In partnership with the Arts Council of Carteret County (ACCC), and the Town of Morehead City, Downtown Morehead City, Inc. (DMC, Inc.) recently completed a mural installation and restoration project in the heart of Morehead City’s downtown waterfront district. The project features eight unique sidewalk murals along S. 6th Street, each painted by a local artist.

Originally, the eight rounds set into the sidewalk were once tree wells, but were filled with concrete in 2019 – which gave the Town of Morehead City’s Public Services Director, Daniel Williams, the idea to use these circles as “canvases” for public art. It was then that the DMC, Inc. Design Committee first conducted the mural project – organizing local artists to paint a series of murals along the walkway.

In the initial project plans, DMC, Inc. hoped to create a rotational exhibit, replacing the mural artwork every two to three years for continued maintenance. However, the onset of the pandemic interrupted the timeline, so the murals became weathered from foot traffic, sun exposure, rain, and other elements over time. It became apparent that the murals needed some love and attention, so Downtown Morehead City, Inc. set out to revive the project in 2024.

Earlier this spring, a project subcommittee selected three existing murals to be refreshed, and five new local artists were chosen to install new artwork on S. 6th Street. The 2024 artists featured are Brittany Byrd, Bliss Watkins, Angel Jablonski, Shannon Johnson, Lauren Foshee Cox, Janet Coleman, Sydney Belvin, and Vicky White. Their artwork highlights marine life, birds and the coastal environment that we live in.

This project was made possible in part by a generous grant award from the Arts Council of Carteret County, and proceeds from DMC, Inc.’s spring “Downtown Derby Darty” Pub Crawl were also used to support stipends for each artist and to purchase supplies and materials.

Kathryn Metts, Executive Director of DMC, Inc. said, “It has been a pleasure collaborating with the Arts Council, Town of Morehead City, and the artists to bring this project back to life! We are thrilled to have such vibrant artwork in our downtown district, and I am personally in awe of the talent demonstrated by these eight muralists. Public art plays a vital role in a community’s sense of place, and we are fortunate to have a supportive network of artists, arts organizations, and patrons in our downtown district that advocate for continuous investment in programs and projects like the 6th Street Sidewalk Murals.”




Downtown Morehead City, Inc. plans to reinstate the project’s intentions as a rotating installation and strives to offer opportunities for arts exposure and engagement with the local arts community throughout the downtown district year-round.

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ABOUT DOWNTOWN MOREHEAD CITY, INC.
Downtown Morehead City, Inc. is a non-profit organization that provides leadership in Downtown Morehead City to optimize economic and cultural opportunities in a welcoming environment, and encourages community engagement and participation. For more information about DMC, Inc. please visit www.downtownmoreheadcity.com and follow our social media channels.

ABOUT THE ARTS COUNCIL OF CARTERET COUNTY
The Arts Council of Carteret County (ACCC) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that was formed to encourage and support the development, promotion, and expansion of the arts in Carteret County. We are the Designated County Partner of the North Carolina Arts Council responsible for managing and sub-granting Grassroots, ARPA, and other grants  for local arts programming. Through these grants local nonprofit art associations obtain funding to bring the arts to the county. Our Mission is to create a vibrant community by supporting all artistic genres and promoting arts education. For more information about the ACCC, please visit www.artscouncilcarteret.org and follow our social media channels.