Southern Tiger Collective
Date: 2018
Media: Acrylic paint
Artists Info: @alxdlrg, @dustinmoates, @southerntigercollective
Story: Both Alex DeLarge and Dustin Moates are artists in the Charlotte mural scene. DeLarge was one of the original founders of the TalkingWalls Mural Festival in 2018 and DeLarge and Moates founded the Southern Tiger Collective, a cooperative group of local artists supporting our street art scene.
Key Formal Elements:
- Contour lines in the face
- Asymmetrical balance
Make the Connection:
Marvel Comics fan? Why yes. If so maybe you recognize Thanos, the villain from Avengers Infinity War. Thanos wears the metal glove called the Infinity Gauntlet with the different Infinity stones in it. If he collects all of the stones, he has the power to rule the galaxy. Cool.
Walk next door to Two Scoops Creamery
Location: 913 Central Avenue
Artist: Alex DeLarge
Date: 2016
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @alxdlrg
Story: Notice the date on this one. 2016 is pretty early in the mural world of Charlotte so a big shout out to local business Two Scoops Creamery for commissioning a mural before it was even a thing in Charlotte. It’s great to have local businesses that are leaders in supporting the arts.
Key Formal Elements:
- Implied motion
- Visual texture of the cone
Make the Connection:
You can't buy happiness, but you can buy ice cream and that is pretty much the same thing.
I scream. You scream. We all scream for ice cream.
Life is like an ice cream, enjoy it before it melts.
Enough said.
Middle Mural at Two Scoops Creamery
Location: 913 Central Avenue
Artist: Nony
Date: 2020
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @nony_clt
Story: Newcomer Nony was inspired watching artists of the Battle Walls mural competition during the summer of 2019. He bought cans of spray paint at WalMart and studied You Tube videos to learn spray painting. With an upgrade to Cheap Joe’s spray cans and many hours spent in his garage perfecting his craft, Nony is ready for the Charlotte art scene! This is his second mural in Charlotte.
Key Formal Elements:
- Highlights
- Symmetrical balance
Make the Connection:
Only days after the shooting of George Floyd, Nony knew he needed to use his talent to do something. After reaching out to a mentor, he had a wall! Donating his time, Nony worked to create a mural showing unity with the interlocking black and white hands. We need more Nony.
Far Left Mural at Two Scoops
Title: “Do the Things that Light you up”
Location: 913 Central Avenue
Artist: Duarte Designs
Date: 2019
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @duartedesigns
Story: This is the first mural for mother and daughter artist team Duarte Designs! For daughter Sydney, a dream of leaving the corporate world to pursue making art was happening. Eating ice cream and talking with the owner of the store, she described an idea for bringing her artistic vision to their wall. And a project began. Only a few months later, the artists received a commission for a large wall at Spirit Square which is on our Mad About Murals Artwalk. Dreams do come true!
Key Formal Elements:
- Limited palette of colors
- Grey-scale figure
Make the Connection:
As a contrast to the original, colorful ice cream cone at the far right, the artists rely on a grey-scale self-portrait of Sydney and a limited palette. The artists wish for viewers to not see color, or preconceived ideas when they look at the mural. In that way, viewers are more easily able to see themselves in the image. The Duarte team spreads messages of hope and positivity with the quotes and want many to relate to their message.
On the side of freezer at back of building
Location: 913 Central Avenue
Artist: Nony
Date: 2021
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @nony_clt
Story: Shout out to business owners that support artists! At this one intersection, you can see seven separate murals with a few more coming and all of them because business owners got an artist involved. Here Two Scoops Creamery brings back Nony to complete a mural at the back of their building. Nony started mural painting back in the summer of 2020 and now has recent commissions in Camp North End and uptown.
Key Formal Elements:
- Symmetrical balance
- Mostly cool colors in the upper part of the composition
Make the Connection:
There are a lot of skylines in Charlotte murals. But a rainbow-colored tie dye skyline is a new and fun take on such an iconic mural element. As an artist, Nony often brings an element of social justice or just elevating unseen voices to his work. With this skyline celebrating the creativity and diversity of the city, message sent!
Go back to intersection, go to other side of 7th Sin Tattoo
Location: 927 Central Avenue
Artist: Jeks
Date: 2018
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @jeks_nc
Story: Greensboro-based Jeks painted this mural for Talking Walls 2018, the city-wide mural festival. Jeks is a graffiti artist, street artist, and muralist known for his hyperrealist portraits.
Key Formal Elements:
- Highlights
- Visual texture
Make the Connection:
The skull is a common vanitas symbol. It also looks pretty cool. A vanitas painting has objects that are symbolic of the certainty of death and remind the viewer of the fleeting quality of our lives. But the sensuous surface quality of the skull draws us into its beauty.
Cross E. 10th, cross Louise, walk 1 block up Central
Title: Bob Marley Mural
Location: 1041 Central Avenue
Artist: Alex DeLarge
Date: 2017
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info:@alxdlrg
Story: Take a peek down the side wall of the One Love Smoke Shop to see the portrait of Bob Marley. Artist DeLarge was one of the original founders of the Talking Walls Mural Festival in 2018 and he co-founded the Southern Tiger Collective, a cooperative group of local artists supporting our street art scene. This is the third mural by this artist on this artwalk if you are keeping count!
Key Formal Elements:
- Grey-scale portrait
- Implied motion
Make the Connection:
Marley, the Jamaican singer and musician and pioneer of reggae music smokes, well something. You can figure that one out.
Continue to 1101 Central Ave
Title: “Regal Rumble”
Location: 1101 Central Avenue at Refuge Hotel
Artist: Dorian Williams
Date: 2021
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @_fauxcus
Story: This mural is sponsored by Brand the Moth and their META Mural Artists Residency Program. Brand the Moth is a non-profit organization creating community-based public art projects and supporting emerging artists with their META residency opportunity. Dorian Williams is an illustrator, painter, and muralist and he was part of the 2021 META program.
Key Formal Elements:
- Visual texture of the tiger fur
- Symmetrical balance with a tiger on each end
Make the Connection
Drawing inspiration from the site location here at Refuge which is an innovative, boutique hotel, Williams celebrates individuality and creativity. The tiger, sort of a spirit animal for the artist, grounds the mural and creates the portal through which all of the quirky and individual characters emerge in the center of the mural. The artist imagines the tiger as a metaphor for the pandemic which brought change, emotion, and creativity.
"Worth the Walk" Head down Hawthorne, past RR
Location: 1041 Hawthorne Lane
Artist: John Hairston Jr., Brian Hester
Date: 2020
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info:@jagolactus, @bhester.hookedflycompany
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. Hairston is a professor of illustration at UNCC. Brian Hester likes to paint fish. His passion for fly fishing and nature originates from growing up in the mountains of North Carolina. Hester is a visual arts instructor at a local high school in Charlotte and Hairston was his student. How cool is that collaboration!
Key Formal Elements:
- Scale
- Cool colors of mountains on left, warm colors on right
Make the Connection
Located on the side wall of the Claiborne Prosthetics and Orthotics building, this mural paints possibility. From mountains to sea, various figures with prosthetics participate in fishing, hiking, golf, and other activities. Clay Clairborne, business owner, says of the mural, “I figured it was time to put something together that was a little more positive.” Thank you, Mr. Claiborne.
Back to Central, walk to Clement, down alley behind Midwood
Location: 1401 Central Avenue on the back wall of the alley behind Midwood Smokehouse
Artist: Desism KTC-MPC
Date: 2016
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @thedesism
Story: Superheroes are the subject matter of this mural covering the wall that hides the trash collection areas for the restaurant.
Key Formal Elements:
- Outline – heavy use of line in the figure of Spiderman
- Polychromatic color scheme
Make the Connection:
Spiderman, Captain America, Ironman and other superheroes are the subject matter of this mural. Even Moms are depicted as superheroes. The owner of this business turned a potentially unattractive garbage collection area into an opportunity to showcase art. On your walk, see if you can imagine other spaces that could benefit from an artistic intervention.
Continue through alley
Location: 1319 Pecan Avenue on side wall of Providence Auto Service
Artist: Nick Napoletano
Date: 2017
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @napoletanoart
Story: This 250-foot wall mural starts on the far-right side of the building closest to Pecan and features a small girl holding a rod with fishing line. Follow the line to the left, and turn the corner to see the catch.
Key Formal Elements:
- Blue concentric circles create the illusion of movement in the water
- Line leads your eye to the surprising catch
Make the Connection:
Stand on the water bubble floating in the parking lot to see the perspective and optical illusion that make you question what is real.
Walk toward Central, building is on right
Location: 1429 Central Avenue on side wall of The Nook apartment building
Artists: Matt Hooker, Matt Moore with Tucker Sward
Date: 2017
Media: Acrylic Paint
Artist Info: @hookermedia, @puckmcgruff
Story: This massive mural on the side of an apartment building greets you with the formidable figure of Poseidon, the god of the sea in ancient Greek mythology.
Key Formal Elements:
- Primary color of blue on the left and primary color of red on the right meet in the middle and merge into purple tones
- Scale matters
Make the Connection:
The artists speak about using the primary colors of red and blue in a symbolic way. In their mural, the red and the blue combine to form purple. How might this be symbolic of the divided political environment of 2017? Of today? Also, the use of Poseidon from the ancient Greeks brings some relevance to a 2500-year-old culture. Why make that connection? What does that say about our culture today?
Turn right on Central, walk to Clement, Cross Central
Location: Clement and Central Avenue
Artist: Annada Hypes
Date: 2019
Media: Printed vinyl
Artist Info: @annadahypesart
Story: Through a Placemaking Grant from the City of Charlotte, the Plaza Midwood Neighborhood Association sponsored eight artists to cover utility signal boxes. Like the Amplify Charlotte project by Laurie Smithwick in South End, the signal wrap project takes utilitarian boxes and turns them into art. Beauty meets function!
Key Formal Elements:
- Primary colors of red and blue
- Use of outline
Make the Connection:
Artist Annada Hypes draws on her happy memories of walking around Plaza Midwood. She incorporates all the little details of her walks with rabbits, cats, birds, and leaves placing them on the background color of blue. Have you seen any of these on your walk today?
Walk on Central towards uptown, Cross RR track
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:
- Repetition of the purple pods
- Organic shapes
Make the Connection:
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?
See in parking lot
Location: 1300 Central Avenue
Artist: Madman
Date: 2018
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist info: @madmanart
Story: : Phoenix-based Madman painted this mural for Talking Walls 2018, a city-wide mural festival. Madman began his career in graphic design and animation and now works nationally as a mural artist.
Key Formal Elements:
- Abstract
- Irregular shapes
Make the Connection:
Notice all the walls around you with murals in this one area. The Moo & Brew restaurant owner is a sponsor of Talking Walls. Charlotte would not have murals on walls without strong support of art loving businesses. Thank you!
See in Parking Lot
Location: 1300 Central Avenue
Artist: Tucker Sward
Date: 2019
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @t.v.c.k
Story: Local artist Tucker Sward painted this mural for Talking Walls 2019. Sward, who studied at UNCC and apprenticed with muralists duo Matt Hooker and Matt Moore, is also a tattoo artist. His recent works include murals at Camp North End and Myers Park Baptist Church.
Key Formal Elements:
- Asymmetrical Balance
- Focal point of the white sphere
Make the Connection:
Sward suggests a sense of wonder and discovery with this portrait of his sister staring intently at a white ball of light mysteriously escaping her hand. Use of a black and white value scale contrasted with the unusual colors may suggest two realities. Perhaps the white sphere symbolizes the blank canvas of an artist or the blank canvas of our lives. The colorful bolts could be a metaphor for imagination.