Introduction Page
Welcome to the center of all things art in Ashe County.Parking is available along Main Street or in the Public Parking Lot across from the Arts Council.
Poppies (2016)
On the corner of East Main Street and School Ave you can find a pocketful of Poppies.At this site in 1996, the first mural in Downtown West Jefferson was created by Jack Young and titled “History of Ashe County as Told through the Seasons” It was funded by McFarland and Company in thanks to Robbie Franklin. Robbie made it happen, and the Arts Council jumped on the bandwagon to fund, create, and market additional murals for the town’s public art. As they say, the rest is history!Since 2016, “Poppies” by Raney Rogers has resided on this wall. Raney’s work has an emphasis on the local flora and fauna that grow right in our backyard here in North Carolina. She is quoted on her website saying” I have always believed art is how you live your life and that your life is the most important creation that you can achieve.”
Wings and Things (2004)
The Wings and Things mural on the side of the Cheese Plant Production Building was created in 2004 to mark the 100th year anniversary of the Wright Brothers’ first flight. The First Flight Foundation partnered with the North Carolina Museum of Art to commission a piece of public art in every state county.While Artists Earle Klutz Thompson and Raines Thompson designed the rural farm scene, this mural was a true community effort. Over 125 students and community volunteers lent a hand over the course of a three day weekend. The side of the building was gridded off and groups chose which section they wished to spend 30-minutes painting.The elements of the mural are reflective of both the history of Ashe county as well as the history of North Carolina. The ducks in flight represent the history of the Wright brothers while the cow represents the dairy industry here in Ashe County.
New River Traditions (1998)
This mural was painted in 1998 by Marianne DiNapoli-Mylet, with the assistance of Andy Kruth and Megan Kolseth. This piece pays homage to Appalachian Culture in Ashe County through the use of a few iconic images. Set on the banks of the New River, our eyes are first drawn to the two musicians. These figures are representative of the people seen at fiddlers conventions and the bluegrass music scene. We can also see the iconic Virgina Creeper railway and of course a cow representing the dairy industry. The family shown fishing on the river are actually the artist’s husband and two daughters with Marianne seated on a picnic blanket nearby. Do you practice any traditions specific to the place where you’re from?
Birds at Work (2019)
Above the Florence Thomas Art School Sign, you will find “Birds at Work”. This Mural was painted in 2019 by Joni Ray. While Joni Ray did work for Florence School of the Arts for 7 years, she can now be found serving as the Executive Director of the Ashe County Arts Council.Florence Thomas was an American Impressionist Painter here in the High Country. After studying at the Morris School of Design for Women in Philadelphia, PA as well as various classes and workshops on the east coast, Florence continued her dedication to the arts here in Ashe county. She began to share what she had learned with others by holding classes in her basement, making art accessible to her friends and neighbors in the High Country. Florence Thomas’ legacy lives on through the non-profit Florence Art School in front of you. It is here that many of her paintings are held, as well as where many programs and workshops take place.
Tree of Appalachia
Tree of Appalachia was commissioned by local business owners, Third Day Market. This interactive mural invites the view to step up to the swing and take a photograph, becoming part of the artwork. Artist Whitney Landwhermann was inspired by the local flora and fauna while creating this mural. She chose key aspects of the subject matter in honor of her grandmother.
New River Passage (2011)
Painted in 2011 by Clayton Proctor, “New River Passage” is located on State Street.This mural has the Ashe County Trifecta: The New River, Evergreen Trees, and of course The Blue Ridge Mountains.The work shows a person canoeing on the river, what is your favorite outdoor activity Ashe County has to offer?
Christmas Trees (2022)
Along the back wall of this area, you’ll see a Christmas Tree Farm! Painted by David Shoemaker in 2022, the scene is very familiar to Ashe County. Ashe County is the largest Christmas Tree producing county in the United states. It is also the county to have sent the most Christmas trees to the White House, 7 so far! On the barn, you can see a barn quilt. Did you know Ashe County Arts Council has a barn quilt tour with over a hundred locations?
Rich Hill Baptist Church (2022)
Rich Hill Baptist Church is located in Creston, NC. This mural highlights artist Stephen Shoemaker's ability to incorporate his murals into the architecture of the space that they occupy. With a subtle color palette, the imagery blends seamlessly with the original color of the block wass of the building it is on. This mural was commissioned by the owner of the building. Look closely and you will see the NC state bird as a pop of color in the mural.
Unity in Diversity (2006)
In 2006, Marianne DiNapoli-Mylet worked with Ashe Middle School and the local Latino community to create Unity in Diversity, a mural that reflects the cultural landscape of Ashe County by depicting a community scene. Unity, Diversity, Peace, and Tolerance are spelled on the edge of the design, with two white doves brandishing a banner that says Peace in Spanish. The overall design of the mural was inspired by Diego Rivera’s works. This mural was created by using the parachute cloth technique where artists are able to paint the entire mural onto a special fabric before adhering it to the wall. This made collaborating with Ashe Middle School and volunteers from the Latino community a breeze because Marianne just had to roll it up and transport it from one location to the next. This project was funded by the Arts in Education Residency Grant from the North Carolina Arts Council, as well as the Ashe Middle School. Additional funding was provided by Handmade in America, West Jefferson Community Partnership, and the Ashe County Arts Council.
Weathered Pines
Weathered Pines was painted by R.T Morgan in 2003 and funded in part by the Ashe County Revitalization Committee. Weathered Pines is the second mural to be painted in this location. With buildings changing and being renovated, the murals sometimes have to change with them. It is also common for public art and murals to increase the property value of a building.
Train to Nowhere
Stephen Shoemaker is known for his artworks depicting trains. This mural is his most recent work, the stone arch is inspired by the tunnel at Cone Manor on the Blue Ridge Parkway. You may notice one of the framing stones has since fallen. Stephen says he prefers for his murals not to be touched up, he'd rather them fade away just like the artists themselves do eventually.
This One (2023)
This one's for our people of the hills and the hollers. The ones who've been here a long time and are rooted indeed. It's for the ones who farmed long before the buzzword sustainable was tossed around. The s word then was survival and everybody was doing it. It's for the ones who hunted and fished not as hobby or sport, but for food and still do. It's for the families who have a little tobacco allotment and use that money to pay their taxes, buy their kids new shoes, and have a simple Christmas. It's for the ones who grew the corn and buckwheat, and the ones who ran the mills and steels.It's for the Ginseng Hunters, the Berry Pickers, the Healers, the Loggers, and the ones every neighbor could count on if you got in the mess. It's for the ones buried on the hillsides in family cemeteries and the ones carrying their names still today and keeping the mountain ways alive.This one's for the locals like us.
Cut at Devil's Stairs (2001)
The Devil’s Stairs is a site along N.C. 88, just east of the community of Warrensville. The spot got its name when the Norfolk & Western Railway (now Norfolk Southern) extended the rail line from Abingdon, Va., into Ashe County, N.C.Around 1914. A section of rock at that bend in the river was dynamited, and the resulting formation resembled a set of giant steps ascending the side of the mountain. The stairs may have been designated as the devil’s because at least one construction worker is said to have been killed in the dynamite blast. But that wasn’t the last tragedy to take place along those tracks. As Stephen was working on the mural, a man stopped by and told him the story of little Hopal Turner, a toddler who tragically lost her life on the tracks of the Virgina Creeper a long time ago in 1945. Within the snow towards the front of the train, you will see a teddy bear Stephen dedicated to Hopal. Her story is part of the legacy of the train and a tribute to the spirit of survival that marks the mountain people of North Carolina’s High Country.
