The first of what local artist Matt Miller hopes will be many public mural installations around Fayetteville was installed beneath Town Center Plaza last week.
Miller’s new mural, entitled “Universal Inquiry,” spans a total of 88 feet across the top of the parking deck that serves the Town Center and other businesses in the downtown area.
Miller said that the project was conceived through discussions with the recently-created Creative Economy Action Group, and the intention of the project was to help put local artists to work while beautifying some of the less-aesthetically-appealing areas around town.
“We don’t really have a backdrop that speaks to our thriving artist community,” Miller said. “That’s one of the things we were really trying to create with this project.”
The project was partially funded by a $5,000 award issued in 2010 by the Fayetteville Advertising and Promotion commission, but more funds are needed to keep the project moving forward.
“The people that are involved have these great ideas, but we don’t always have the funding to make them happen,” said Miller. “The idea is to eventually put on an event, and raise more money for these murals.”
Some of the areas the group is targeting for mural-love around Fayetteville include the retaining wall behind the Fayetteville Public Library, the wall behind Damgoode Pies on Mountain Street, and areas along the city’s trail system.
For now, however, Miller hopes that the public will enjoy his first installation.
“I haven’t even had a chance to evaluate it for myself since it’s been up,” he said, “but I hope people like it.”
