Hannah Barron | A mural walk through Plaza Midwood

CHARLOTTE — This weekend I attended a mural walk through Charlotte’s Plaza Midwood. Since I moved here, my mission is to explore this state, including our beautiful Queen City and the art she has to share. In Plaza Midwood, there is art all over. So, here’s my guide to some of my favorite art pieces I came across. They express Charlotte so beautifully and unite the neighborhood in mural projects like “Talking Walls” or “Shout.”

My first favorite doesn’t have a name, but it is located on 1516 Central Ave. on the side of the beloved Coaltrane’s Grill. Its artists and mural professionals, Matt Hooker and Matt Moore, wanted to celebrate the diversity and eclectic quality of the neighborhood. It sports a colorful splash of murals in varying styles ranging from the cartoonish and surreal to the photorealistic. There’s a huge beaver in a business suit resting his arm on Thomas the Tank Engine, a robot getting constricted by an octopus tentacle, Saturn with an 8-ball in place of the plant inside its asteroid belt, a pit bull with a unicorn horn, and several human faces peeking through the collage awash in color.

More of their art such as this 2017 piece can be found on their social media: @hookermedia and @puckmcgruff.

Then there is a mural on the side of Snug Harbor at 1228 Gordon St. Scott Norkin (@themuralshop) created this mural in 2014 based on the sirens of the Odyssey. A skeleton band plays below as the feminine demons tempt a sailor who has tied himself to the mast of his ship, which is flying a Pabst Blue Ribbon-themed sail.

The next one, also by Snug Harbor (Gordon Street at Pecan), is the Gordon Street Murals Project. Artists each paint a section of the wall, and funding comes from the CARES Act. I personally like the Black Lives Matter mural in the middle that features powerful quotes and thoughts from black artists as well as from the riots. “I can’t breathe” is repeated over and over again. It represents solidarity with the Civil Rights movement and unity for all of us to promote change and racial equality. Artists of the Gordon Street Murals Project (so far) are Scott Nurkin, Leandro Manzo, Georgie Nakima, Kat Sanchez-Standfield, Cheeks, Amy Bagwell, Renee Cloud, De-Angelo Dia.

I came upon a mural at 1600 Central Ave., painted during Talking Walls 2019. Niki Zurrabi (@nikizurabbi) of Atlanta explores fleeting, delicate imagery and feminine power with its depiction of pink and white flowers, melting like ice cream down the side of the building.

At the intersection of Clement and Central Avenue I found a mural by Annada Hypes on a utility box, which was part of the neighborhood association and the Placemaking Grant that sponsored eight artists’ creations. I particularly liked the pretty blue tone and the cute animals and flowers scattered across it. Total beauty to add to the busy streets. More of Hypes’ work can be found at @annadahypesart.

Then there is “The Rudy Effect” on the Nook Apartments by the duo already mentioned: Hooker and Moore. The mural is of Neptune who “makes waves” and since “you can’t always stop the waves, you have to surf it,” Hooker explained to Axios Charlotte. They also wanted to convey permanence and strength, plus unity in politics with the blue and red colors mixing to make the purple hues on Neptune. “We’re proud of this neighborhood, and we wanted to show the other neighborhoods that this is a strong, rad neighborhood,” Moore said.

The last one I really love. It’s called “Community/Love/Equality” by Gil Croy (@gilcroy). It covers the entire White Rabbit book store (920 Central Avenue), everything from the solidarity connection on the side to a rainbow pattern on the front. White Rabbit is a LGBTQ+ bookstore and gift shop that also provides free magazines and info on LGBTQ+ resources in Charlotte. White Rabbit also headquarters, Q-Notes, the largest LGBTQ+ newspaper in the Southeast. The building is a truly beautiful landmark of the community in Charlotte and the neighborhood that promotes solidarity, Charlotte Pride, and a space for all people to be themselves and love who they want to love.

I really loved finding some of the art in Charlotte and hope to continue to do so throughout North Carolina. I have always loved exploring art, and the Queen City is like no other. Hopefully someone else can use my guide and see some of these too. Our largest city’s Plaza Neighborhood is a truly amazing and colorful experience.

I love Charlotte’s heart and the solidarity of its artists, and I can’t wait to see more of what NC has to offer.