‘Trains on Main’
Belmont, NC | Land of the Catawba + Sugaree
Designed by Motley Local; Painted by Irisol Gonzalez; Fabricated by Hummingbird 3D Solutions
July 2019
Acrylic on aluminum. 8 sculptures: 5.5” x 2” x 2” inches
In tandem with the Belmont Community Mural, Motley Local designed train replicas of the locomotives that existed and operated in Belmont. These miniature sculptures were designed and curated by Motley, fabricated by Burlington, NC-based 3D printers Hummingbird 3D Solutions, and painted by Irisol Gonzalez (@irisolgonzalezart on IG).
To finalize the project, the Downtown Belmont Development Association and the City of Belmont coordinated with downtown property owners and the Public Works Department to install the trains in curated, site-specific locations. To learn more about this project + hear original audio recordings of the locomotives, visit the Belmont Go website + app.
The fabricated locomotives included:
Steam Locomotive 2-6-0 (1880)
Steam European English 4-6-2 (1908)
Steam Locomotive 4-8-4 (1926)
Diesel Shifter NW2 (1932)
Steam Locomotive 4-4-4-4 (1937)
Diesel F3 (1945)
Diesel ALCO RS 3 (1950)
Diesel EMD GP 30 (1961)
Already being in community with Gibsonville neighbors, Motley tapped into Gibsonville Garden Railroad president Neil Bromilow, who is an expert in 20th century trains, to help select the locomotives.
See the Belmont Community Mural here.
This project was funded by the City of Belmont.
About the Painter
Via the Belmont Go website + app.
Irisol Gonzalez www.irisolgonzalez.com is a fine artist and muralist living and working in Charlotte, NC for more than 8 years. She immigrated to the United States with her Costa Rican immediate family at the age of 10. She grew up and went to college in North Carolina, but her upbringing was traditionally Costa Rican at home. Her public work often reflects her interpretation of what it means to be a Latin American immigrant, a brown woman, and a person who has two cultures working simultaneously in every endeavor and experience. With a double major in psychology and political science from Appalachian State University, Irisol often poses moral questions from a psychological and/or political standpoint. When she’s not questioning motives in her work, she is celebrating the gift and privilege of diversity and heritage
About the Artist:
Q: What was your inspiration behind the artwork?
A: Since the train engines had specific years of operation, I felt it would be interesting to reflect what was happening in the city when those engines came around--like time travel in a way. Because adding the name graffiti style was the only specific request, combining that with historical pieces of information served as a fun way to explore and review the city's history. The freedom of graffiti combined with the rigidity of history creates a dynamic and inviting concept.
Q: What is your perspective on public art in a community?
A: Public art creates a sense of ownership and belonging to a community. I believe that public art demonstrates that "people here care".