A Traveler's Guide to the Best Street Art in Charlotte [2024]
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Out of the sequence of articles I've written about Charlotte thus far, I was most eager to compose this one!
Coming from Detroit-- a city rich with murals and a place which sports some of the most memorable public art projects and sculptures in the country, Charlotte's uptown urban art scene dazzled me.
Here is my quick guide to what I consider to be the leading selections of street art in Charlotte!
For 2024, A Traveler's Guide to the Best Street Art in Charlotte
Luminous Lane
Luminous Lane is the newest of the best places to check out in Charlotte's uptown district.
The artistic alleyway was finished in 2023-- showcasing graffiti and a few large murals. Above visitors are criss-crossed fairy lights which enchantingly luminate the area-- hence the name!
On your search for Charlotte's best street art, Luminous Lane is a terrific place to start! It is located off S. Church St, between 3rd and 4th.
Below, I'm going to include my favorites from Luminous Lane.
Mural #1 in Luminous Lane
Not technically a mural as the artwork isn't entirely on a wall. Regardless, this was the art piece down Luminous Lane that grabbed my attention the most.
It's of an animated pink cat-like creature regurgitating a rainbow that flows down the concrete steps.
Location: 100 E 4th St, Charlotte, NC 28280
Mural #2 in Luminous Lane
A large mural near the entrance to Luminous Lane on 3rd St.
It depicts a smiling caucasian male toddler with shaggy medium-length sandy brown hair.
Location: 100 E 4th St, Charlotte, NC 28280
Discovery Place Science Center
This is one of the six murals included on the self-guided ArtWalks CLT tour.
The name of the mural is entitled "Mother of Invention" and it was created by artist Rosalia Torres-Weiner.
As the mural is on the side of Discovery Place Science Museum, the artwork incorporates scientific ideas such as the double helix DNA model, a bionic eye, and the solar system.
Those who read my article on things to do in uptown might recall me using an image of this mural. It's one of my personal favorites!
Location: N Tryon & 6th Sts-- on the side of Discovery Place Science Center, Charlotte, NC 28202
219 S Brevard St
This is another of the six murals included in the ArtWalks CLT tour.
Since the mural features three men, I was curious to find out who they were. After some quick research, I found out the three men depicted in the mural, from left to right, are Thad Lincoln Tate, Dr. J.T. Williams and W.C. Smith.
Thad Lincoln Tate was a prominent businessman in Charlotte, having first come to Charlotte as a barber. While running his own barbershop, he also spent time in prestigous positions in the banking sector.
J.T Williams was an educator, physician, and diplomat who opened one of the first black owned and operated pharmacies in North Carolina.
W.C Smith was the founder, publisher, and editor of the first black owned news periodical in Charlotte-- the Charlotte Messenger.
The name of this mural is "Brooklyn Legacy" and it was painted by artist Abel Jackson.
Location: 219 S Brevard St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Uptown Farmers Market
Just like how the mural on the side of the Discovery Place Science Center integrates science into the artwork, the mural spanning the entire Uptown Farmers Market includes drawings of healthy foods such as eggs, fish, and fruit.
This mural does not have a specific name. I suppose you can just say its name is "Uptown Farmers Market", as it covers the entire building. The artist who did this was Curtis King.
Location: 300 S Davidson St-- First Baptist Church Parking Lot, Charlotte, NC 28202
First Citizens Parking Garage
This mural is not only my personal favorite of the six ArtWalks CLT murals but it also serendipitously blended the best with my beige gradient background, which made it an ideal featured image for this article!
The name of this mural is "Fly Girl" and it was painted by Charlotte-based artist and Applachian State University graduate Sloane Siobhan.
The woman featured in the mural is of no one in particular-- just an artistic vision of a black woman against a background of fluffy blue and orange clouds. Immediately, I thought of a woman dreaming of something big.
As someone working to make his travel blog a source of income, I related the most to this mural!
Location: W 4th St between Tryon and Church Str-- First Citizens Parking Garage, Charlotte, NC 28202
101 N Tryon St
This mural is actually not among the six ArtWalks CLT murals. It's just a cool mural I found sauntering through uptown.
Like the aforementioned "Fly Girl" mural, this mural is also on a side of a parking garage.
No name for the mural but I did search the Instagram handle and I found it was done by artist Natasha May Platt. Go give her a follow!
This wraps things up for the best murals in Charlotte. Now, I'm going to list two sculptures you need to see during your visit to Charlotte...
Location: 101 N Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Il Grande Disco
Of the two sculptures you need to check out while visiting Charlotte, I'll first elaborate on Il Grande Disco.
I used this image as the leading photo for my article on the best things to do in uptown. As you have seen, I've pushed this article a few times here!
Il Grande Disco a.k.a "The Grand Disc" is a cool sculpture you'll find at the intersection of S Tryon St and S Trade St. The sculpture has been in Charlotte since 1974 and is apparently one of six disc sculptures found throughout the world!
Location: intersection of S Tryon St & S Trade St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Firebird
Charlotte's biggest tourist attraction has got to be the Firebird statue!
Regardless of the time of day, tourists and locals line up to take a picture and/or get their picture taken outside this iconic art sculpture.
Just like how the Statue of Liberty is immediately associated with New York, the Firebird has the same relation to the city of Charlotte!
Located at the intersection of Levine Avenue of the Arts and S Tryon St, the Firebird statue is outside the orange-colored Bechtler Museum of Modern Art.
The Firebird statue stands at 17 feet and 5 inches high.
Location: 420 S Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Conclusion
Charlotte's got a lot... of street art!
Of the six murals in the ArtWalks CLT tour, I included four. I intentionally left two out so I didn't spoil the whole tour for you!
Charlotte is one of the prettiest cities in the entire U.S. I hope you give yourself the opportunity to visit the city sometime this year so you can see the murals and sculptures with your own eyes!
Which mural in this article was your favorite? Slide into my DMs on Instagram-- @michaelvisitsall or email me!
Thank you for reading! Like... seriously. So many people just skim sh*t and don't read anything past the headline. You're one of the good ones!
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