PLEASE DON'T CLIMB ON PETE!…read more Charlotte has hosted its share of trolls over the years, but none quite like this one. None with feet that stretch a full 7 feet! Meet Big Pete with the Big Feet, a towering wooden figure who now watches over a stormwater catch basin in the heart of the River District's newest development. Unveiled in November 2025, Pete joins a growing family of Thomas Dambo trolls across North Carolina and around the world, including permanent installations in Raleigh's Dorothea Dix Park and High Point's creative corridor. Big Pete is part of Danish artist Thomas Dambo's worldwide series of giant trolls, each crafted from recycled and reclaimed wood. Pete's body is built entirely from scrap lumber, fallen branches, and salvaged materials, giving him a patchwork texture that feels both rustic and intentional. His posture is relaxed with one leg bent and one arm resting. His face carries a curious, slightly watchful expression. With wild wooden hair and a beard of tangled twigs, he looks like he might have just finished a hearty meal and settled in to observe the River District's transformation. There's a quiet wisdom to his gaze, as if he's seen many seasons and is waiting patiently for the next. Visiting Pete is easy and stroller friendly. The parking area leads to a stone and gravel path that winds gently toward his resting spot. You can climb the hill to get up close. His feet alone are longer than most benches. If you lean in, you'll catch the scent of freshly sawn wood. It's a sensory experience as much as a visual one, and the setting adds to the magic: trees rustling, birds overhead and the muffled roar of the airport not too far away. And here's Pete quietly keeping watch. If you're looking for whimsy, craftsmanship, and a touch of folklore in Charlotte's evolving landscape, Big Pete delivers. He's not just a sculpture--he's a story waiting to be discovered. It's worth noting that if Big Pete was wearing shoes, his seven foot long foot would be a US shoe size of around 252. [Review 1363 of 2025 - 4482 in North Carolina - 24915 overall]

Pete is another masterpiece by Thomas Dambo and we were so excited to visit him. He is definitely…read morethe largest of any sculptures I have seen by Dambo, with incredibly long legs and I imagine they were able to accomplish that only because he is laying down on the hill. His face is very well done with a coy confidence I think was intended. Unfortunately, my experience visiting him was very poor. There were hundreds of visitors and people were behaving terribly. I witnessed one little girl pull out one of his "hairs" and children were jumping and climbing all over him with absolutely zero respect. The parents were just as bad, either totally self absorbed and oblivious or encouraging to the behavior. There was even rock throwing. It was a horrible display. We didn't stay long. I hope the artist continues his valuable work and I hope Pete is able to endure despite all he is going through.

Clanton is a busy cross-street, joining South Blvd with South Tryon and there is an exit/entrance…read moreto I-77. This mural on the wall of State of Confusion (Ceviche - wood fire grills - ice cold beer) get seen by quite a lot of people driving past. It is by artist Nick Napoletano. Layers of images here with the eyes and nose of a face, a family, a father and daughter, there's a lot going on here and you can spend a good while enjoying the art. The artist's statement is "This piece is meant to challenge us to continue to find home. To try and show us all amidst the turmoil and polarity what really matters. To see the soul that resides in every human being and remind us that we were all children once." [Review 183 of 2025 - 4090 in North Carolina - 23747 overall]

I really enjoyed this unlike our sad experience in NODA. A block long with lots of interesting…read morelocal artwork, which most of was quite good. It was a great 20-30 minutes wandering throughout. Definitely worth strolling through. Don't waste your time ambling through NODA murals. I won't make that mistake again.

Almost passed right by it -- it looks like an unsuspecting alleyway but fear not! The murals were…read moreBEAUTIFUL and I so appreciate when cities make an effort to incorporate more art into its streets

Taking up a triangle-shaped courtyard, this statue is a life-sized depiction of Queen Charlotte of…read moreMecklenburg after whom this city and county are named. She never visited the city but she is honored here none-the-less. It was installed in 1988 and dedicated in 1989. Queen Charlotte is depicted in a graceful, informal pose, strolling through a garden accompanied by two playful puppies at her feet. Her attire--a long-sleeved embroidered gown with a petticoat and train--reflects 18th-century fashion, and her braided hair is adorned with a jewel. She wears a pearl choker and a bracelet featuring a cameo of King George III. The plaque reads, "In 1761, colonial Americans were fascinated by the royal wedding of England's King George III to a 17 year-old German princess, Charlotte Sophia of the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Settlers here were rebellious toward the king and his agents but named their town and county in her honor, in hopes of gaining royal favor. She was a small woman, "easy, genteel, and agreeable," who bore 15 children, played the harpsichord, learned botany, and took pleasure in kew and richmond gardens. Her dogs, one named Presto, followed her on daily walks. Her appearance and informal apparel are modeled after portraits in English museums. King George III, plagued by recurring illness, called her "my physician, my friend." She is remembered as a great benefactor of hospitals. Queen Charlotte was the grandmother of Queen Victoria. It continues with two quotes from contemporaries, "She is full of sense and graciousness, mingled with delicacy of mind and liveliness of temper." -Fanny Burney, court attendant and novelist of the period." And A most agreeable countenance, vastly genteel, with an air notwithstanding her being a little woman, truly majestic." -A noblewoman reports the queen's coronation, 1761" It's a neat stop if you're touring Uptown. [Review 1426 of 2025 - 4497 in North Carolina - 24977 overall]

With a place of honor on South Tryon at the entrance to the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, this…read moreshimmering statue was installed in 2009. Over 17 feet tall and weighing over 1400 pounds, the "Disco Chicken" is as much a symbol of Uptown as the Bank of America tower. Covered from top to bottom in over 7,500 pieces of glass, it was created in 1991 by French-American artist Niki de Saint Phalle, and purchased by Andreas Bechtler specifically for placement at the front of the museum. The official name of the statue is "Le Grand Oiseau de Feu sur l'Arche" or "Large Firebird on an Arch" even though it does look a lot like a chicken wearing disco pants. If you're in Uptown, this is the place to stop for your "I've been to Charlotte" photo! Round number - this is my 1300th Charlotte review! [Review 13131 overall, 448 of 2020.]

This pretty blue mural takes up the wall behind one of the retail shops on the ground floor of the…read moreparking deck of the Atherton Mill shopping center. "It all starts with you!" is the main message here but it also says "Looking good is about how you feel" and "Embrace the best version of you" and "The world needs your good energy" and lastly, "Find your glow." I assume "OVME" is the artist. Check it out. [Review 16893 overall - 3222 in North Carolina - 408 of 2022.]

It's been awhile since I saw this masterpiece by Cerny a few years ago, and I found the perfect…read moreopportunity to go see it again... We went with some friends to check out this event, Metalmorphosis @ Whitehall with CSO Roadshow (and food trucks). What a fun idea! Surprisingly, it wasn't packed when we first got there, but gradually all the seats filled up. First of all, the Metal head was working (which is dicey!)...Thank God! I did wonder why it couldn't spew water from its mouth. THAT would be so spectacular! Still, the head did spin around, and segment into different pieces too. So amazing! It made a great backdrop for the CSO roadshow, which featured many pop songs over the decade. Surprisingly good...even for cheesy numbers like "Living La Loca" and "YMCA"!! The funny thing is...this corporate park is located near the airport, so there were many, many planes that flew over during the concert. Luckily, we were still able to hear the orchestra pretty good. The food truck was a bit disappointing though. Only 3 vendors...and the vendor we chose (King of Fire) was so slow, I almost gave up! More on that on another review. The sculpture looked so out of place...too majestic for such a common corporate park. In any case, I took several pictures of the sculpture this time. Hope they feature many more events here in the future.

Last time we were out here visiting looked up some art to see. Came across the Metalmorphosis Giant…read moreHead sculpture and thought that would be cool to take my grandkids out to see. It was a bit of a drive to get here and the sculpture is located tucked away around some office buildings. The day we came it was empty and we had the whole grounds to ourselves except for security, lol. This sculpture is really cool and I liked how it rotated around. It was really awesome to see how someone's vision can come to life with determination.

Good to see them, giraffes are my favorite animal..... They…read moreare very unique. very tall, just like real giraffes, glad we have them in Charlotte

Up against the tall building in South End, these two giraffes look a bit out of place. What are…read moresteel sculptures of an African animal doing in Charlotte? It turns out that there are stories and that's okay. Feel free to make up your own. One of the giraffes appears to be stretching its long neck, looking outward. The other is stooped low, giving the appearance of grazing. I think they look very neat. It appears that they were designed by Ben Parrish of Steel Design Studios and are here as public art in front of this mixed use tower. I like art. [Review 16925 overall - 3248 in North Carolina - 441 of 2022.]