The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has awarded the Town of Wake Forest a $10,000 matching grant to be used for three downtown mural projects.
An advisory group comprised of representatives from the Town and Wake Forest Downtown, Inc., was recently appointed to select three downtown properties on which to have murals painted. The mural at the first site, located at 352 S. White St. and owned by W&W Properties & Investments, LLC, was recently completed. Declaring “Life is Sweet in Downtown Wake Forest,” the mural was painted by artist Lisa Gaither, who has installed murals in several towns, including Wendell, Raleigh and Lumberton.
The other two designs and sites are in the planning stages and will be announced once plans are finalized.
“We are extremely excited about our first mural and the others coming to the Renaissance Area as a result of this grant,” said Downtown Development Director Lisa Hayes. “Art plays an important role in economic development, and murals create a tangible sense of place and destination, while also adding color, vibrancy and character to the area.”
Residents are encouraged to take pictures in front of the downtown murals and post them on social media with the hashtag #TownofWakeForest.
For more information about Wake Forest’s downtown murals, contact Downtown Development Director Lisa Hayes at lhayes@wakeforestnc.gov. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.
