AMT @ Asheville, NC
  

Historic Triangle Park Mural
Asheville, NC

Exit BR Parkway MilePost: 384
  Lead Muralist: Molly Must
Photo by: Asheville Design Center
Trail Member/Sponsor: Asheville Design Center

Mural Description

    Triangle Park Mural, 2012-2013, Asheville, NC. 1300 sq feet, acrylic on concrete. The Mural was a collaboration between the Just Folks Organization, the Asheville Design Center (ADC), and artist/community-arts organizer Molly Must, who was supported by the VISTA/ Americorps program at ADC for 14 months. Planning for the mural began in 2011. The mural was completed in 2013. Funds for the project were primarily raised through a Kickstarter video and campaign.

    The mural is a memorial to history. It celebrates the stories of Asheville's historic African-American business district and surrounding Valley Street/East-End neighborhoods. The mural spans the two sides of...
Triangle Park, at the intersection of Sycamore Alley and South Market Street in downtown Asheville, NC. This is the heart of "The Block," an historic area that remained the cultural and economic center for all of Western North Carolina's African-American citizens from the time of Reconstruction until the years of integration and "urban renewal." Triangle Park is a remnant of this era, where people who grew up around Valley Street still gather. In an upwelling of community effort and care, nearly 100 volunteers helped paint the mural, many of whom have their own stories about the heyday of the Block.

    Beginning in the late 60s, Nearly 500 acres of majority black neighborhoods surrounding The Block were cleared in the East-Riverside Re-Development Project. This completely altered the physical, cultural, and economic landscape of the area. In these now-quiet streets there is little evidence of the Block's earlier chapter of African-American entrepreneurship & bustling community life. The mural aims to offer proof, emphasizing the idea that it's important to know where we've come from in order to see where we are, and where we're headed.

    The design of the mural is a product of community discussion that was aided by historical archives, interviews, family stories, and donated photographs (including the collection of photographer Andrea Clark). The imagery of the mural pays tribute to the love, labor, and stories of the people of the Block, East End & Valley St neighborhoods, and also honors many of the historic institutions of the area including the Stevens Lee High School, Catholic Hill School, and the Young Men's Institute (YMI).

    The mural was originally the first phase of a multi-phase vision for park beautification and grassroots community investment. We strongly believe the park holds more opportunity for continued collaboration between historians, artists, and community members, if support can be found.

     During her VISTA tenure, Molly worked to incorporate art into the existing community development projects. The Triangle Park Mural Project became the focus of those efforts, and became a popular and engaging idea that many East-End and Southside residents came out to support, serving as a powerful bridge between the many different cultural networks. With all funding and in-kind donations, the mural represents over $60,000 of community investment in The Block.

Artist Bio: Molly Must

    Molly Must is an artist from Lobelia, West Virginia. Driven by a belief in the power of story-telling and cooperative creativity, she began making public murals and organizing community art projects in Asheville back in 2007. Between 2007 and 2015 Molly coordinated two major community murals in Asheville (the Lexington Avenue Gateway Mural and the Triangle Park Mural) in addition to five independent murals between NC and WV. In 2016 Molly decided to take...
a break from public art return to school to finish a long-abandoned bachelors degree at West Virginia University, and may continue to get an MFA. She is currently refining and growing her painting practice while also studying things she cares about, including precolonial and Native American history, neocolonialism, migration & human rights, solidarity economics, and collectivization. Molly is committed to participating in positive change in Appalachia.

What's the Value of an Outdoor Historical Mural?

   "It's priceless," says Chris Joyell of the Asheville Design Center, (a non-profit where pros give their time to accomplish problem solving for towns and cities at the basic level.) "At one time 'The Block' (East End) area of Asheville was a thriving central business district for African Americans throughout the mountain area," he says. "Most all their needs were met there. The district thrived until the late 70's when Urban Development started changing...
small communities, moving families into public housing. Soon the local businesses weren't supported, for there was no density for businesses. We took a look at what could be done now, and part of what we came up with was a 270 feet linear outdoor historical mural("Triangle Park") to save the history of this remarkable part of Asheville. Along with saving history with the mural, the development of new affordable housing and visitor friendly hotels are now being added to the neighborhood."

   We found a paid Vista Volunteer, public muralist Molly Must, and as lead artist she began an adventuresome journey into the history of East End, first hand. For nine months she spent time with the residents, ate dinner with them and looked at old photos. Finally she met with me and rolled out a 270 feet sketch of the mural. I was blown away!"

~Chris Joyell



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Visitor
Comments


    comment by: Gloria
Love, love, love ❤ all the art we saw and experienced while in Asheville!!Laura

    comment by: Lois
Brilliant way to allow visitors to enjoy the sites and sounds that Asheville has to offer.

    comment by: Rebecca&Susan
We just loved all of the murals in Asheville! Asheville is a fun vibrant interesting town!

    comment by: Catherine Wilson
    (Asheville, NC)

As a member of Carolina Street Mural group, I learned about The Appalachian Mural Trail! After reviewing your web page. I planned my road trips to locate the trail murals, reflect on them and photograph memories of my trip!

    comment by: Tammy Compton
    (Fort Myers, Florida)

Love it! We went looking to take selfies with 3 and found over 20 murals!

    comment by: Angie Trapp
    (Concord, NC)

Beautiful mural in Sparta, one of my favorite places! 😊❤️

    comment by: Debra
    (Falls Church City, VA)

Doreyl,
Thanks for letting me know! What a great project!
It added cool stops to my visit and I love seeing art and the artist was around that day to meet.


    comment by: Cristy (Mountain City, TN)
We have been getting much more traffic around our murals, and a lot of it is due to the publicity from your organization!
Thank you!
We will unveil our newest (and largest) mural on September 4th.


    comment by: Cindy Hedrick Day
It's beautiful! Thank you!!!!
Awesome! You made my day! Love love love it!.
I saw the email re the Mural Trail special in process of being made. Can't wait to see it. We are working to finish our projects, exhibit changes, etc. Who knew it would take so long! But, it's soon finished!!!
Looking forward to seeing this!
Thank you again!!!


    comment by: Marcie Toomey
This is our second visit to Holy Trinity.. we always leave blessed and humbled ❤️

    comment by: Chelsea
Thank you so much for the quick response! I received my shirt and thoroughly enjoyed the trail! Thank you for all of the hard work put into this project!

    comment by: Debbie Dillion
Just came across your website and it is great! I plan to look for these murals in my travels. A phone app would be awesome.

    comment by: Carol
Lincolnton, NC, is loaded with murals! And I love them all!

    comment by: Barry & Cindy Beaulieu
we got to see the Fresco in W. Jefferson NC and is amazing ... we were on our two wheeler the Voyager... nature declares there is a God... everywhere you look... thanking ya'll so very very much...

    comment by: Vickie Sealock
    (Welcome Center Manager)

I love what you folks are doing. Several years ago we went to Exeter California to see their Mural trail. We spent hours in this little town looking at the murals and trying to find the hidden objects in each. We talked with the towns people, had lunch, shopped in the shops. I love the mural trails, and yours is going to be one of the best. Thanks for keeping us in the loop.

    comment by: Liz
Art is everywhere in Asheville! This gorgeous mural of Dolly Parton by Gus Cutty is the newest mural you'll see in town. Gus created the mural with spray paint in 3 days. See it for yourself at Beauty Parade on Haywood Rd in West Asheville.

    comment by: Karen
Roanoke murals are awesome to see... love the mural with girl floating in air... the poetry one was neat!

    comment by: Big Tom
This is great mural art, will be remembered a long time...

    comment by: Bob
This is very expansive mural, covers many walls inside the cradle building. Beautiful art mural, a must see!

    comment by: Dolly
Love the big murals!!!

    comment by: Lisa Patten
I love the mural trail. It's like seeing a gift at Christmas!

    comment by: Ann Barbare
Beautiful mural of Maggie Valley

    comment by: Jennifer
Love your mural artwork! The local references, the depiction of marvelous, beautiful, and colorful nature - landscapes, birds, animals, butterflies, and glorious flowers - invites close study and is very engaging!

    comment by: Carol
Looks like progress being made! Can't wait to see the mural at Joeys.

    comment by: anonymous
Can't wait to see this beautiful mural art in person at Joey's Pancake House

    comment by: Amy
I love your little sneak-a-peek view. Need more...

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