Joy In The Shadows Celebration & Completion
Location: Corner of Fulton Avenue & Tippah Park Court, Charlotte, NC
The story behind the work: Joy In The Shadows is about finding light in everyday places and coming together to transform something overlooked into something meaningful, beautiful, and cared for.
This streetscape project grew out of both personal memories and the Plaza Midwood community's commitment to caring for its neighborhood. Years ago, while living in Plaza Midwood with my young son, we spent countless afternoons walking the neighborhood together. I would pull him in a little red wagon, and one of the things we always noticed were the beautiful shadows cast by the trees and fences as we walked to Veterans Park, just across from where this installation is located.
When I later walked the neighborhood with the Plaza Midwood Neighborhood Association, those memories returned. I learned about the ongoing challenge of litter accumulating at one of the neighborhood's entrances, not because of the residents themselves, but from people passing through. Rather than allowing that story to define the space, the community chose to respond with care and pride.
Joy in the Shadows is both a metaphor and a declaration. No matter what challenges are faced, there is always joy to be found. By transforming this entrance into a place of beauty, the project celebrates the people who live, work, and gather here while encouraging others to care for the space as well. Public art has the power to foster pride, strengthen community identity, and even discourage littering by reminding people that this is a place where people invest their time, creativity, and love.
Materials & process: More than 36 shadow photographs were submitted online, while residents gathered in person to draw, photograph, and discuss the shadows that define Plaza Midwood's streetscape. Preliminary mural concepts were refined through community feedback, and neighborhood participants selected the final color palette, ensuring the artwork reflected the shared vision.
During the installation process, the project was unexpectedly postponed when water pipes burst beneath the main streetscape. Once the necessary repairs were completed, the project resumed and the community came together to continue bringing the artwork to life.
The accompanying sculpture draws inspiration from the mural while referencing nearby public artwork, including the Little Italy mural. Small moments from the creation process also became lasting parts of the design, from bubbles floating through Community Paint Day to the ringlet curls of neighborhood children, which inspired the mural's swirling motifs.
Joy In The Shadows combines three interconnected elements:
Streetscape: One main street mural and several cameo murals that span two blocks of the neighborhood.
Flutters: There are many hidden flutters that lead you from one cameo mural to the next.
Sculpture: One metal and cast acrylic sculpture at the entrance of Fulton Ave.
The project included several opportunities for residents to participate, connect, and help bring the artwork to life:
Shadow Workshop Collection: Community members explored the neighborhood together, collecting and creating shadow imagery that inspired the final design.
Community Paint Day: Residents of all ages worked alongside to physically paint the streetscape and leave their own marks.
Art Walk & Reveal Party: The completed artwork was celebrated with the community, bringing neighbors together to experience the finished installation and a special event with Art Walks CLT.
[Click the event names above to read more and see more pictures for the Shadow Collection Workshop and Community Paint Day.]
Community Impact:
The installation creates a welcoming gateway into the neighborhood, a place that reflects the creativity, individuality, and a connection that define this Plaza Midwood neighborhood. It will encourage moments of conversation and shared ownership while reinforcing that this is a neighborhood where people care deeply about the places they call home.
Beyond organized events, the project continued to create unexpected moments of connection. Residents frequently stopped to talk while the mural was in progress, neighbors supplied water to assist with pressure washing, and new residents asked how they could become involved. I overheard one resident telling a friend how much they enjoyed looking out from their balcony onto the colorful artwork each day. These everyday interactions became a meaningful part of the project, and even through challenges like the water pipes bursting and the colder weather, the community's excitement kept me motivated to push through and create something everyone could enjoy and feel proud of.
Reflections:
Some of the project’s most meaningful moments happened unexpectedly. Every day I was onsite, several neighbors who would stop to talk with me as I painted. I am incredibly grateful to the community for welcoming me and making me feel at home throughout the process.
I especially loved encountering the children throughout the neighborhood. Their personalities, interests, initials, and favorite colors inspired several motifs within the artwork. These details will remain part of the neighborhood for years to come, becoming a lasting reflection of the people and community that helped shape the project.
My favorite part of public art is the community and collaboration that come with it. Through this project, I had the opportunity to build relationships with neighbors while creating opportunities for the community to see themselves reflected in the artwork and to know that they helped create this artwork.
One of the project's original goals was to encourage greater care for this neighborhood entrance. While there have been no organized neighborhood clean-up days during the installation period, residents have already noticed less litter, and people have begun picking up trash on their own. Seeing the community embrace and care for the space has been one of the most rewarding outcomes of the project.
The artwork truly is a part of the neighborhood now, and I appreciate the care and support of neighbors of Plaza Midwood and the businesses along Fulton Ave.
I am deeply grateful to the City of Charlotte Urban Design Center for their support and for connecting me with a valuable community. Thank you Plaza Midwood Neighborhood Association with your trust and collaboration in making this project possible. I also want to recognize Art Walks CLT for helping bring the community together to celebrate the completion of Joy in the Shadows
