Looking for something to do when friends come into town or brainstorming fresh family outings with the kids? Creating your own mini-tour of Uptown Charlotte's art scene is a fantastic way to explore our rapidly growing city. On your mini mural tour, you'll see our city's rich history, diverse communities, and unique culture come to life. From the Mint Museum's lobby mural by the mysterious, masked ARKO + OWL, to John Hairston Jr.'s triumphant SHOUT! mural at the Marriott, there's so much art to discover in the heart of Charlotte.
How to Tour the Uptown Arts Scene Yourself
It's easy to craft your own mini mural tour of Center City's vibrant works. Depending on who you're exploring with, your transportation options can vary from B-Cycle to scooter rentals to good, old-fashioned walking. No matter how you get around, the most important part is where you're headed (and, of course, the journey to get there).
3 Maps to Use
To start, check out the Arts & Science Council's Public Art Map (1). This printable brochure has a walking tour through the public art pieces in Uptown, so if you're not into concocting your own path, this is a great option.
Since this map was created in 2016, Charlotte's art scene has grown quite a bit—especially with the Talking Walls and Charlotte SHOUT! festivals adding new works in fall 2018 and summer 2019 respectively. Therefore, we also recommend you print out the 2019 Uptown Charlotte Map (2), which includes many public artworks plus selfie spots, parks, and more fun additions for your mini-tour. There is also a Talking Walls Map (3) with the murals produced during the festival.
15 Uptown Charlotte Murals & Public Art to Find
In addition to the public works listed on the maps linked above, below is a list of some of our favorite Uptown Charlotte murals and public artworks you can scout out on your own.
Those with an asterisk (*) were created during Talking Walls 2018.
Those with double asterisks (**) were created during Charlotte SHOUT! 2019. Read more about the festival here.
1. UNCC Tragedy Memorial by John Hairston Jr. & Mike Wirth**
Discovery Place Science, 301 N. Tryon Street
2. Equity mural by Nick Napoletano*
Hal Marshall Annex, 618 N. Tryon Street
3. Queen City mural by Matt Hooker and Matt Moore
The Local, 105 E. 5th Street
4. Salute by A.R. Ammons (from the Wall Poems series led by Amy Bagwell)
Dandelion Market, 118 W. 5th Street
5. Firebird by Niki de Saint Phalle
The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, E. 7th Street
6. Mother of Invention by Red Calaca Studio**
Discovery Place (exterior), 6th Street
7. Murals by OBSOE and Dammit Wesley*
UNC Charlotte Center City's Perspective Gallery, 320 E. 9th Street
8. Boat and balloon mural by McMonster*
Alleyway, 200 S. Tryon Street
9. Faces mural by Nick Napoletano
AerialCLT, 801 N. Tryon Street
10. InnerVision mural by Hoxxoh*
InnerVision, 408 E. Trade Street
11. Terpsichore, Goddess of Dance mural by PichiAvo**
Charlotte Ballet, 10th and Tryon Streets
12. Sunflower mural by Sebastian Coolidge*
Hal Marshall building, 700 N. Tryon Street
13. Harvey B. Gantt Center by renowned architects The Freelon Group
Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts+Culture, 551 S. Tryon St.
14. Fly Girl by Sloane Siobhan**
Parking garage, 121 West Trade Street
15. Exciting times mural by Dammit Wesley*
Spirit Square, 345 N. College Street
To learn more about Center City's museums and art scene, click here.
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