/Blumenthal to Honor Eight Carolina Artists with Painted Columns at Spirit Square

Blumenthal to Honor Eight Carolina Artists with Painted Columns at Spirit Square

Blumenthal Performing Arts will honor eight artists from the Carolinas with original art installments dressing the columns in the Spirit Square atrium. Local talent will be commissioned to paint the columns and the public is invited to nominate potential honorees.

“Since the Carolinas are so rich with talent we wanted to honor a few of the greatest artists from the area in a unique way,” said Tom Gabbard, Blumenthal President and CEO. “We are particularly excited to pay tribute to legendary artists while also giving current visual artists in the Charlotte area an outlet to exhibit their talents.”

Blumenthal is working with Charlotte artist Matt Hooker to designate the artists commissioned to paint the columns. Hooker was one of 10 graffiti artists who painted the columns in the Knight Theater lobby in celebration of Breakin’ Convention last October.

“Through our work in preparing for Breakin’ Convention and hosting graffiti jams, we were introduced to Charlotte’s rich variety of graffiti artists,” said Gabbard. “After the success and positive response we received to the work of these artists in the Knight Theater lobby, we decided to look for another project.  The installation in the Knight was only for a few days, so we wanted to find a way to showcase their work for an extended period of time.”

In order to determine the eight honorees, the public is invited to nominate an artist that was born in or has another strong connection to North or South Carolina. The nominees can be from a wide variety of disciplines within the arts, including visual arts, literature and the performing arts.

Nominations can be made by visiting BlumenthalArts.org/nominate. Submissions will include fields for the artists’ names as well as give those nominating the opportunity to explain their selection. All nominations must be submitted by Friday, Feb. 5 at 12 p.m. EST.

The honorees will be selected and announced in mid-February, at which time the local painters will begin painting the columns.