Creative Crossroads: Charlotte murals

Posted on 1 Jul 2009 by James Willamor

This is the fourth in a series titled “Creative Crossroads” — where we take a look at the current state of arts and creativity in the city.

Local artist William Puckett has “always liked working big,” which is evident if you spend much time in his neighborhood of NoDa. He painted the 7,500 square foot floor of the 28^th Row atrium, where Amelie’s Bakery, NC Dance Studio, and others are located. He also painted the “Hey Diddle Diddle” mural across the street, and has a painting hanging outside Cabo Fish Taco. Now William is working on a large mural at 3213 North Davidson Street. The building is located next to Salvador Deli, and across from the Number Seven Fire Station. A group lead by Chris Ingram is looking to open a new bar at the location by this fall, but first the 1,500 square foot building has to be rezoned and renovated.

The mural at 3213 North Davidson will feature more than 230 members of the local community who “live, work, or play” in NoDa. Having completed around a month of preparations, William expects the project to take roughly 1000 working hours over four to six months. William says about the project, “I like the idea of public artwork. I like the idea that the people that will be walking by this and checking it out aren’t necessarily the same people that are going to poke their head in a gallery. I’m outside and doing what I enjoy and I couldn’t think of anything better to do.”

An interview with William Puckett and photos of some other Charlotte murals are after the break:

video: James Willamor; view this video on Vimeo

Murals seem to have always been a part of Charlotte arts, from the original Fat City Deli mural in NoDa to the mural of the former “Big three” of the Charlotte Hornets: Alonzo Mourning, Larry Johnson, and Mugsy Bogues. That giant mural graced the side of the old First Union building Uptown, before George Shinn unwisely traded them all away and the First Union building was renovated and given a new façade after First Union’s merger with Wachovia.

Murals have generally been well received by the public, unlike some other public arts projects such as ceramic tile covered trash cans. Despite the support, finding a home for murals hasn’t always been easy. Last year Peruvian-born artist Carlos Herrera Burgos spent four months creating a 80-foot-long, 40-foot-high painting with financial assistance from the Arts and Science Council. By the time the mural was completed, the building that was to be its home had been sold, and the homeless mural was used for a while as a backdrop at Carolina Actors’ Studio Theatre. After that stint, the 24 pieces were to be covered and stored outside until a home was found. At the time of this post, I have been unable to get a response regarding the fate of the mural.

There are many murals throughout the city, and more planned. That includes new public art along Central Avenue, as covered by area resident Andrea Krewson on her neighborhood blog. Here are a few of the murals that can be seen throughout Charlotte:

photo: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr

Above: The new mural at Fat City Lofts in NoDa. The original mural on the deli was destroyed several years ago when strong winds knocked the wall over. This new mural, which took six weeks to complete, was painted earlier this year by a group known as the Big Trouble Collective.

photo: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr

Above: The Silos and Southend murals by Charlotteans (left to right) Mike Watson, Zach Northington, and Paul Cotter. These murals are vinyl prints hung on the sides of three silos adjacent to the light rail line and South Blvd. Installed in June of last year, the silos were to be part of a large mixed-use development. While some site work and road infrastructure are in place, the project has been placed on hold due to the housing market and economic conditions.

photo: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr

Above: A nine foot by twenty-five foot mural created by Colombian-born artist Edwin Gil. The mural is located on the front of the Compare Foods market on Arrowood Road, adjacent to the light rail station.

photo: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr

Above: Will Puckett’s “Hey Diddle Diddle” mural located at North Davidson Street and East 28^th Street, near the 28^th Row building.

Below: Slideshow of Will Puckett and his mural-in-progress at 3213 North Davidson Street.

photos: James Willamor; view this slideshow on Flickr