Blumenthal Announces Honorees for A Tribute to Carolina Artists

Charlotte, NC – March 18, 2016 – Blumenthal Performing Arts proudly announces the eight artists from the Carolinas who will be honored with original art installments at Spirit Square. The public was invited to nominate potential honorees and Blumenthal received over 1,200 nominations. Based on those nominations, the eight selected honorees are Maya Angelou, Romare Bearden, James Brown, Dizzy Gillespie, Andy Griffith, Earl Scruggs, Nina Simone, and James Taylor.

• Maya Angelou, the prolific author, poet and civil rights activist, called Winston-Salem, N.C., home for nearly 30 years. Her notable works include “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” and “On the Pulse of Morning.”
• Romare Bearden, born in Charlotte, N.C., in 1911, was a celebrated painter and writer. His legacy was recently honored with the naming of Romare Bearden Park in Uptown Charlotte.
• James Brown, born in Barnwell, S.C., is referred to as the “Godfather of Soul” and had hit singles with classic songs like “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” and “I Got You (I Feel Good).”
• Dizzy Gillespie was a celebrated jazz trumpeter, bandleader and composer. He was born in Cheraw, S.C., in 1917.
• Andy Griffith put the state of North Carolina in the Hollywood spotlight with his hit television show “The Andy Griffith Show,” which was based in Griffith’s hometown of Mt. Airy, N.C., or “Mayberry.”
• Earl Scruggs was a legendary bluegrass musician from Shelby, N.C. He is best known for his three-finger style of playing, his work with Lester Flatt, and the Grammy award-winning tune “Foggy Mountain Breakdown.”
• Nina Simone, born in Tryon, N.C., in 1933, was a renowned singer and civil rights activist. Her notable songs include “My Baby Just Cares for Me” and her version of “I Loves You, Porgy.”
• James Taylor is a singer-songwriter who spent his childhood in Chapel Hill, N.C. Taylor reminisced about his home state in the hit song “Carolina in My Mind,” which quickly became an unofficial anthem for North Carolina.

Blumenthal coordinated with Charlotte artist Matt Hooker to designate the local artists commissioned to paint the columns. Hooker was one of 10 graffiti artists who painted the columns in the Knight Theater lobby at Levine Center for the Arts in celebration of Breakin’ Convention last October. The painted columns at Breakin’ Convention were such a hit that Blumenthal sought to create a more lasting similar project.

Painting is expected to begin at Spirit Square on Monday, March 21, and will continue throughout April. Television camera crews and print still photographers will be invited to cover the painting and installation. The specific media dates are to be determined.