This sculpture is one of several along Statesville's Broad Street near the intersection with Center…read moreStreet. There are several benches along the way and some surround this interesting artwork. It appears to be a welded steel fabrication on a concrete pedestal. The caption provides the name, "Mother & Child" and the name of the artist, Adam Walls. His webpage is http://www.adamwallssculpture.com/. [Review 14543 overall, 41 of 2021, number 2783 in North Carolina.]

Installed in 2019, this whimsical art piece stands on a traffic circle at the entrance to Hickory…read moreCity Park. The nearly 9-foot-tall metal sculpture depicts a catlike figure riding a vintage bicycle. According to the city's website, "Several members of the Public Art Commission first experienced the sculpture, described as a "children's book come to life," while on display at the 2018 Caldwell Arts Council Sculpture Celebration and later presented it to the commission for consideration in September 2018. The sculpture was selected for its whimsical nature and connection to Hickory's growing bicycle community." New York-based metal sculptor Corky Corrado created the work of art. Corrado's sculptures have been featured in Plattsburgh, New York's prestigious Museum Garden Tour and at the North Country Cultural Center for the Arts. [Review 15418 overall, 921 of 2021, number 2968 in North Carolina.]

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.]

The Johnny Bristol Mural is located on the side of Jones Drugs in Morganton, NC. The drug store's…read moredrive-thru lane is on the same wall, so I suggest paying close attention. I am thinking this is #29 or #30 of the North Carolina Musicians Trail Murals by Scott Nurkin. I haven't found an official list, so a lot of my discovery of these marvelous murals is by chance. So I may have found more of his murals than are officially on the trail. Scott Nurkin has been painting Musicians in their hometowns in North Carolina. So who was Johnny Bristol? He was born in Morganton, NC. He was a soul singer, songwriter and producer. But more importantly played a role in shaping the "Motown Sound." Before going to Motown, he sang Doo-Wop, jazz and gospel vocal harmonies in a youth group called The Red Jackets in Burke County, NC. One of Bristol's songs was dedicated to his hometown, titled Morganton, North Carolina. Bristol was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. His fingerprints are all over some of music's greatest hits. He produced Diana Ross and the Supremes' "Someday We'll Be Together" and even sang background harmony. He co-wrote and produced Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "Your Precious Love". He also wrote and produced for Gladys Knight & The Pips, Jermaine Jackson, and Smokey Robinson & the Miracles. When he left Motown, he launched a successful solo career and scored several R&B hits, including "Do It to My Mind", "You and I", "Leave My World", "My Guy / My Girl" (recorded with disco star Amii Stewart), and "Man Up in the Sky". Whether you are a die-hard Motown fan or just passing through Burke County, this vibrant wall is a beautiful tribute to a local legend and a must-see stop in downtown Morganton.

This is a lovely little jewel of a garden located on the north side of Downtown Statesville on the…read morecorner of Center & Water Streets. Plenty of street parking is available. Yes, it is tiny, but they have been able to put a lot of effort into making it a bit of a magical wonderland. You step through the entry and are immersed in lovely plants and fantastical sculptures. Take your time as you wander around, look up, down, and all around. Some sculptures are huge and others are tiny. The plants, flowers and foliage around the sculptures are just as whimsical. Kudos to the City of Statesville for creating and maintaining this lovely space for all of us to enjoy.

This unexpected find takes up the lot next to the Statesville Historical Collection at the corner…read moreof Center Street and Water Street a couple of blocks from the center of Statesville. The garden has a wrought iron gate around it and a smooth concrete path with entrances at two sides. There is street parking on both corners. Inside the garden, a half-dozen or so interesting sculptures in a variety of styles and materials. "On Top of the Whirled" is a polished steel structure. "Blue Cadence" looks like a large iron vase. "Blue Tower" is a cut steel structure and the "Wish You Were Hare" is a large woven wire sculpture of a large seated rabbit. Many, if not all, of the sculptures are for sale if that's something that interests you. But even if not, they are free to view and appreciate here. [Review 14550 overall, 48 of 2021, number 2786 in North Carolina.]

While many county courthouses in the South do have a Confederate memorial, few of them have done as…read morewell as Alexander County with including a positive contextual marker addition. This one depicts the usual Confederate soldier standing atop with the usual dates and such. The figure, carved from white Italian marble, rests at parade stance on a granite base, rising above the courthouse lawn in Taylorsville. It's a familiar silhouette - rifle in hand, gaze forward, a stylized embodiment of the Confederate infantryman. But what distinguishes this monument is not the statue itself, but the story it tries to tell around it. Installed in 1959, it was the first Confederate soldier statue raised in North Carolina in over 30 years, and none have been added since. The monument's inscriptions are where things get complicated. One granite plaque asserts that the war was fought for 'states' rights' rather than slavery, echoing a Lost Cause narrative common to mid-20th-century memorials Yet the bronze tablet below it adds a poignant human layer: it tells of a young man killed at Gettysburg on July 3, 1863, whose name is known only to the monument's creator. The marker reads, "From 1861-65 the heroic sons and daughters of The Old South, under the greatest generals of all times, Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, fought with gallantry unequaled in all the annals of history. Not for the preservation of slavery, but for our greatest heritage - States Rights. Though they failed, the memories of their heroic deeds will linger in the hearts and minds of men long after these stones have crumbled into dust. 1958 - V.G. Beckham" It includes a context plaque at the base. It reads, "Lee was opposed to slavery and secession, having freed his slaves 17 years prior to the war. Jackson, born in poverty, had no slaves, opposed slavery." [Review 1199 of 2025 - 4384 in North Carolina - 24751 overall]

Installed in 2016, this interactive work initially looked like some sort of Greek letter. As I got…read moreclose to it, I noticed the bell shape was hanging loose from the support and just to the side, there's a metal striker with a rubber end to it. Yes, this giant piece of art is a huge gong. And at 9:30 am, am I going to bang the gong? YOU BET I DID! And wow, the sound it made was just so beautifully satisfying. A calming, bong that echoed back from the trees as it slowly dissipated. And while I was tempted to hit it again, I recognized that a second strike would never be as pleasing as the first surprisingly mellow tone so I returned the striker to the handle and stepped back with an exhale. The artwork is titled "Generations" and it is by artist Stefan "Steebo" Bonitz. It is near the western end of Sally Fox Park. If you're in the park, give it a go. [Review 15869 overall - 3087 in North Carolina - 1373 of 2021.]

The Ben Long Fresco is located inside the CoMMA Performing Arts Center lobby. You can visit when…read morethe box office is open. There is plenty of parking in the free lot. The title is "Sacred Dance & the Muses". It was completed in April 2004 and is 24 by 33 feet. It is the largest single-panel ceiling fresco in the United States. The fresco uses the nine figures of the Greek muses. This one celebrates theatre, music and comedy with dancing tying it all together. You won't miss the two theatrical masks that represent comedy and tragedy. Long used real-life residents of Morganton, family, friends and his dogs for models. Long paid tribute to his mentor Pietro Annigoni, whom he apprenticed with for eight years in Florence, Italy. He even has a self-portrait with him holding his paintbrushes. It is an absolute must-see stop on the North Carolina fresco trail!