A mural of legendary blues musician Elizabeth Cotten is coming to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area next week.

Located on the Carrboro-Chapel Hill line at 111 N. Merritt Mill Road, the mural is part of a statewide project, dubbed the North Carolina Musicians Mural Project, to honor famous North Carolina musicians in their hometowns. The mural will be painted by Chapel Hill artist Scott Nurkin, who is also part of the statewide project.

Elizabeth Cotten was a legendary folk-blues singer, songwriter, and guitar player. She was born in the early 1890s near Chapel Hill – in an area that would later be incorporated as Carrboro. Cotten taught herself to play music on her brother’s banjo as a child, but only began publicly performing and recording in her 60s. She is renowned for her distinctive musical style, created by playing left-handed on a right-handed guitar. Many of her songs reference her early life in North Carolina, including her most iconic song, “Freight Train.”

The North Carolina Musicians Mural Project is a statewide mural “trail” envisioned by Nurkin and inspired by paintings that once hung in a popular Chapel Hill restaurant. More than a decade ago, Nurkin created portraits of famous musicians from North Carolina for Peppers Pizza, which closed in 2013. This new project reimagines those portraits as outdoor murals.

Nurkin said he has been dreaming of this project for over a decade and can’t wait to get it off the ground.

“It’s important to me for people to know that North Carolina has not only produced a wealth of talent, but some of the greatest trailblazers in American music,” Nurkin said. “Elizabeth Cotten is absolutely a part of that group.”

According to a press release from the Town of Chapel Hill, the Elizabeth Cotten mural is made possible through a collaboration among the towns of Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership.

Susan Brown, the Executive Director of Chapel Hill Community Arts & Culture, said that all three organizations share similar interests.

“We came together to fund this project because of our shared commitment to public art and to our downtowns, and out of respect for the lasting legacy and impact of Ms. Cotten,” Brown said. “We see this as a great way for local residents to celebrate her and as a gateway for visitors to learn about our rich musical and cultural heritage.”

Nurkin will begin work on the mural beginning the week of October 12 and is expected to complete it by October 19.

To learn more about the NC Musicians Mural Project, click here.

Photo via the Town of Chapel Hill. 

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