AMT @ Wilkesboro, NC
  
Enjoy your mural trail Experience!   Have a "Transformational Moment" when you take your selfie in front of a historic Mural and share your experience on the Selfie Page.

Town of Wilkesboro
"Where the Mountains Begin"
Wilkesboro, NC

Exit BR Pakway MilePost: 276.4
  Mural Artist: Wes Gregory(1967-2015)
Trail Member/Sponsor: Town of Wilkesboro

Mural Description

    The "Where the Mountains Begin" mural celebrates the colorful landmarks and legends of Wilkes County: Stone Mountain State Park, W. Kerr Scott Reservoir, and Doc Watson. Local artist Wes Gregory designed the mural of Doc Watson, a well known area musician who helped begin the Watson Festival at Wilkes Community College.

    Wilkes Art Gallery 2015 Summer Honors Art Program participants are: Danielle Addington, Sydney DelBridge, Mikayla Howell, Brittney Johnson, Payton Osborne, Katherine Poteat, Erica Walker, and Trey Warren. The summer enrichment program pairs professional artists with talented, local high school students to create works of public art for the community.

    In appreciation of Kelly and Jennifer Royall for sharing their building as a canvas for public art.

    Funding for the mural was provided by the Wilkes Art Gallery, the Town of Wilkesboro, and Valspar Paint.

    The Wilkes Art Gallery Summer Honors Art Program is sponsored by The Kulynych Family Foundation and Katherine Ann Greene Foundation.

Artist Bio

    Wes started drawing when he was very young and won his first art contest at age 8. By ninth grade, he won first place in a national art competition for artists aged 13 to 19 for Seventeen Magazine. Wes won for his watercolor portrait of his great-grandfather who was a violin maker from Ireland.

    He later won first place in the Congressional Art Caucus 6th District in 1985 for his watercolor of Churchill Downs with horses in the foreground and his winning artwork hung in the White House during the Reagan administration. Wes was inspired by a photo of a hunt in the forest of Fontainebleau, France, that he saw in National Geographic and painted a stunning oil painting of it.

    Wes had also created numerous paintings, drawings and Intaglio prints that are beautiful and he continued to create new artwork, in addition to his many designs for the interiors and exteriors of residential and commercial projects.

    His last great art work was the building-sized mural of Doc Watson for the town of Wilkesboro, which was created and designed by both himself and his wife Gia, and executed and installed primarily by Wes, with the assistance of his wife. Always the gentleman, he didn't want his wife up on the lift truck or any scaffolding. They both put an incredible number of hours into the mural, over three and a half months, and he would work all day and paint much of the night too! He was an extraordinarily gifted artist who left his imprint on the world.



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     AMT @ Wilkesboro, NC

Visitor
Comments


    comment by: Gloria
Love, love, love ❤ all the art we saw and experienced while in Asheville!!Laura

    comment by: Lois
Brilliant way to allow visitors to enjoy the sites and sounds that Asheville has to offer.

    comment by: Rebecca&Susan
We just loved all of the murals in Asheville! Asheville is a fun vibrant interesting town!

    comment by: Catherine Wilson
    (Asheville, NC)

As a member of Carolina Street Mural group, I learned about The Appalachian Mural Trail! After reviewing your web page. I planned my road trips to locate the trail murals, reflect on them and photograph memories of my trip!

    comment by: Tammy Compton
    (Fort Myers, Florida)

Love it! We went looking to take selfies with 3 and found over 20 murals!

    comment by: Angie Trapp
    (Concord, NC)

Beautiful mural in Sparta, one of my favorite places! 😊❤️

    comment by: Debra
    (Falls Church City, VA)

Doreyl,
Thanks for letting me know! What a great project!
It added cool stops to my visit and I love seeing art and the artist was around that day to meet.


    comment by: Cristy (Mountain City, TN)
We have been getting much more traffic around our murals, and a lot of it is due to the publicity from your organization!
Thank you!
We will unveil our newest (and largest) mural on September 4th.


    comment by: Cindy Hedrick Day
It's beautiful! Thank you!!!!
Awesome! You made my day! Love love love it!.
I saw the email re the Mural Trail special in process of being made. Can't wait to see it. We are working to finish our projects, exhibit changes, etc. Who knew it would take so long! But, it's soon finished!!!
Looking forward to seeing this!
Thank you again!!!


    comment by: Marcie Toomey
This is our second visit to Holy Trinity.. we always leave blessed and humbled ❤️

    comment by: Chelsea
Thank you so much for the quick response! I received my shirt and thoroughly enjoyed the trail! Thank you for all of the hard work put into this project!

    comment by: Debbie Dillion
Just came across your website and it is great! I plan to look for these murals in my travels. A phone app would be awesome.

    comment by: Carol
Lincolnton, NC, is loaded with murals! And I love them all!

    comment by: Barry & Cindy Beaulieu
we got to see the Fresco in W. Jefferson NC and is amazing ... we were on our two wheeler the Voyager... nature declares there is a God... everywhere you look... thanking ya'll so very very much...

    comment by: Vickie Sealock
    (Welcome Center Manager)

I love what you folks are doing. Several years ago we went to Exeter California to see their Mural trail. We spent hours in this little town looking at the murals and trying to find the hidden objects in each. We talked with the towns people, had lunch, shopped in the shops. I love the mural trails, and yours is going to be one of the best. Thanks for keeping us in the loop.

    comment by: Liz
Art is everywhere in Asheville! This gorgeous mural of Dolly Parton by Gus Cutty is the newest mural you'll see in town. Gus created the mural with spray paint in 3 days. See it for yourself at Beauty Parade on Haywood Rd in West Asheville.

    comment by: Karen
Roanoke murals are awesome to see... love the mural with girl floating in air... the poetry one was neat!

    comment by: Big Tom
This is great mural art, will be remembered a long time...

    comment by: Bob
This is very expansive mural, covers many walls inside the cradle building. Beautiful art mural, a must see!

    comment by: Dolly
Love the big murals!!!

    comment by: Lisa Patten
I love the mural trail. It's like seeing a gift at Christmas!

    comment by: Ann Barbare
Beautiful mural of Maggie Valley

    comment by: Jennifer
Love your mural artwork! The local references, the depiction of marvelous, beautiful, and colorful nature - landscapes, birds, animals, butterflies, and glorious flowers - invites close study and is very engaging!

    comment by: Carol
Looks like progress being made! Can't wait to see the mural at Joeys.

    comment by: anonymous
Can't wait to see this beautiful mural art in person at Joey's Pancake House

    comment by: Amy
I love your little sneak-a-peek view. Need more...

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     AMT @ Wilkesboro, NC




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