The Darin & Brooke Aldridge Mural was painted by Scott Nurkin in 2023 as part of the NC Musicians…read moreMural Trail. It might be mural #19 in the series. I didn't know about this mural when I was in the area last year, so I made sure to make a trip to see the mural. Scott Nurkin spray-painted the couple in black & white from a photo of them performing at the Grand Ole Opry. The mural is located in a Mini Park off Main Street in Downtown Cherryville. The mural is smaller than some of the other murals on the trail, but it fits the building it is painted on perfectly. It is very detailed, using a cool dot pattern to give it a vintage look. This one was easier to photograph and view in the park setting, as there were no cars blocking my view, but just benches and a gazebo. Parking was easy and plentiful in the parking lot. Darin & Brooke Aldridge are known for their Bluegrass music and have played at the Grand Ole Opry over 50 times. The couple is referred to as "The Sweethearts of Bluegrass." They have soaring harmonies and blend bluegrass with gospel and contemporary country music. They have numerous #1 singles and their albums have topped the Billboard and Bluegrass charts. In 2023, they were named "Bluegrass Artists of the Year" at the Absolutely Gospel Music Awards. In March 2026, they were inducted into the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame. Darin is a Cherryville native, so it was nice seeing the hometown heroes recognized. I believe they both currently reside in Cherryville.

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.]

This 13 foot tall artwork graces this small corner that would otherwise be an empty green space…read more There are no benches or other features here. The sculpture is titled "Revolution Rise" and it looks like a handful of pickup sticks stuck together. The artist is Desmond Lewis and it was installed by the Hickory Public Art Commission in 2017. It's pretty but I just don't understand it. Why these colors, why this shape, why this name? Ideas, people? [Review 15880 overall - 3096 in North Carolina - 1384 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.

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!

The Etta Baker Memorial is on the CoMMA Performing Arts Campus in Morganton, NC. The bronze…read morememorial was dedicated in 2017 to the Piedmont blues guitarist and Morganton resident. The performing arts center has plenty of free parking, and the memorial is located to the left of the building. Thomas Jay Warren was the sculptor for the bronze monument. The bronze sculpture has Miss Etta sitting and strumming her guitar. As an added touch for the memorial, her rose bushes were planted around the monument. Etta Baker played the guitar for almost 90 years, leaving her mark on the folk revival in the 1960s and inspiring other artists like Bob Dylan and Taj Mahal. She was initially taught by her dad, Boone Reid. He started teaching her when she was 2. Since she was too small to hold the guitar, it was laid flat on a bed, and she was taught where to place her fingers. As she grew, he taught her about the intricacies of mountain music and the blues. Her signature style was the two-finger picking, using her thumb for the bassline and her index finger for the melody. In 1936, she moved to Morganton, and she raised nine children. While she performed less publicly to focus on her family and job at Skyline Textile Company, she played and practiced every day. She was discovered while on vacation at Cone Mansion in Blowing Rock. Her father asked other folk artists to listen to her play. The chance encounter led to her recordings. Her first record was recorded in 1956, and she was given a $1.25 contract. She wasn't properly compensated for decades for "Instrumental Music of the Southern Appalachians". In 1991, she received the National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. She released albums later in life, including "One Dime Blues," and also collaborated with Taj Mahal. Etta kept touring and playing festivals into her 90's.

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.]

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.]