Luminous Lane
Bringing Light to Dark Places
Luminous Lane is an alleyway located half a block away from Tryon Street, connecting 3rd Street and 4th Street, that has been covered with murals, paste-ups, fiber art, and more. The project began as part of Charlotte SHOUT! Spray Jam in 2023 with the theme “Bringing Light to Dark Places” and curated by Sydney Duarte and Treazy Treaz.
The purpose of the project was to transform a forgotten, unappealing space into a vibrant, contemporary arts destination to showcase the talent of the local creative community. The alleyway has been fully transformed and is now referred to as Luminous Lane. Luminous Lane is an exemplary example of what can be created when artists are supported and given the space and opportunity.
At the beginning of the Charlotte SHOUT! Festival, 27 artists were planned to contribute to Luminous Lane. This number quickly grew and by the end of the festival, 42 artists contributed to the alleyway. Many of these artists donated their time and skill to the project to be part of this innovative and moving transformation in Uptown Charlotte. The artwork in Luminous Lane has been dedicated as the artists' love note to the city that will permanently live on for years to come. You can learn more about the artists and their murals below.
Luminous Lane
100 E 4th Street
Charlotte NC 28202
Abel R. Jackson III
Artist Bio: Abel R. Jackson III is a deliberate creator who chooses to live his life as a painter and muralist in Charlotte NC. As a child he excelled in the visual arts, spending considerable time coloring, drawing, and painting for fun. It was not until Abel took a transformative art class in high school that he learned that his love for visual creation could be used as a powerful form of purposeful self-expression. In 1994 Abel enrolled at Winthrop University where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design. Upon graduation, he immediately gravitated toward airbrush painting. Not only did it provide a means for him to make a living as an artist, but it also gave him the power to paint anything on anything. After 15 years of supplying high quality artwork and creative services, Abel gained mastery in the art of airbrush as well as aerosol and acrylic painting techniques. Throughout his career, Abel has had the honor of showcasing his work in various galleries, exhibitions, and public spaces. His art has been recognized and appreciated by art enthusiasts, collectors, and critics alike, earning him a reputation for his ability to create visually stunning and thought-provoking works of art. In recent years, Abel’s focus has shifted towards mural painting, allowing him to make a more tangible impact on the community. Through large-scale artworks adorning buildings and public spaces, his works foster a sense of unity, pride, and inspiration. Abel’s murals have become landmarks, telling stories of resilience, celebrating cultural heritage, and promoting social change. “As an artist, I believe in the transformative power of art to bridge gaps, evoke empathy, and encourage dialogue. Through my paintings and murals, I strive to awaken the viewer's senses and provoke introspection, inviting them to explore the depths of their own consciousness.”
Ann Duarte & Sydney Duarte
Artist Bio: We are Ann Duarte and Sydney. We are a dynamic muralist and interactive art installation duo turning BIG dreams and visions into reality, spreading positive messages through our original artwork. Our pieces are meant to spark thought and help you pause, reflect, and breathe in all the things that make you feel grateful for this life. We create to inspire, bring love, laughter, hope, and awareness back to the community. We help communities transform spaces and create vibrant neighborhoods that people want to visit, live in, and take care of.
Brett Toukatly
Artist Bio: TWOKAT is an illustrator at heart. Born and raised in North Carolina, TWOKAT brings funk by building bold black and colorful creations. Sometimes loveable and sometimes bizarre, his drawings are always fun.
Brian Michelotti
Artist Bio: Based out of Charlotte since 2019, Brian is a mixed media artist specializing in large scale murals and lettering for businesses. He uses a blend of spray paint and acrylic mediums to create deep textures and glowing atmospheres that counter abstract 3D elements in an aesthetic way. Deeply inspired by graffiti and classical art, he seeks new ways to illustrate the two worlds mixed with a pinch of architecture. Brian has accomplished much since 2019, including works at Queens University, Wooden Robot locations, Lowe’s Tech Hub, and many others.
Carlito Quartz
Artist Bio: Carlito Quartz, is a highly inspired creative, solely focused and specializing in large-scale contemporary muralism, as an artist, creative director, curator, and producer. He has created significant artworks across the US, South America, Europe, and Australia, totaling 100+ murals in public and private spaces. As a co-founder of The Mural Co., he has facilitated over 250 mural projects, alongside 50+ world leading mural artists. Embedded in his artwork and process is always the intention to connect with place, engage and inspire audiences, and beautify, transform & activate spaces.
CHEEKS & Katrina Sánchez
Artist Bio: CHEEKS is a multifaceted artist who likes to explore creation in all its forms. Specializing in painting and murals, he brings large surfaces to life. While also pursuing passions in sculpture, fabrication, and installation art to further enhance the environment the art will be displayed in. Sánchez explores ideas of play, community, and healing through her vibrant exaggerated weavings. Katrina’s work plays with scale, texture, color, and touch exploring relationships between our physical environments and each other.
DeNeer Davis
Artist Bio: DeNeer Davis is an educator, muralist, speaker, and sneaker artist born and raised in Charlotte, NC. A graduate of UNC-Pembroke, Davis earned a BA in Exercise Sports Science and was an NCAA Division II Athlete. Davis explains, “I had dreams of playing professional basketball, but after tearing my ACL and I discovered a new passion and talent – art. I believe art provides a vehicle to express oneself, start conversations and be a voice for the voiceless. My goal is to inspire and be inspired by other artists, students, and the community.”
Dorian Williams
Artist Bio: Dorian Williams is an artist and designer from Virginia who has put down his roots in Charlotte, NC. He has lived primarily in Northern Virginia and the coast (Norfolk) before settling in Charlotte in 2018. He specializes in vibrant colors and illustrative character work. He has also been featured in several live art performances. He is inspired, and frequently uses pop culture references in his work mixed in with his own original characters; inspiration is also drawn from world cultures/religions and folklore.
Emerson Stoldt
Artist Bio: Emerson Stoldt specializes in the design of buildings for Education, Community, and The Arts. As an architect, he enjoys designing and building sustainable spaces for people to come together. He often creates tension in his pieces by combining clear, hard-lined geometry with abstract gestures and flowing strokes of color and motion. By treading the legal gray-area of wheat pasting, he can create temporary guerilla street-art installations that contain colorful messages and often include imagery of current popular culture issues juxtaposed with instantly recognizable themes from classical and contemporary art.
Emily Andress
Artist Bio: Emily Andress graduated from William Woods University with a bachelor’s degree in fine art with concentrations in printmaking and painting. Utilizing plenty of negative space, vivid color, and black line, the work proved to be popular in the US and abroad. In the mid ‘80’s, Emily took a hiatus from printmaking and worked towards finding her style in oil painting. By including her linework from her printmaking days into her paintings, Emily’s style is instantly recognizable as her own. Emily’s work has been shown nationally and internationally.
Emily Sage
Artist Bio: Emily Sage is an award-winning Independent Songwriter, Producer, Composer, and Soundscape artist. Sage’s music has strong leanings in jazz, soul, and cinema and her romantic songwriting style is largely influenced by her time spent growing up in Portugal. The Luminous Lane Soundtrack, curated by local songwriter, producer, composer, and soundscape artist Emily Sage, unfolds as a captivating two-part project. Inspired by themes and artists found in the alleyway, the music weaves instrumental tales of wonder, hope, grief, and love. Featuring a diverse array of artists, both national and international, the collection notably highlights numerous female composers.
Erik
Artist Bio: Erik Woodall is a visual artist who enjoys working with larger canvases. Including buildings, walls and moving structures. Using aerosol and acrylics.
Esther Morehead
Artist Bio: Esther Moorehead was born in Toronto, Canada. She’s an avid traveler and each new place has a significant impact on her creative journey. She grew up immersing herself in many creative outlets, from drawing and painting to stage design and small theatre production, music, and event planning and catering. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in art education in South Carolina, she returned to Toronto to teach high school art and geography. She began taking painting commissions and realized her true passion lay in building a career as an independent studio artist.
ESTKO
Artist Bio: ESTKO (Erin Svitko) is an multimedia artist, and graphic designer living in Charlotte, since 2014, originally from Southern Maryland. She was lucky to have the constantly evolving ecosystem of graffiti and street art when she lived around DC, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. In 2013 she started drawing and painting geometric abstractions, botanical elements, and body parts. Abstract line art is ESTKO's way to celebrate women and abstractly express struggles that are uncomfortable but need more awareness. ESTKO wants her art to help end stigmas, stereotypes and encourage others to do the same.
Euli
Artist Bio: Born and raised in Los Angeles CA, Eulises “Eulizerd” Orellana is a self-taught artist on a mission to bring dope yet silly art to the streets of Charlotte. Euli’s illustrative style is influenced by Japanese anime, American comics, and the cartoons of yesteryear. His designs are best described as carefree in subject yet careful in execution. When you see clean lines, big teeth, and squishy faces you best believe you’re looking at a Eulizerd special.
FOKES
Artist Bio: FOKES is a local Charlotte artist that is well respected in the art community.
Gray Edgerton
Artist Bio: Manoela and Gray of KiiK Create are alumni of Pratt Institute, Brooklyn NY and have been collaborating on art for over a decade. They have painted murals and exhibited works in both North and South America as well as in Puerto Rico.
Hxncho? da Don
Artist Bio: Hxncho? is a Designer/Artist from Charlotte, NC who likes to paint his euphoric imaginations and express his inner worlds of aliens and monsters, specializing in painting and multimedia works he gives a new twist to abstract cartoonism. While also pursuing the works of fashion design. A young prodigy some say but the young Don just started.
JBIRD
Artist Bio: Jason “JBIRD” Parker is a street artist / muralist Native to the Charlotte NC area. JBIRD is heavily influenced by retro pop, pop culture and subculture particularly the art and design influence of graffiti, punk rock, hip hop, skateboarding, arthouse, and cult cinema. JBIRD’s mission is to spread art far and wide to keep the world colorful, beautiful, and weird.
JEKS
Artist Bio: Jeks, graffiti/mural artist from Greensboro, NC, has made a name for himself globally with his hyper realistic monochromatic portraits as well as massive full color pieces. The amount of meticulous detail, smooth gradients, emotion, and saturation in his pieces set him apart from other artists in the realism field. He has painted hundreds of walls across the US, Colombia, and Canada. Between painting commissioned, eye-popping new murals, and a relentless hunger to push the envelope, he is on his way to becoming a well-known and sought after name in the public art world.
Joey Obso
Artist Bio: Joey Obso is a graffiti artist and muralist born and raised in Charlotte, NC. A student of the craft, he studied in the streets and abandoned buildings around the region. Lessons were learned through experimenting with all available spray paint techniques. While his work today is rarely contained within one specific style, his shapes and colors are infused with a youthful energy and sense of exploration. In the future he hopes to find new mediums to explore and bring his work to exotic places, while inspiring others along the way.
John Hairston Jr.
Artist Bio: John Hairston Jr. is a fine artist/ illustrator from Charlotte, NC. Raised in the era of Reaganomics and hip-hop culture, Hairston uses a mixture of street art, expressionist sensibilities, and vibrant colors to create an aesthetic all his own. Hairston had participated in dozens of group gallery shows across the country and provided illustrations for numerous musical acts. He is the recipient of many awards including Charlotte Shout! Poster Contest 2018, Center City Vision Award 2016, and Midsouth Regional Emmy 2015. Hairston is a firm believer in art and activism.
Junior Gomez
Artist Bio: Originally from New York City, Junior followed his passion obtaining his bachelor’s in visual arts from Wells College. In 2021, he committed to my lifelong passion and became a full-time professional artist. As life is so often deafened by chaos, Junior’s art seeks to be an outlet for hope. Junior wants to inspire others to do the same in their own lives. Creating a connection to the beauty of the world we inhabit; his art will activate the curiosity in his viewers as they explore the deepest realms of their own imaginations.
Katrina Pinkclouds
Artist Bio: Katrina Cherry is a painter from Charlotte North Carolina. She is skilled in creating 2D and 3D art for people to enjoy. Katrina partners with local art focused non-profit organizations that advocate for social justice in Charlotte's marginalized communities. Katrina's art often consists of tranquil landscapes and concepts that relate to African American culture.
Marcus Burke
Artist Bio: Born in Beaufort, SC and raised in Queens, New York, changing the World one interaction at a time.
Mark Doepker
Artist Bio: Mark Doepker is a Charlotte, NC based artist, originally from Mid-Michigan. Mark is a lifelong self-taught artist and draws from live models. The people you see are your real neighbors from our local community. He has worked in collections across North/Central America and Europe. With his current work there is no preliminary sketch. "I feel when a piece is finished it kind of serves as a mirror of sorts and helps you see and know things about yourself that may not have been so easy to realize without this mirror.”
Matt Moore
Artist Bio: Moore’s street art can be spotted in nearly every neighborhood in the Queen’s City. Moore has always used art to express what his words cannot. From a young age, he started with a simple sketch pad, transitioned to watercolors, then to painting in front of audiences. He still paints in front of audiences. It just happens to be on a 10-story tall canvas in front of hundreds of people a day. He just wants to create art that’s emotional; like him. Art that’s thought provoking; like him.
Miss Lotus
Artist Bio: Miss Lotus is a dynamic and engaging street artist dedicated to exploring femininity and the alluring female form through the use and exploration of the spiritual lotus flower. In all her work Miss Lotus brings glowing energy and a sparkling vitality that uplifts as it transcends. Miss Lotus prides herself on bringing her artistic explorations to places where such imagery and beauty is acutely needed. The work of Miss Lotus has appeared across the country in places like Los Angeles, New York City, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Miami, Atlanta, and Charlotte.
Mitzi Patton
Artist Bio: Mitzi was born in Charlotte, NC in 1972. She was born into a creative family and spent her childhood being taught various skills from needlework to welding. Mitzi went on to flight school where she earned her commercial pilot and flight instructor ratings. Over the years Mitzi worked as a set designer, graphic designer, muralist, illustrator, decorator, and even an antique lamp restoration painter. Mitzi and her husband began Abide-A-While Acres, an enchanted venue for workshops, celebrations, photography, film making and whatever they feel led to pursue.
Natalie Daratony
Artist Bio: Is a Charlotte-based, self-taught artist and muralist who loves all things nature and neutrals. She seeks to bring the peace and intricate beauties of nature into the city to remind everyone to pause and breathe in the natural world around them. She hopes her art, colors, words, and creations bring more peace to all the environments they are found in and fill people with calm and pause.
Nony
Artist Bio: I’m a local Charlotte mural artist, born in Trujillo, Peru, district of La Libertad. I came to the US at 10 years old in 2000 with my mother and sisters to Charlotte. Now 22 years later, my wife and I are raising our beautiful daughters in the city that allows me to call art a career. I’m blessed and thankful for all my art friends embracing me as I started out a few years ago and more importantly for the opportunities this community has given me. My work is painted with Montana Colors spray paint.
Osiris Rain
Artist Bio: Osiris Rain is an international muralist and post-contemporary figurative painter. He received his formal training at the angel academy of art in Florence, Italy, and under master painter Odd Nordrum in Oslo, Norway. He is the founder of Osiris Rain studios, the Can Jam CLT mural festival, and the North Carolina Academy of Art. His murals and paintings are featured in numerous private and public collections across the globe including the European museum of modern art in Barcelona, Spain.
Pam Imhof
Artist Bio: Artist Pam Imhof has been in the Charlotte area since 2013. Currently, she teaches grades K-5 at First Ward Creative Arts Academy and works as an artist part time. She has completed murals and other public pieces in the Charlotte area as well as in New Jersey, where she previously resided. Her personal artwork includes paintings, needle tatting, drawings, free form crochet sculptures, and more. Pam has been mostly focusing on floral subject matter. Her work is whimsical, colorful, and dramatic.
Primed N Ready – Quez & Silver
Artist Bio: Primed N Ready are a dynamic duo who have been creating street art together since 2018. Specializing in spray paint, they love to depict characters, abstract letter forms, and brightly colored designs inspired by childhood nostalgia and adventure. They add personality and enhance the environment by adapting their style to interact with the unique structure of the surroundings. Both are self-taught artists who never stop experimenting with different media and ways to express themselves, with a goal of designing more murals for the US and beyond.
Randy Pender
Artist Bio: Randy is a portrait and figurative artist living in Charlotte. Randy always had a love for photography, drawing, and painting but never studied those seriously. Those artistic talents were considered ‘hobbies’, not career choices! He managed to find a creative niche and went on to be a media arts major at the University of South Carolina. After University, he pursued jobs that supported my artistic interests but were not specific to painting. Now, Randy has turned his attention to full-time painting and my creative passions.
Rebecca Lipps
Artist Bio: Rebecca Lipps is an artist and educator cultivating interactive experiences by combining sculpture and video. Rebecca’s love for technology started during her studies at Winthrop University where she received her Master of Fine Arts for video installation. She impacts her community by making public art, teaching classes, and involving herself in arts organizations. Rebecca is on the board for Talking Walls Mural Festival and other arts organizations around Charlotte. Her goal is to impact her community by collaborating with other artists to create events and experiences for the public.
Rex RitaRita
Artist Bio: Rex was born in the Philippines and traveled to America at 5 years old and has lived in Charlotte since 2008. Rex has always been inspired and drawn to creativity and self-expression in a variety of forms including fashion, interior design, hair and of course, art. Rex hopes his work inspires others to pursue individual artistic endeavors that encourage introspection on their own past/present, and the role those experiences play in shaping future perspectives and experiences. Rex hopes everyone can celebrate with given or chosen families and lets light and love guide the path to peace and love.
Scott Whiteside
Artist Bio: After years of living among the animation archives in Burbank Studios, Scott Whiteside has returned to his hometown to put his unique fingerprint on the complex art world of appropriation. He has found his own creative voice through his love and appreciation of the rich history of animation.
Swych
Artist Bio: When it comes to his art, his style is influenced by graffiti, cartoons, comics, and everyday life. He gains inspiration and knowledge through friends, family, music, movies, and other artists he looks up to. Evolving with each piece that he creates. He likes to take a silly, quirkiness approach with his characters and create vibrant colors for the subject to tell a story. At the end of the day, he wants to put a smile on people's faces through his art.
Sydney Duarte
Artist Bio: Sydney is a community activist, adventure enthusiast, motivational speaker, retreat leader, muralist, installation artist, graphic designer, owner at Duarte Designs, and creator of all things magic. She is an interdisciplinary artist who creates to elicit multi-sensory experiences through her work. She enjoys enhancing each new environment by adding 3D and illusionary elements to transform the most unlikely of spaces. Her work with art and yoga brings community together to spark inspiration and ignite healing. She guides others to step out of their comfort zones, embrace new experiences, live a life they love, and settle for nothing less than extraordinary.
Treazy Treaz
Artist Bio: Treazy is an artist from Brisbane, Australia. Painting has played a pinnacle role in his life, teaching him priceless gems about the values of freedom, friendships, and keeping an out-of-the-box state of mind. This has allowed Treazy to travel the world, leaving a colorful legacy from Paris catacombs subway to the Amazon Jungle. Treazy is on a mission! He’s here to stand for freedom and spread a message of peace, love, and light. With artwork designed to inspire and uplift the spirit, he’s channeling energy towards humanity’s awakening and a brighter future.
Luminous Lane was produced by Charlotte SHOUT! 2023 and curated by Sydney Duarte and Treazy Treaz. Thank you to Charlotte Center City Partners, Arts and Science Council, Sherwin Williams, and Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff for their meaningful contributions. Thank you to the participating buildings for providing a unique canvas to showcase local artists. Lastly, thank you to the artists for sharing their work and bringing light to dark places.