Tour Charlotte’s Street Murals
Do it for the gram.
Or for the culture.
If you haven’t seen them yet, check out The Talking Walls festival — 17 mural artists painting 16 new murals around Center City Charlotte—debuted this past fall in Charlotte.
Southern Tiger Collective’s Alex DeLarge and IMEK Studio’s Kevin Taylor, with the help of committee members Rob Reilly and Queens University professor Mike Wirth, put together the initiative that allowed for ten local artists and seven national/international artists to come together in the name of Charlotte’s public art.
One of the sponsors was the Hyatt House, who came into Charlotte’s art scene in a heartbreaking way. After glass windows were broken during protests in the wake of the police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott, Hyatt House invited artists to paint on the plywood temporarily boarding up the space. Those plywood pieces have become works of art.
Each artist was given $1,000 + supplies (including paint and lifts) + food. They also received creative control — all of the art was the artist’s choice.
The Talking Walls murals can only be experienced, not seen, so drive around and see for yourself:
7th Sin Tattoo
927 Central Ave
Charlotte, NC 28205
Artist: JEKS
Based in: Greensboro
Abari Game Bar
1721 N Davidson St
Charlotte, NC 28205
Artist: Gus Cutty
Based in: Asheville
Chasers
3217 The Plaza
Charlotte, NC 28205
Artist: Ramiro Davaro-Comas
Based in: Brooklyn, New York
Hal Marshall Building
700 N Tryon St
Charlotte, NC 28202
Artist: Sebastian Coolidge
Based in: St. Petersburg, Florida
Hal Marshall Annex
618 N College St
Charlotte, NC 28202
Artist: Nick Napoletano
Based in: Charlotte
Ink Floyd
1101 E. 36th St
Charlotte, NC 28205
Artist: Trasher
Based in: Mexico City, Mexico
InnerVision
408 E Trade St
Charlotte, NC 28202
Artist: Hoxxoh
Based in: Miami
Mecklenburg Valve
2407 Central Ave
Charlotte, NC 28205
Artist: Denton Burrows
Based in: New York City
Moo & Brew
1300 Central Ave
Charlotte, NC 28205
Artist: MDMN
Based in: Phoenix
Pizza Peel
1600 Central Ave
Charlotte, NC 28205
Artist: Darion Fleming
Based in: Charlotte
Pure Intentions
2215 N Tryon St
Charlotte, NC 28204
Artist: Arko and Owl
Based in: Charlotte
Salon 1226
1226 Central Ave
Charlotte, NC 28205
Artist: Garden of Journey
Based in: Charlotte
Spirit Square
345 N College St
Charlotte, NC 28202
Artist: Dammit Wesley
Based in: Charlotte
Spoke Easy
1530 Elizabeth Ave
Charlotte, NC 28204
Artist: OBSO
Based in: Charlotte
Tip Top Market
2902 The Plaza
Charlotte, NC 28205
Artist: Scott Nurkin
Based in: Chapel Hill
Tire Maxx
2609 The Plaza
Charlotte, NC 28205
Artist: Pucho
Based in: Miami
Tryon Street Alley
200 South Tryon St
Charlotte, NC 28202
Artist: McMonster
Based in: Portland
Five Charlotte History Facts
- Stand on the intersection of Trade and Tryon in Uptown Charlotte and you’re standing at the birthplace of trade and commerce for this area. But it isn’t what you think. A large group of Loyalists (colonists who were still loyal to King George) decided to colonize the area that would become Charlotte because it was already the intersection of two Native American trading paths. These paths are now, you guessed it, Trade St and Tryon St.
- Did you know the original branch of the United States Mint was actually located in Charlotte? This was back in the gold standard days and in 1837, when The Charlotte Mint opened, it created more than $5 million in gold currency. During the Civil War, it was used as a hospital and military office for the Confederate government. In 1931, when the building was set to be demolished, a group of citizens came together to have it moved to its current location in Eastover and turned the building into the Mint Museum Randolph—the state’s first art museum!
- The Ballantyne neighborhood almost had another name. See if you can guess what it was going to be, based on the story. The development was first reported on in 1991. The area was farmland along the city’s planned outer belt. The plan was to transform 1,756 acres of mostly undeveloped land in south Mecklenburg County into offices, shops and residences in a community of 10,000 to 12,000 people. The second choice, “Ballantyne,” was also of Scot-Irish origin. Figured it out yet? It was almost named “Edinborough.”
- Ever wondered why our downtown is actually called “Uptown”? The Native American trading paths (now Trade St and Tryon St) was the highest elevation point in the city, so everyone had to go up to reach this point. Hence. . . Uptown. This never faded, but it wasn’t until the 70’s that the City Council decided that the shopping and business district in the center city area be officially declared “Uptown Charlotte.”
- The “Queen City” nickname comes from the name of King George III’s wife, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.
Would you like to go on a tour of some of the locations mentioned below? Feel free to contact me if you’re interested in checking them out in person!
Photo by Cody Hughes @clhughes21
