Community Mural: ‘Greetings From Belmont’

Belmont, NC | Land of the Catawba + Sugaree

Painted + Designed by Georgie Nakima | Curated by Motley Local

April 2019

10 Mill St. Belmont, NC. 62’ x 7’ ft.

In the summer of 2019, Motley Local commissioned Charlotte-based artist Georgie Nakima (featured below on the left, @gardenofjourney on Instagram) to paint a mural in the downtown of the small, suburban city in Gaston County informed by community input and site-specific symbols. The design reflects numerous, Belmont-specific aspects, including natural elements such as the dogwood, Carolina silver bell, and the ruby-throated hummingbird. The Catawba River is visualized through the water and the work also highlights the local railroad presence.

An interactive, community painting day was organized by Motley in tandem with the Garibaldi Festival on April 27th. The artist and Motley team (featured in 1st slideshow below) oversaw the mural painting through a paint-by-number design, empowering community members to participate in bringing the mural to life.

The Garibaldi Festival is an annual event where each year the streets of the historic downtown shut down to bring history alive and pay homage to a city that was formerly known as Garibaldi Station, due to its railroad stop along the tracks constructed in 1871. Check out more information about the Garibaldi Festival here.

This project was funded by the City of Belmont. Photo above courtesy of City of Belmont.