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.

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.

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.]

This is a wonderful place to visit when in the area. There is so much information on all of the…read morewars. In fact, I cried in a few places just looking at those who have come before us and have fought for our nation. I couldn't believe how much that they had inside of this museum and how much that I learned. It actually flipped some switch inside of me and now I have a yearning to learn more for when I get back to Boston in the Spring to continue there for the Revolutionary War. They were kind enough to donate some discount tickets for my work place and I can't wait to share them with everyone to encourage them to see all of the wonderful, historical things inside. The staff is so very kind and welcoming. I highly advise visiting this museum when given the chance.

I could have spent the whole day here! The History and Arts Museum in Gaffney S.C. is fascinating!…read moreIt's loaded with artifacts from not only the history of Cherokee County but from every American War! It even has an Amelia Earhart display! She spent the night in Gaffney once before her disappearance! I highly recommend this museum! The staff here are friendly and quite knowledgeable! There is normally a 5.00 dollar entrance fee but it was waved because it was my first visit. I wholly recommend this museum to anyone with a keen interest in American history!

Get Woke! This Wake sculpture was commissioned as part of…read morethe Mel Chin: All Over the Place exhibition that led to this artwork being displayed in Times Square. It's supposed to be animatronic and move or something, but I didn't see it doing any moving. Maybe Wake was sleeping? It kinda looks like the person at the helm of a ship, with the parts of the helm behind them. When we came, during Pandemic, the Wake person was wearing a mask, which was most appreciated. This giant work of public art is nestled in a triangular lot right next to Burial Brewery on the South Slope of Asheville's brewing district. It fits right in with all the cool, unique weird stuff going on in this neighborhood!

This amazing sculpture was engineered and sculpted by a team of UNC Asheville students and staff…read moreand community artists. It was displayed in Times Square and has since been brought home and is on display in Asheville's South Slope. It's a beautiful piece designed to make a statement about climate change. It's 40 feet tall and the coolest part? It's animatronic! I highly recommend stopping by, visiting her and then hitting one (or three) of the brewers that are in the area. Have fun!!

Dedicated on Veterans Day, 2011, the Veterans Monument pays tribute and remembrance of those who…read morehave served the United States. With six marble towers each dedicated to one of the branches of armed forces, there is also a polished wall that is inscribed with the names of over 1100 veterans living or deceased that are or were Cornelius residents. At the top of the monument, there is a six-foot tall likeness of Corporateal Jerry K. Crump on a granite base. Corporal Crump received both the Purple Heart and the Congressional Medal of Honor. There is a brief description of his heroic actions at the base. There is free parking across the street and a crosswalk. [Review 12627 overall, 2419 of 2019.]

City landscapes across the country are changing. Urban renewal projects have brought a new era and…read morevibe to most major metropolitans. Asheville is no exception! While much of the Street Art is concentrated in the River Arts District, it is not difficult to find sculptures and murals throughout the entire city. Being an artist myself, I am thrilled with the trend of public displays and only wish I were an art student growing up in this era of opportunity. Asheville has long been one of my favorite little cities because it, more than any other small city I've every visited, is an artist haven. Maybe that has something to do with the Black Mountain College art program that was widely successful in the mid 1950's and produced a laundry list of artists that would go on the become highly influential. THE EXPERIENCE My search for street art began at the viaduct on Merrimon Avenue below I-240. Here you can bear witness to just how paint, a brush and an idea can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary! This could have been like every other dreary inner city interstate underpass, but instead it feels like a hug and a "Hello, glad you could come!" You can keep south to see a few more displays around the downtown area or turn right on Patton Avenue and left on Clingman Avenue to find your way over to the River Arts District. The art here is currently and mostly graffiti style (which isn't exactly my favorite). However, more and more illustrative artist are making their mark and if you look carefully, you will find some amazingly detailed pieces of work amongst all the graffiti-like scribble. I hear there are also great pieces on the west side of town, but I will have to explore that on another visit as I was running out of daylight and allotted time to see all I could. FINAL THOUGHTS Asheville is rich in this Bohemian vibe, a vibe that seems full of life, creativity, acceptance and optimism. A place to experience a wide range of different tastes in music, fashion, art, and literature. I can't wait to see how the Street Art catches fire here in the future. I suspect of all the cities in America, Asheville may become one of the greatest places to view dazzling public displays! Since it is fairly close to Atlanta, I will continue to visit an update more in the future. Maybe soon they will attract internationally renowned commissioned street artists such as Natalia Rak, Etam Cru, INTI, Eduardo KOBRA, Bordallo II and Fin DAC with the most unique of these artists being Bordallo II (Google his work). Fingers crossed! 2018/70

Asheville is on fleek when it comes to the public arts! They have things down around here. This is…read moresuch an artists' town! This town can't just have a blank wall or an empty street corner here. Instead, they fill their empty spaces with wonderful murals and sculptures! It's really cool! I enjoyed the fact that so many of the arts are in the downtown area. All within a few blocks of each other you can tour a few dozen different large scale works of art. Be sure to check out the large iron on the street corner. Some of the old paintings are really, really old- like old advertisements. There's a lot of history in this town, much of which is connected to today through the art. Be sure to check out the stuff dealing with O Henry, the San Antonio short story author. If you're an arts tourist, there's a map you can find online that has a walking route planned out for you where you can get the most efficient route, and a bit of history on each piece of work.

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.

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.

I've added this cool gas station with the category of "Public Art" rather than "Gas Station"…read morebecause it's not an open gas station. Instead, it is a former station that is decorated with vintage gas pumps, a vintage air pump and even a mannequin in the window dressed as a gas jock wearing appropriate period clothing and ready to "fill 'er up." 29.9 a gallon! Who remembers those days? The station is surrounded by a wrought iron fence for protection but the bars are far enough apart that you can get a camera lens between them for a good picture. [Review 13652 overall, 971 of 2020, number 608 in South Carolina.]