Shaw University, in partnership with the City of Raleigh and Downtown Raleigh Alliance, will transform hundreds of feet of concrete walls along the Shaw University campus with murals that explore the history of the university and its relationship with the city. The goal is to bring public art to the South Park neighborhoods that aren’t often the focus of beautification projects. The area sits on the edge of a wave of downtown redevelopment.

This project is informed by relevant community initiatives such as the South Park East Raleigh Heritage Trail and the Raleigh Murals Project, and will be an early success for the implementation of the Downtown Master Plan and Blount Street-Person Street Corridor Study. The Blount Street Mural Project will create visible change in the South Park neighborhoods that are infrequently the focus of beautification projects. Much more than just a public art initiative, the Project will serve as a catalyst for conversation and activism about Shaw University’s restorative role in a continuously evolving urban landscape. It will further Shaw University’s responsibility as an agent of change, stimulate dialogue about critical local issues, facilitate and encourage economic investment, and build a bridge of connection and understanding between Shaw and its stakeholders.
The mural will be complemented with a series of community forums throughout 2015. These forums will provide a beckoning platform for sharing of ideas and perspectives that will shape the imagery and themes to be included in the mural design. A panel comprised of representatives from Shaw University, Raleigh Urban Design Center, Downtown Raleigh Alliance and Raleigh’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department, as well as community representatives, will review all submissions and select the final design(s)Scott Nurkin, founder of The Mural Shop in Chapel Hill, is the selected artist.

Awesome Raleigh's Grant will go toward the overall funding goal of $135,000.