The definitive guide to 70+ Charlotte street murals, mapped

The following is a hefty guide to where you can find more than 60 murals around town.

Note the names used here are simply my description of the designs for visual reference when you’re hunting them down and not official artist-given titles of the works.

And there’s more where this came from. I excluded interior murals, murals not visible from public spaces (a private apartment courtyard, for example) and custom painted logos and signage — because we’d be here all day.

Did I miss your favorite mural? Email [email protected]

Uptown

Technicolor portal at E. Trade and S. Brevard by Douglas “Hoxxoh” Hoekzema – Part of the 2018 Talking Walls Festival, this huge piece looks like a 3D tunnel to another dimension. Find it in the Preferred Parking surface lot at 407 E. 4th Street.

Queen Charlotte bomb at The Local by Matt Hooker and Matt Moore – Queen Charlotte detonates a technicolor explosion of all things Charlotte. Find it at 105 E. 5th Street.

Brooklyn memories on Mecklenburg Investment Company Building by Abel Jackson – What was once a thriving and predominantly Black neighborhood called Brooklyn home to families and businesses was razed in the 1960s. Now it’s called the Second Ward. Jackson’s mural depicts the leaders of the historical neighborhood. Located at 229 South Brevard Street.

Blue abstract at Ascent by Randall Kane – Multiple blue hues cover the wall on the ground floor. Find it at 225 S. Poplar Street (near the surface lot next to Ink N Ivy).

Back to the Future Delorian at Discovery Place by Alex DeLarge– On the corner of W. 7th Street and N. Church Street, you can find this hyper-realistic work from the cult classic movie. Designed by Gustavo Soto.

Panthers at Graham and MLK – Find it at the corner of S. Graham St and E. MLK Blvd. But catch it while you can; future development is planned for this surface lot.

Skyline at Graham Street Pub by Andy Rocco and Tucker Sward – The rooftop mural is a perfect photo backdrop. Find it at 400 S. Graham Street.

Fly Girl on 4th Street by Sloane Siobhan aka Namaste Loner – Painted to remind people to fly over glass ceilings and chase their dreams. Find it on 4th St. between Tryon St. and N. Church St.

Behind the curtain at Carolina Theatre by Matt Hooker and Matt Moore – Characters (including Elvis) take the painted stage with a realistic red curtain. The historic theatre is undergoing a massive renovation, including the addition of a 20-story hotel tower atop the building, so this piece has been relocated under the scaffolding on N. Tryon. Find it at 220 N. Tryon Street.

Woman empowerment at AerialCLT by Nick Napoletano – Portraits of seven diverse women overlook 11th Street just beyond the I-277 off ramp. Find it at 801 N. Tryon Street.

Strange Fruit at Spirit Square by Dammit Wesley – Part of the 2018 Talking Walls Festival. Find it on the N. Tryon side of Spirit Square (345 N. College Street).

Flower by Sebastian Coolidge at Hal Marshal Center – Part of the 2018 Talking Walls Festival. Find it at 700 N. Tryon Street.

Balloon and canoe by McMonster in alley – Part of the 2018 Talking Walls Festival. Find it in an alley near 200 S. Tryon Street.

Delight in Dancing at the Charlotte Ballet by Pichiavo and Nick Napoletano –  A collaboration between the two found on the side of the Charlotte Ballet.

Equity at Hal Marshall by Nick Napoletano – Napoletano is known for his work promoting women’s empowerment. In this massive piece, a woman paints the word “equity” across the building while a shadowy figure in the corner paints over it. Find it at the Hal Marshall Annex at 618 N. College Street.

Wall Poems – Led by Amy Bagwell, the project aims to weave poetry from North Carolina writers into everyday life with several murals painted by different artists mostly throughout Uptown.

Camp North End – A number of murals can be found throughout the district just north of Uptown, including works from Arko & Owl.

NoDa / Optimist Park / Villa Heights

Pure’ll Gold by Darion Fleming – At the start of the coronavirus, Fleming painted a wall with a bottle of Purell hand sanitizer pouring out pure gold. “Available Nowhere” the painted label said. Located on the 2100 block of North Davidson Street.

Baby Yoda at NoDa Market & Deli by Alex DeLarge – Find it at 1721 N. Davidson Street

Black Lives Matter and working memorial at NoDa Market & Deli by Alex DeLarge – This mural is attached to Baby Yoda. Above the Black Lives Matter mural is a black wall with the names of Black individuals who have died at the hands of police, including Keith Lamont Scott, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor. Located at 1721 N. Davidson Street.

#nodacanjam – Works from several artists are featured on one building that played host to the third installment of the local spray paint fest spearheaded by Osiris Rain. Artists include Darion Fleming, Jen Hill, Matt Moore and more. Find it at 3224 Benard Avenue.

60-ft mural at Novel Noda by Holly Keogh and team – You can’t miss this gargantuan 60 x 277-ft mural from the light rail at 36th Street Station. Holly Keogh designed it and then painted with with eight artists from Goodyear Arts, including Graham Carew, Renee Cloud, Amy Herman, Lisandro Herrera, Blaine Hurdle, Grace Stott, Chris Thomas and Andrea Vail.

Rock On & Thumbs Up at Free Range Brewing by Alex DeLarge – On two sides of Free Range Brewing, you can find these neon hands. Designed by Gustavo Soto

Stay safe mural at Burney’s/Pelicans by @clt.cheeks – Find it at 1200 N. Davidson Street.

Black and white mural at NoDa Company Store by Matt Hooker and Matt Moore – A favorite interactive element of the piece is a painted street lamp you can stand under and it looks like you’re being beamed up by a spaceship. Find it at 3221 Yadkin Avenue.

Neighborhood Theater by William Puckett – Puckett painted abstract depictions of animals “to symbolically represent this charging force that is coming through our community.” It was painted in 2015 ahead of the influx of major development that came with the Blue Line Extension into the neighborhood. Find it at 511 E. 36th Street. Related story: Meet the guy who’s covered around 30,000 square feet of public space. 11 questions muralist Will Puckett

Former Stella mural at Davidson and 35th by Nick Napoletano and Osiris Rain – This piece was commissioned by Stella Artois as part of a 2017 campaign featuring artists in several cities. The clinking Stella glasses have since been painted over by a lotus flower. Find it at the corner of N. Davidson and 35th streets.

oceanoceanocean – Part of the Wall Poems initiative. Find it at 3206 N. Davidson Street.

Obama by William Puckett – A lingering statement from the 2012 election. Find it at 3206 N. Davidson Street next to oceanoceanocean.

Crowd of people at Jack Beagle’s by William Puckett – You’ll find something new every time you look at this iconic Where’s Waldo-esque wall at a popular neighborhood bar. Find it at 3213 N. Davidson Street.

Matheson Bridge mural by William Puckett – The 14,000-square-foot mural tells the story of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. Find it on N. Davidson Street near the intersection with Jordan Place under the Matheson Bridge.

Mural by Trasher at Ink Floyd – Part of the 2018 Talking Walls Festival

Ribbon portrait at former Solstice Tavern by Nick Napoletano – This huge wall on the main drag of arguably the city’s coolest neighborhood has to be one of the most visible murals in town. Find it at 3221 N. Davidson Street.

La Patria by Gus Cutty at Abari – Cutty prefers for his work to spark conversations without explanation but says in short it’s about American national identity.

Swirl by Nick Napoletano at NoDa Bodega – The doughnut-esque shape features gold detailing. Find it at 1200 E. 36th Street.

Plaza Midwood

Kool Aid Man by Southern Tiger Collective at Seventh Sin Tattoo – This brand new piece went up following repairs to the front wall after the shop was hit by a car on New Year’s Eve. Find it at 927 Central Avenue.

Plaza Midwood tribute at Coaltrane’s by Matt Hooker, Matt Moore and Tucker Sward – Find it at 1518 Central Avenue in the Thomas Street Public Lot.

Three Amigos by Nico Amortegui – Find it at 2917 Central Avenue.

Elvis at Skylark Social Club by JEKS – All hail the king. Find it at 2131 Central Avenue.

Superheroes mural – Find it behind Midwood Smokehouse at 1401 Central Avenue.

Smooth Monkey by Ashley Graham – Find it at 1801 Commonwealth Avenue

Bob Marley at One Love Smoke Shop by Alex Delarge – Find it at 1041 Central Avenue

Do The Things That Light You Up at Two Scoops by Traveling Gypsy and Duarte Designs– Found on the side of Two Scoops Creamery, this mural is a great background for every ice cream photo.

Greetings From Plaza Midwood at The Station

Thanos by Southern Tiger Collective at Seventh Sin Tattoo – Find it at 927 Central Avenue

Golden skull by JEKS and Jack of the Dust at Seventh Sin Tattoo – Part of the 2018 Talking Walls Festival. Find it at 927 Central Avenue.

Snake at Pizza Peel by Darion Fleming – Part of the 2018 Talking Walls Festival. Find it at 1600 Central Avenue.

“Queen City” by Ramiro Davaro-Comas at Chasers – Part of the 2018 Talking Walls Festival. Find it at 3217 The Plaza.

“Almost Gone” by Scott Nurkin at Tip Top Daily Market – The piece features native North Carolina Animals on the endangered species list. Find it at 2902 The Plaza.

Vinny the Rabbit at Peculiar Rabbit by Southern Tiger Collective – Find it at 1212 Pecan Avenue.

Pride by Gil Croy at The White Rabbit – The rainbow tribute to equality is a neighborhood landmark. Find it at 920 Central Avenue.

Womanhood by Georgie Nakima at Salon 1226 – Part of the 2018 Talking Walls Festival. “A visual homage to all that is strength, resilience and womanhood. Find it at 1226 Central Avenue.

Under the water by Nick Napoletano at Providence Auto Repair – Be sure to walk around the entire building to catch the full effect of this optically distorted corner mural. Find it at 1315 Pecan Avenue.

Neptune at The Nook by Matt Hooker, Matt Moore and Tucker Sward – It’s meant as a political statement on the rapidly changing face of the neighborhood. “I always say you can’t stop the wave from coming,” Hooker said, “so you might as well surf it. That’s one of the reasons we chose Neptune. He makes the waves.” Find it at 1421 Central Avenue. Related story: The story behind Plaza Midwood’s new 5-story mural

Thirsty Beaver – The little bar that could stood its ground when development barreled through. The owners refused to leave so a behemoth apartment complex had to be built around the Beav. Legendary. Find it at 1225 Central Avenue.

Drag queen by Matt Hooker, Matt Moore and Nick Napoletano – The tribute to local drag legend Brandy Alexander is also a critique on HB2. Note the Pat McCrory earrings. Find it in the Thomas Avenue Public lot at 1225 Thomas Avenue.

South End / Gold District

Confetti Hearts Wall by Evelyn Henson – The white wall with cheery rainbow hearts has a simple message: “Be kind.” Find it near 1920 Camden Road (in the alley behind Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at the Design Center).

“Karla” the Mexican Mermaid at the Design Center by Sharon Dowell – The bright multicolor piece swims through a huge 90-foot stretch where the wall meets the sky. Find her at 1919 Hawkins Street. Look up. photo

Sunstead brewing mural by Sam Guzzie – The mural depicts a muse in a day and night sky. Find it at Sunstead Brewing at 1200 S. Graham Street.

Gold mine and skyline at Max & Lola by Rosalia Torres-Weiner – The bodega’s mineshaft mural pays tribute to the site of the Gold District’s actual historic gold mine located just around the corner. On another bright wall you’ll find a city skyline along with angel wings painted at adult, child and pet height — perfect for snapping IG-worthy photos. Find it at 1501 S. Mint Street.

Mother Nature at Friendship Trays by Rosalia Torres-Weiner – The artist created the piece in honor of the mostly female staff at Friendship Trays, a nonprofit that provides subsidized meals to people in need. Find her at 2401 Distribution Street.

Abstract mural at the former Charlotte Art League by Carlleena Person – The beloved self-taught artist passed away in 2012 following complications from a car accident and this dominant 70-foot wall in the heart of South End is a tribute to her legacy. Find it at 1515 Camden Road on a site known as The Wedge that’s currently undergoing redevelopment. Care should be taken to preserve this piece through the changes ahead.

Owl at Domain Townhomes by Matt Hooker and Matt Moore – The electric blue owl covers a wall in a community area at the townhome development. Find it at 2418 Dunavant Street.

Willie for President at Mac’s Speed Shop by Alison Hamil – The homage to Willie Nelson is around the right side of the building. Find it at 2511 South Boulevard.

Charlotte panther by @thephogsolo at Pasta & Provisions – The classic Charlotte mural was preserved when Pasta & Provisions moved in last year. Find it at 1600 S. Mint Street.

Blue abstract at Unknown Brewing by Andy Rocco and Matt Moore – Find it at 1327 S. Mint Street

Third eye portrait by Matt Hooker, Matt Moore and Tucker Sward – Find it at 27th and Tryon

Birds taking flight at Three30Five Apartments by Kyle Mosher – Located at 335 Doggett Street.

Rail Trail Magic Carpets by Jessie Unterhalter and Katey Truhn – Created in community design workshops and painted with the help of volunteers, three colorful geometric magic carpets brighten up the path along the light rail. Find them in South End near 2151 Hawkins Street (north of Sycamore) and 2833 Griffith Street (north of New Bern Station) as well as one in Uptown on MLK Blvd. behind the Hilton Charlotte Center City.

Boxes by Matt Hooker, Matt Moore, and Tucker Sward at Morningstar Storage – It’s not in South End but it’s still on South Boulevard so I listed this south Charlotte outlier here. Find it at 8100 South Boulevard.

Elizabeth + Metropolitan

Queen Charlotte at Lineberger Dentistry by Matt Hooker and Matt Moore – Find it at 347 N. Caswell Road

Bald eagle by Joey Obso at The Spoke Easy – Part of the 2018 Talking Walls Festival. Find it at 1530 Elizabeth Avenue.

Woman of Truth inside Devil’s Logic Brewing by Nick Napoletano– Painted to reference Plato’s Allegory of the Cave.

Colorful steps at Dressler’s by Nick Napoletano – Find it along the Little Sugar Creek Greenway off the patio of Dressler’s at 1100 Metropolitan Avenue, Suite 125.

Ponytail Ladies at Devil’s Logic Brewing by Emily Eldridge– A part of the 2019 Talking Walls Festival, this mural is a fun, bright background for a photoshoot.

Skyline at Foard Construction Co. by Abigail Jones – A minimalist classic. Find it at 626 Pecan Avenue

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