Garden of journey
GREETINGS FROM BELMONT
Location: Mill Street Parking Lot
History:
In 2019, the Downtown Belmont Development Association (DBDA) partnered with the City of Belmont to consult on subject mater and artist selection for the Community Participatory Mural at the Mill Street Parking lot. The community was offered the opportunity during that year’s Garibaldi Fest to pick up a paint brush and fill in a color to the design that the artist had outlined. The spools visible on each end of the mural reference the City’s textile heritage. This project built upon the DBDA’s all volunteer, community created EcoBlooms art fence project of 2018 and brought further attention, participation and color to this newly leased public parking lot.
About the artist:
The Garden
Garden of Journey symbolizes the path we take to manifest our destiny. My journey in creative arts intertwined with biological sciences the day that I entered Winston-Salem State University as a Biology major and Chemistry minor. If anything, learning the gateways of nature and geometrical patterns was enlightening; my studies really nurtured my sense of wonder and research. Today, I’m empowered to plant seeds of art and science together in hopes to carry conversations of well-being, nature preservation, and humanity.
The Journey
The Journey is the Destination. Past, present, and future. This platform is created with intention to inspire and connect artistry with the real world in hopes to shift perspectives towards truth, justice, and beauty. My work is dedicated to healing.
~Georgie Nakima
Juan Logan & Irisol Gonzalez
THE FIBERS OF BELMONT
Location: 341 E. Catawba Street
About the mural from the artists:
“That was really an opportunity to talk about Belmont in a very direct way, hopefully in a way that most people would embrace. The flowers in it came from various communities around Belmont. I thought it was important to access those things because we all provide something in terms of who we are that makes Belmont a great town.
Cross section, if you will. Sometimes those fibers connect really directly, sometimes they do not. The hope is, as time moves forward and we know more about each other, is to understand your history, but also understanding and knowing mine, to see them of equal value.
I want people to look at it carefully, look at the threads. Some connect, and some don’t. So much depends on what we want out of it all and our ability to connect with each other and our desire to do so. I can extend my hand everyday, but you have to reach back. That’s the case with those threads. How they reach out from each side and come towards each other. They connect because we choose to make them connect. I hope we continue down that path until all those threads simply come together.
I wanted the range of colors to reflect the various communities, in terms of where things are coming from. It’s true that when you look at plant material, as in looking at wallpaper, you can tell a lot about the community that existed based on that particular wallpaper. The colors in this mural reflect the cross sections of who we are, the fibers if you will.
Irisol was my partner in crime, on this mural and I could not have made it without her. She is an outstanding, wonderful painter who has worked with me as a studio assistant for a few years. I had the fortune to watch her grow into an amazing artist.”
– Juan Logan
About the artists:
Juan Logan
Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Juan Logan now lives and works in Belmont, North Carolina. Logan’s artworks address subjects relevant to the American experience. At once abstract and representational, his paintings, drawings, sculptures, installations, and videos address the interconnections of race, place, and power. They make visible how hierarchical relations and social stereotypes shape individuals, institutions, and the material and mental landscapes of contemporary life.
Irisol Gonzalez
Irisol González is a self-taught fine artist and muralist living and working in Charlotte, North Carolina. She immigrated from Costa Rica with her family at age 10. Having earned degrees in Psychology and Political Science from Appalachian State University, she uses that background to pose moral questions through the symbolism in her art.
She has traveled to Mexico and Central America to study Latin American culture and its roots in the Hispanic identity that currently exists in the United States. In her work, she explores the sentiments and physical experience of being a brown female immigrant functioning in today’s American political atmosphere.
Irisol has exhibited her work at Mint Museum Randolph, Mint Museum Uptown, CAM Raleigh and Goodyear Arts. She was an Inaugural ASC Emerging Creator Fellowship Recipient in 2020 and completed a Fellowship with the League of Creative Interventionists in 2021.
HNin Nie
SHE BELIEVED SHE COULD, SO SHE DID
Location: 124 N Main St.
About the mural from the artist:
“I bounced ideas with Lyerly Agency, where two sisters own a business together, empowering women along the way. After speaking with them, I knew I wanted the wall to be femme, with pops of color, and boldness. So, once the sisters chose the quote from R.S. Grey “she believed she could, so she did” the visual emerged. I bundled up photos of summer bouquets and digitally illustrated them along the wall. Each flower is unique and growing wildly amongst the brick. I wanted to add a layer of boldness to the mural, so I thickened the outline to make each flower stand out individually. While I was painting the mural, it was very wholesome to experience the community’s reaction to the quote. It resonated with young girls on their birthdays, to young women graduating, to moms, even to dads. It resonated with more than just someone that identifies as “she,” and that left me feeling incredibly grateful.”
This mural was made possible by a collaborative effort by these amazing partners & the Downtown Belmont Development Association: Duke Energy, Visit Belmont, NC, and the Lyerly Agency
About the artist:
HNin Nie is a multidisciplinary artist based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Nie received her associates degree in Fine Arts from Central Piedmont Community College and currently focuses on paintings and sculptures. Illustration is an influence in Nie’s work by her use of images and text to visually portray a story. Through her personal experience as an Asian woman in America, Nie dissects her feminine experience by layering vibrant imagery over unsettling narratives.
Natalie Daratony
VISIONS OF OUR CITY
Location: 111 S Main St.
About the mural from the artist:
This piece is a unique expression of Belmont past and Belmont present as a way to always remember what was while celebrating what is. The Belmont Eye team collaborated with the artist to select scenes that represented Belmont inside each lens from the historic City Hall to the Stowe Park Water Fountain found in the heart of the city. These images are meant to remind all who see them of what makes Belmont unique to them. From a fun boat day on the water to letting your kids run through the Daniel Stowe water tunnel, Belmont truly is a small community with a big heart. The design colors and large-scale flowers take your imagination off of the every day and into a playful space. The artist hopes it will brighten your day each time you come across it and that you will notice something new each time.
About the artist:
Natalie Daratony is a self-taught, multi-disciplinary artist who explores bringing the peace and flow of nature into all of her artistic expressions. She seeks to create public art pieces that fit organically in the communities they are in so that they feel like a true extension of the community. You can find more of her public murals in Luminous Lane, in the heart of Uptown Charlotte, and also in Southend behind Barefoot Archery. She practices out of her home studio in Charlotte and loves to connect about her art so reach out anytime!
Natalie Daratony
BEYOND THE CLOCKTOWER
Location: 100 S. Main St.
About the mural:
“Come snap a selfie in the middle of these butterfly wings celebrating the town of Belmont and surrounding community! There are even little wings for kids and furry friends to stand in front of too! These wings hold so many stories of Belmont inside, spend time looking at what you find. From the Belmont drive-in, to Belmont Abbey, and the white water center, there are so many parts of the community tucked inside. There are so many things and people that make Belmont the community what it is and these wings hope to remind and celebrate all the unique things that make Belmont up, far beyond just a clock tower or singular thing. It is the many different things that make us a beautiful and unique community.”
This project was done in collaboration with The Simpson Group Realty and Downtown Belmont.
About the artist:
Natalie Daratony is a self-taught, multi-disciplinary artist who explores bringing the peace and flow of nature into all of her artistic expressions. She seeks to create public art pieces that fit organically in the communities they are in so that they feel like a true extension of the community. You can find more of her public murals in Luminous Lane, in the heart of Uptown Charlotte, and also in Southend behind Barefoot Archery. She practices out of her home studio in Charlotte and loves to connect about her art so reach out anytime!
Darion Fleming
WOVEN PAST
Location: 96 Catawba Street
About the mural from the artist:
This mural makes several nods to the historical significance of the Chronicle Mill and its relation to the City of Belmont. Wrapping the north side of the parking deck are illustrative ripened bolls of cotton – the lifeblood of the mill. Below the plant is the fabric woven from it, its folds and color meant to be reminiscent of flowing water from the South Fork and Catawba Rivers. Next to this water-like fabric is the thread with which it’s made, spooled around a vintage bobbin from the Chronicle Mills’ first production year in 1902. A picturesque scene of Kings Mountain comes next, a nearby landmark that bears significance to the legacy of William Chronicle who the Mill is so aptly named after. An upward arrow at the end of the west wall signifies Belmont’s consistent development and progression – made up of 13 parts to honor the 13 decades since its incorporation. Finally, on the south facing side of the structure stands Major Chronicle, holding his hat close to his chest in a stoic pose. On October 7th, 1780 during the Battle of Kings Mountain William raised his hat and yelled “Face to the hill!” before charging the British. He was fatally wounded in battle that day but led the patriots to what would be a significant victory for the South.
About the artist:
Darion Fleming’s work mixes hyper realistic subject matter with contrasting illustrative and graphic styles. Entirely self taught, he began painting full time in 2018 and has since created dozens of murals throughout the US. Always trying to maintain variance in his work Darion enjoys exploring new styles, and different methods of painting at scale. Each project has a different story to tell – understating local history plays a key role in inspiring his concepts and ultimately gives the artwork a stronger connection to the community it lives in.