Shiny and glittering out of the corner of my eye, this large piece of public art is placed near the…read morefront of the Valerie C Woodward Center facility that houses a number of Charlotte-Mecklenburg city/county offices. From the artist's website, "Pillars of Dreams... makes a soft landing in a field of quiet moments and curious interactions. Open columns drop down from the floating canopy into a field of seating, open paths for wandering, and unbounded spaces for self-assembly. More than an idiosyncratic space for individual discovery, Pillars of Dreams establishes a public agora for visitors and employees at this important community interface between local government and Charlotte-Mecklenburg residents." The caption points out that the artist is Marc Fornes and it is powder-coated aluminum with stainless-steel rivets making up some 3564 parts and 54,000 rivets. Step into and under the center of this public art for a moment. The artist has put openings into the aluminum skin that let some light in. It reflects off the pieces and makes for a pretty sight. Shadows, projected and reflected light in the space below are lovely. Check it out when you're in the area. [Review 13437 overall, 756 of 2020.]

This is a very unique and pretty art installation. I wasn't sure exactly where to go and Apple Maps…read morearen't that helpful what you want to do is go to the front of the building and then turn right. It is on the right side of the building easily accessible if you are coming from the front. Make sure to go close up and look from underneath to see the wide array of colors.

Located in one of the more upper crust neighborhoods of a town that's already upper crust itself,…read morethis sculpture is definitely political. The statue depicts a Jesus as a homeless vagrant sleeping on a park bench. Huddled under a blanket with his face and hands obscured, only the crucifixion wounds on his uncovered feet give him away. The bronze statue was purchased for $22,000 as a memorial for a parishioner, Kate McIntyre, who loved public art. The rector of this liberal, inclusive church is the Rev. David Buck, a 65-year-old Baptist-turned-Episcopalian who seems not at all averse to the controversy, the double takes and the discussion the statue has provoked. "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of my brothers, you did it to me." -Matthew 25:40 [Review 13405 overall, 724 of 2020.]

This is homeless Jesus I guess they have a lot of these because we have one of these in my city…read morethat I live in. So we were downtown exploring the area we came across another homeless Jesus. I guess the meaning of this is to love everyone and just respect people no matter who or what they are.

Mr. Joe Haick has not printed a job for me that we contracted for almost a year and a half ago. He…read morehas promised with every excuse that he would print my panels but never followed up on his promises. I even offered to pay him more for the printing than the money I paid which he asked for. He defrauded me of my panels worth $500.00, which I had custom made here in FL and sent to him. Due to the distance, as Cat Studios is no longer in Palm Beach County, FL, where I live, and he moved to NC, it doesn't pay me to pursue a legal procedure. At this point I just wanted my panels returned, unprinted. This is a clear fraudulent case and that is why I have contacted the local Police, and Better Business Bureau in Charlotte. With all his promises in all of our documented emails, this has been a most traumatic experience for me doing business with Cat Studios and Joe Haick.

From the owner: Welcome to CAT Studios Inc., a company dedicated over the last 16 years to creating and applying…read morenew technologies and media tools to revolutionize the world of Commercial and Fine art. Our Creative Services: Interior & Exterior Murals and Wall Treatments: CAT Studios can custom design and paint murals to your specifications. Our murals are created in either oil or water-based paints and reflect each client's personal tastes and environment. We pride ourselves in design and executions, and thanks to our newly patented painting process and experienced artisans we can now deliver beautiful hand painted murals at a faction of the cost and time usually required to have produced. Custom murals starting as low as $10 a square foot. Specialty Services: CAT Studios offers a large selection of artistic services and products never before available. We can affordably produce beautiful custom painted and themed tabletops, acoustical tiles, window treatments, ceiling tiles, wooden dance floors, stockade fences, construction barriers, awnings, and even sisal carpeting. New applications and products are constantly being added. If you have a idea for a new application please let us know. Custom Painted Signage: CAT Studios has the capabilities of printing on a wide variety of traditional sign substrates using durable, long lasting paints. Print Services: CAT Studios Inc also offers full service fine art giclee printing, photo enlargements, and large format printing services.

Located on the south side of the building that contains a beer bar, restaurant, post office and…read moremore, this large mural welcomes you to Cramerton, "Khaki Town USA." The mural features three service members including one who is obviously the pilot of the plane in the background. A nice diverse look at the military, I suppose. It includes an image of a crate of "Genuine Cramerton Army Cloth." The caption at the right reads, "The award which you are to receive today, however, is one that cannot be won by management alone. It is won by the whole-hearted efforts of all of the employees in a factory. It is won only by a plant whose workers know that they are taking an active part in the business of supplying our soldiers with the equipment that they need to crush our enemies. But I do know this - you will not let our fighting men down. You have produced and delivered the goods. You will continue to produce and deliver the goods. I am glad to present you this flag. Major General Edmund B. Gregory" Cramerton is named for Stuart Cramer, one of the most extraordinary industrialists and inventors that North Carolina has ever produced. In a span of 15 years, he either built or designed more than 150 mills and published a four-volume handbook on the subject. During that period, he also found time to obtain 60 patents; work with James "Buck" Duke to create North Carolina's first electric power company; operate Cramer Chair manufacturing; and develop the earliest version of air-conditioning to control humidity and improve air quality in the mills. He even coined the term "air-conditioning." Cramerton Mill (later sold to Burlington) was where the lightweight "khaki" uniform cloth was designed and invented. [Review 114 of 2025 - 4083 in North Carolina - 23681 overall]

This looks really cool. We were walking around this city and checking out their public art. Winston…read moreSalem has many cool Murals all around the place. This is another cool example of the public art scene in Winston Salem. I enjoy all the colors and the design of this public art mural. Go check it out in this cool city.

A photography gallery in Uptown, right next to the 7th Street LYNX Station. When I arrived, the…read moreplace was quite desolate. The security guard had me wait in the lobby while he went in to the gallery to turn the lights on. I got the impression that there wasn't a whole lot going on here. It's a good thing that it's free, because 30 minutes of looking at pictures wouldn't have been worth much. And even at 30 minutes, I was still moving pretty slow. When I visited, the exhibit was "Streetwise", a collection of pictures of America's troubled 60's. Capturing images of not just our troubled times, including Boston's "Combat Zone" and close-ups of the Black Panthers, there were also shots of just regular people and places. All in black and white, which gave it a feel of being very like a documentary. Pictures of the pictures are not permitted, but I took that as meaning not taking a picture of the individual pictures. Instead, my wide shot of the gallery doesn't give away the detail but helps you see what you're going to see there. I might come back for the next exhibit, but I think this is a "See it once" kind of thing.

I had never been to The Light Factory and saw there was a very interesting reception called A…read moreShared Elegy. I was so happy I made it out to see what it was all about since I live so close by. Great intimate space, the artist were so insightful and the crowd genuinely appreciated the artist panel and the photography. It was very well curated. Great space, seasoned artists. Well done.

There isn't much to do here except look at a few metalwork statues and perhaps a hundred feet of…read morenicely painted murals. It was interesting and enjoyable, but didn't occupy very much time.

We were with some family from out of state and were showing them things in the area when we…read morediscovered the "Spin" scooters downtown. As we explored, this small park caught our eye and we decided to stop and walk through. We took a few pics as we checked out the metal structures and the mounded grass on either side of the pathway. This is a small relaxing retreat in the middle of busy downtown area.

This Astronaut has his own mural. We were walking around this city and checking out their public…read moreart. Winston Salem has many cool Murals all around the place. This is another cool example of the public art scene in Winston Salem. I enjoy all the colors and the design of this public art mural. Go check it out in this cool city.

I'm not sure why this ground level sculpture is titled "Otter Out of Water" but I nearly tripped…read moreover it as I returned to my car after visiting Sally Fox Park. It looks more like a long eel but hey, that's just my opinion. Installed in 2017 and surrounded by low shrubbery, it would be a little hard to find if you didn't know it's here. As well, it's not in the park itself but on a triangle shaped piece of land across the street. If you've seen pictures of the Loch Ness Monster, or at least the tails of it, that's what we have here. But definitely not an Otter. Odd. The caption gives us the title and the name of the artist, "Harry McDaniel" and that it was installed by the City of Hickory Public Art Commission. And as tempting as it might be, please don't climb on it! [Review 15870 overall - 3088 in North Carolina - 1374 of 2021.]