The George Clinton Mural is located in Kannapolis, NC, aka Towel City. The city got its name as it…read morewas the leading manufacturer of textiles, particularly towels. Clinton was born in an outhouse in a segregated, poverty-stricken area in Kannapolis. This mural is #28 in the series that Scott Nurkin has been painting for the North Carolina Musicians Mural Trail. It was completed in October/November 2025. Nurkin captures Clinton in a massive close-up with such detail that his eyes follow you. It feels as if George Clinton is looking right at you, with a psychedelic, cosmic energy. It is located on the side of Towel City Tavern in the West Avenue District. There was plenty of parking the day I was there, but I wasn't there near game time at the baseball stadium. The location of the mural is symbolic and fitting, as Clinton's dad worked at Cannon Mills, not too far from the mural, removing cotton from 500-lb bales. The Opening Room was the only place where Black people could work at the company. The job was physically demanding under the harsh conditions of the heat and suffocating dust. George Clinton was born in Kannapolis, NC, although he grew up in Plainfield, NJ. George Jr. was the oldest of nine children. George's mother, Julia, was a house cleaner and babysitter and helped spark Clinton's creative side. His upbringing came out in his songs. She inspired his funk with her "funky faces" from being part of Louis Jordan's music. She also sang to him. He witnessed her resilience in the face of segregation in the South. George Sr. was a gospel singer whose music and harmonies inspired George Jr., and Sr.'s work ethic gave Jr. the drive to work just as hard. George Clinton ran a barber shop for 10 years and started a doo wop group called the Parliaments. The group moved to Detroit to audition for Motown. Clinton was a songwriter and wrote songs for the Jackson 5 and the Supremes. His biggest hit for the Parliament was "(I wanna) Testify". After the label that had the Parliament went under, Clinton created a new group called Funkadelic. Both bands overlapped for a time, sharing members and becoming known as Parliament-Funkadelic (P-Funk). The sound was a mix of psychedelic rock and R&B, marking the start of the funk sound. He later started a solo career and has collaborated with Bootsy Collins, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dr. Dre, and Ice Cube. In 1997, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. In 2009, he was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. In 2019, he and Parliament-Funkadelic received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2024. In 2025 was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The mural serves as a reminder that the "Godfather of Funk" began his journey in Towel City.

Industrial Oaf: Delicate Dump by Kevin Vanek sits in the parking lot of the F&M Trolley Barn in…read moreSalisbury like a big steel question you weren't expecting to find, this rough welded figure that looks both awkward and strangely random at the same time. Having read up on the artist for this review, I've learned that it is his design to reinvent industrial forms with a child-like curiosity and celebrating the history of labor through reclaimed materials. You can see that here in the way the metal still carries the marks of its past life while becoming something almost humorous and expressive. What really works is how the piece transforms this corner of the parking lot into a small moment of discovery, because as you walk around it the posture shifts and the welds reveal little decisions that make the figure seem more alive. Vanek's approach to material and form comes through clearly here, a blend of industrial grit and emotional softness that he aims for. The result is a sculpture that feels both heavy and oddly endearing, like it's carrying the memory of the work that shaped it. It's the kind of artwork that rewards a second look and adds a small spark of curiosity to a place you wouldn't normally think of as an art stop. [Review 656 of 2026 - 4744 in North Carolina - 25837 overall]

Double Star by Charles Pilkey was one of those little surprises that makes wandering around…read moreSalisbury worth the detour, sitting there with no plaque or explanation and just quietly doing its thing until you finally look it up on the city's sculpture show page. Once you know the title, the whole form makes sense, the way the two twisting shapes lean toward each other like they're locked in a slow orbit, and Pilkey's interest in science and natural forces comes through in how the piece feels both geometric and fluid at the same time. The caption on the website says, "Double Star represents a binary star system, two stars orbiting a common gravitational center. We all lead such busy lives. Sometimes we forget to pause and take in the beauty and mystery of a night sky." and that line really does frame the sculpture perfectly because it has that quiet, contemplative pull if you give it a moment. While I liked most is how understated the whole installation is, tucked into an ordinary spot where you could easily walk past it, and yet once you know what Pilkey intended, you start to see the motion and the calm built into the metal. It becomes this small reminder to slow down, to look a little closer, and to let something unexpected shift your perspective for a minute. Salisbury has a knack for placing art exactly where it can do that. The piece doesn't shout for attention but it rewards anyone who stops long enough to take it in, turning a simple corner of town into a brief pause in the day. [Review 657 of 2026 - 4745 in North Carolina - 25838 overall]

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]

so I'm walking around Salisbury trying to enjoy a damp, grey, sullen, and mostly overcast Saturday…read moreafternoon and I happen upon a steel pole strategically placed in the middle of what should be an alley except that it's kinda narrow and the planters and benches tighten it up just a bit more. seems a decent spot to park oneself for a bit, maybe if it had some ivy... no dumpsters nearby to stink up the place so this might be okay in the summer to get out of the sun if a breeze comes through. or not?

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.]

Located on the side of Romare Bearden Park closest to Mint Street, this welded stainless steel…read moresculpture soars 30 feet into the air like a wave. The artwork was unveiled on September 23, 2017. The caption reads, "Richard Hunt created 'Spiral Odyssey' as a tribute to his friend Romare Bearden (1911-1988). Bearden and Hunt were the first contemporary African American artists to have solo exhibitions at New York's Museum of Modern Art in 1971." "In 1963, Romare Bearden played a pivotal role in the founding of a collective of African American artists known as the 'Spiral Group' who actively participated in the Civil Rights movement. In the manner of the Archimedean spiral that advances by radiating outward to embrace all directions, the elegant spiral formed by Richard Hunt's sculpture symbolizes the widening influence of the Spiral Group. It also represents the circular nature of progress and the complexities of Bearden's multifaceted career, which even in its legacy continues to ascend." "The 'Odyssey', Homer's epic poem chronicling the hero's perilous voyage home, inspired Bearden as well as Hunt. A form resembling a ship's bow servs as the base of Hunt's sculpture. A journeying vessel, the ship alludes to forward momentum as well as the suffering experienced by enslaved Africans during the Middle Passage. The sculpture's ascending height attests to a fortitude of character - strength, tenacity and liberty. Whimsical vignettes mimicking fish surfing in the ship's wake, and generative plant life inspired by the surrounding garden, signify resiliency and regeneration." Collection of Mecklenburg County, Commissioned in partnership with the Arts & Science Council and the Public Art Commission. Funding was generously provided by Mecklenburg County, Duke Energy Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, and the Board of Directors of the Arts & Science Council. [Review 268 of 2024 - 3525 in North Carolina - 21303 overall.]

The Confetti Hearts Wall is a mural in Charlotte's South End district along an otherwise boring…read morealleyway. The artwork is by artist Evelyn Henson. It is between Camden and Hawkins around the corner from Hawkers and other restaurants. Forty feet long, it is an "Instagram wall" where you can post for your perfect picture and then get an ice cream from Jeni's! [Review 2074 of 2024 - 3760 in North Carolina - 23093 overall]

Can park right outside, Such a cute spot for pictures and ice cream after , stopped here for the…read moreday and was worth the 15 minute drive