By Page Leggett

Oliver Lewis, whose innovative sculptures blend art and science, had created temporary public artworks before – but never a permanently sited sculpture.

He got his big break thanks to his talent and ASC’s Regional Artist Directory. 

For 20 years, ASC has facilitated a public art program for Charlotte and Mecklenburg County that allocates 1% of the project budget for art. That program has helped populate the city and county with art and created significant opportunities for artists.

Those artists are international, national and local. And the Regional Artist Directory prioritizes the latter, said Todd Stewart, ASC’s vice president of public art.

“We started the directory in 2020 to give opportunities to North and South Carolina-based artists,” he said. “I wanted more local artists to have a chance to participate in this process. The driving force of this is equity.”

The directory – an internal, online resource featuring 62 artists who were juried in – has helped open doors to local and regional artists for projects with budgets up to $85,000.

A new directory is being compiled, and applications will be accepted from April 1 until May 6. The directory will now be used to select artists for projects with budgets up to $100,000. 

Since the directory’s inception, 16 commissions have been awarded to 12 artists. And the combined budgets of those projects total $778,019.

One of those dozen artists is Marek Ranis, a professor of sculpture at UNC Charlotte. He created a work that combines art and science – a sculptural flood marker.

Stewart described the project as “an exciting and unusual opportunity to work with Park and Recreation and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Stormwater Services. This sculpture has measurement indicators on it. It will be positioned along the Greenway to alert people to historic flood levels.”

And Ed Walker of Seagrove, N.C. is creating a large-scale sculpture for Firehouse 30 – the city’s first all-electric firehouse – for the City of Charlotte and the Charlotte Fire Department.

“Being part of the directory really does increase your likelihood of getting a public art commission,” Stewart said. “It’s an incredible tool.”

Oliver Lewis’ ‘big leap’

Lewis studied robotics and chemical engineering. His background in the sciences has served him well in the art world; he creates striking installations that engage and educate.

He called going into art full-time a “big leap.” But the leap has paid off. He’s done a residency at McColl Center, had his art featured at Charlotte Shout! and, farther afield, was chosen to create an installation at Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, Wisconsin.

His first permanent installation comes by way of the Regional Artist Directory. He was chosen for a major project scheduled for completion in 2025. He’s creating an outdoor sculpture for Park Road Park’s new 4,500-square-foot indoor pavilion, which overlooks the lake and can be rented for weddings, graduations and other special events.

The visibility this commission will provide is unparalleled. “A public sculpture is likely to be seen a lot more than one in a gallery,” he said.

‘Community-focused’ art

Georgie Nakima (a.k.a. Garden of Journey), another local artist listed in the directory, agrees. “When the work is that visible, it practically markets itself,” she said.

Stewart describes Nakima as “a nationally recognized artist with many murals in her portfolio.” Indeed, Nakima calls public art “the foundation of [her] art practice.” She’s created between seven and 10 public murals every year for the past five years.

As a result of the artist directory, she was chosen to create a mural for Independence Park. Her “Natural Rhythm” was commissioned to honor Charlotte’s oldest public park (opened in Elizabeth in 1906), which reopened in 2023 after being closed for a $5.9 million overhaul.

Nakima loves the public aspect of her work. “A lot of my work is community-focused,” she said. “I’m translating the stories people share with me into a visual narrative.”

A voice for the voiceless

Rosalia Torres-Weiner, another muralist featured in the directory, thrives on meeting the public, too. “My favorite part of public art is listening to people who live in the neighborhood where the art is being placed,” she said. “I think of them as my customers. I get inspired by their ideas and stories. I believe I give voice to people who don’t necessarily have a platform.”

One recent project Torres-Weiner was awarded through the ASC is an update to the iconic “Wind Sculpture” uptown. Six artists are reimagining the seven cloth banners that make up the sculpture originally designed by the late Jack Pentes.

Each banner represents one of Charlotte’s voting districts. In addition to Torres-Weiner, the artists are Dorne Pentes (son of the sculptor who created the original), Marcus Kiser, Monique Luck, Jonathan Grauel and Bree Stallings.

Torres-Weiner took on the District 5 banner.

“That’s my old neighborhood,” she said. “I knew I wanted to represent the east side’s immigrant community. That neighborhood has so much color, culture and flavor.”

ASC held two community sessions to seek input from the public – a process Torres-Weiner enjoys. “I couldn’t paint anything without the stories I hear from people,” she said.

Consider this your invitation

A new directory is being compiled, and applications will be accepted from April 1 until May 6.

If you’re an artist but have never been involved in public art, Stewart encourages you to apply, anyway.

“We’re not necessarily looking for previous experience in public art,” he said. “Having experience is a huge plus, but it’s not a prerequisite. We see this as a capacity-building effort, too.”

Even artists who have been in earlier iterations need to re-apply. A new directory is put together every two years, and artists in a previous directory will likely have created new works during those two years that they’ll want to showcase.

It’s free to submit your qualifications to ASC via SlideRoom, an online application system. To be eligible, artists must:

• Reside in North Carolina or South Carolina
• Complete an application
• Submit work samples that demonstrate an ability to create dynamic site-specific artworks, and/or the ability to tie design to a place or community
• Show evidence of professional competence and experience collaborating with architects, landscape architects or community members

ASC staff will pre-screen applications to ensure compliance with eligibility requirements. ASC will also appoint a selection panel of local arts professionals and community stakeholders to  review all eligible artists’ applications. Lastly, the ASC will notify in writing those accepted in June.

ASC staff then uses the prequalified directory to make recommendations to the Public Art Commission on a project-by-project basis.

When a project comes up, Stewart and his team head straight for the directory. They look through all the pre-qualified artists and select a handful – 10 or so – with the required skills. Then, they convene an artist selection to review those recommendations and make a selection.

The directory has allowed Stewart to expedite the submission and selection process. “This is much quicker than the old method,” he said. “We’ve done the work upfront.”

Take it from Oliver Lewis: “Your best chance of getting a public art commission is being part of ASC’s directory.”

Calling all North and South Carolina artists!  

Want to be part of ASC’s Regional Artist Directory? The call for applications opened April 1. Submission deadline is May 6. Click here to learn more and apply.