Muralist, Carrboro Enthusiast Propose Jones Ferry-NC54 Mural

CHAPEL HILL – A new proposed mural at Jones Ferry and N.C. 54 has passed the Carrboro Arts Committee, and is now being reviewed before going to the Board of Alderman.

The proposed artist for the Carrboro mural is Michael Brown, a well known muralist that has done work throughout the state.  Brown says he hopes to make something of which Carrboro citizens will feel proud.

“So, you know, I like to feel that if I’ve made a living out of 25 years, and people tend to like what I do, that I can make something that Carrboro will be proud of” Brown says.

Brown was approached by stock trader and Carrboro enthusiast, Michael Adamson, about the mural. Adamson says he thinks the mural can become a community symbol for the neighborhood near Jones Ferry.

“It’s good for the neighborhood, for the sense of place and sense of identity for the neighborhood, it should be good for getting people together, from different parts of society working together on the mural, but its also just good the town as a whole, as a major interest, its like announcing the beginnings of urban Carrboro” Adamson says.

The DOT recently approved of a plan to change the Jones Ferry and N.C. 54 intersection from the current six lanes to one lane each way.  The new plan also includes a new traffic light at Davie road, bike lanes, crosswalks, and raised plant-able medians.

If the mural is approved by the Board of Alderman, the proposal will be submitted to the DOT.  Brown says they will not start on what the mural may be until after approval.

“No there’s no imagery yet, we haven’t quite worked out which communities we might work with” Brown says.

Adamson says if everything goes smoothly with getting approval from the Board of Alderman and the DOT, they may start painting next fall.

“Then it’s gonna take quite a while all through probably next spring to come up with ideas for the content, let folks have their input on that, and develop a consensus about what the mural should look like, and then back to DOT for final approval which I would see maybe next summer, so if everything goes well, probably nine to ten months from now” Adamson states.

Still in the nascent stages, Adamson and Brown say they are seeking approval for a mural Carrboro and children would enjoy.

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