One sure-fire way to feel like a total square is to write a post about local graffiti knowing zero, zilch, nada, Z-E-R-O about street art. I like art. I like Charlotte. And I love free stuff, so I should naturally know more about the highly accessible world of local public art, right? No such luck, friends. I was, however, reminded of something I’m sure we’ve all heard from a lovely creative soul at one point in our lives: art (and beauty for that matter) truly surrounds us if we just let it. Although graffiti may feel to some like the antithesis of a walk through the garden, it still reminds us to stop and smell the roses. Local artist, Ant Sanders of Hardly Spooky, has taken part in different creative ventures for over 15 years and works in various media from canvas to pastel to spray painting.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BFZg7jfouJR/?taken-by=hardlyspooky
“Art is beautiful. Charlotte has a ton of artists that have made an otherwise boring space a beautiful thing. A random saying I saw once was ‘The streets are for art, not ads’ and it’s stuck with me. I see Charlotte as a great canvas for that very thing: beauty,” says Sanders. Sanders is also an advocate and protector of public art via his organization, The Carolina Public Art Project, a community-based effort to put art in public areas for everyone to see in North and South Carolina. Walls, buildings, bridges, tunnels, archways, raised manhole covers, park benches, and anything in between are considered part of the projects’ focus.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BFXgbCFIuBg/?taken-by=hardlyspooky
I hit the books- errr, the Google, Instagram, and Facebook in this case- and dug up as much information as possible about Charlotte graffiti. Before we go any further, let’s get some terminology straight.
Public art, murals, street art, graffiti, tagging, etc. all kind of sound like the same thing to me and, to some people, they are interchangeable. For Sanders, the topic is up for debate. “It’s always a matter of opinion, I suppose. To me, graffiti is painting, tagging, and writing on things. Street art is more pasting ‘propaganda,’ if you will, and installations of things,” he says.
Luckily for us, with that kind of overlap, the world of surrounding art and beauty expands even further. Some people, however, don’t adopt as positive an evaluation of the fluidity of these definitions. “Some would say street art is the easy way to not get arrested and graffiti is nothing but vandalism. But to me it’s all art and artists deserve a place,” according to Sanders. “Those that do like my art, I love them. I love their support. Those that don’t? It doesn’t bother me. I do what I do and see it all as a creative outlet.”
Another less poetic definition of Public Art comes from Public Art Ordinance established by the City of Charlotte. The purpose of the ordinance is to include public art “in appropriate capital improvements projects that will promote the cultural heritage and artistic development of the city, enhance the city’s character and identity, contribute to economic development and tourism, add warmth, dignity, beauty and accessibility to public spaces, and expand the experience and participation of citizens with visual arts.” This collaboration of the Charlotte City Council, City staff, the Public Art Commission, the Arts & Science Council, and community stakeholders facilitates decisions and manages projects for the budget allocated annually for public art projects that serve the ordinance’s purpose. Since these projects are government-commissioned, the subject matter is usually more restrictive than freestyle graffiti art. Although supportive of commissioned public art, the city also has an anti-graffiti program intended to track and regulate gang activity throughout the city based on gang-related graffiti.
If you’re anything like me, your schedule sometimes prohibits any stopping and rose-smelling. Although that statement makes me a bit sad and I wish I would slow down and enjoy the world around me a little more, it makes it a fun treat when you look up and suddenly notice that some secret beauty was under your nose all along. For Sanders too, “the super rad stuff is always the stuff you catch behind a building, along a train, or by mistake.” If you’re looking for a place to start actively seeking out local graffiti, Sanders’ favorite neighborhood for it is NoDa.
One of his personal favorite pieces is an OBSO x ZORB x JERX piece along I-85 towards Salisbury. “It’s perfect. It’s along the highway like you’d see in major cities and, to me, makes this awful brown metal building actually have a bit of character,” says Sanders. The Arts & Science Council also offers a guided walking tour of many of the public art pieces in Uptown. You can find join a tour, guide yourself using this map, or use their app to find your way through Uptown’s public art including paintings, sculptures, and more. Here are a few of Scoop’s favorites around town:
Love Comes Quietly Wall Poem – Plaza Midwood – Graham Carew
Neighborhood Theater Mural – NoDa – William Puckett
Abari Mural – NoDa – Joey Obso
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDlVZstj8hw/?tagged=charlottegraffiti
The Foard Construction Company Mural – Chantilly – Abigail Jones
The Local Mural – Uptown – Matt Hooker and Matt Moore
Frazier Park Tunnel Mural – Wesley Heights – Unknown Artist
Berrybrook Farm Mural – Dilworth – Unknown Artist
Go explore the beauty around you! Don’t forget to snap a photo and tag @ScoopCharlotte too. Happy hunting!
