If you’ve spent any amount of time on a casual stroll or perhaps attending one of many festivals held in Uptown throughout the year, you’ve likely spent some time appreciating the Sculptures on the Square: Commerce, Industry, Transportation, and the Future. Or maybe even whipped out your handy-dandy selfie stick in front of the Il Grande Disco sculpture.
Those fortunate enough to work in Uptown know that there are some gems just inside the buildings in the main lobbies, as well. Take The Frescos inside the Bank of America Corporate Center, for example. I remember when those were first put up in 1998 when I was interning with BB&T. I’m just as impressed by them today as I was then. But if you’ve gotten used to the more popular pieces that don the public spaces and have a yearning for more, then the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Center City Public Art Walking Tour, coordinated by the Arts & Science Council, is right up your alley (pun intended)! They have a one-stop shop landing page dedicated to the Tour, complete with maps, a beautiful brochure with illustrations, and even a 45-minute self-guided Tour podcast – all of which are available for download to your favorite mobile device or tablet.
Per the ASC, public art expresses the relationship between people and places. Interact with these pieces. Maybe even Google some along with their creators to find in-depth analyses, such as this on the BofA Frescoes. Then share your experience with friends over coffee at Not Just Coffee (Twitter: @NotJCoffeeCLT) or over local beer and some barbeque at Queen City Q (Twitter: @theQclt). Both are located at Seventh Street Station/Public Market. Take pictures and tag us/tweet us on Instagram and Twitter (@704Shop) and let us know which pieces impress you! Until next week, stay cool Charlotte!
P.S. If you park at Seventh Street Station, and start your tour from there, Queen City Q offers parking validation for 2 hours to its customers Monday-Friday until 5pm. After 5pm and on Saturdays and Sundays, they validate the total time. [info per their website and subject to change]
~Chris.
The Frescoes at Bank of America Corporate Center