Updated April 4, 7:30 a.m.
Local artists held a rally in NoDa on Thursday, where they painted over dozens of murals with beige spray paint.
The artists were raising awareness for the local nonprofit ArtPop Street Gallery, which is in danger of shutting down amid a funding shortfall, even as the city of Charlotte has yet to release $2 million in funding meant for smaller arts organizations like ArtPop.
Since 2013, the local nonprofit has supported up-and-coming artists by displaying their work on billboards, connecting them with paid opportunities and college scholarships, and showcasing their work at community events.
Founder and Executive Director Wendy Hickey said the nonprofit was now in jeopardy after several of their grants expired. She said the group needed to raise $350,000 within the next 60 days or it would have to shut down.
"For the last 15 months, our funding has declined drastically," Hickey said, "We've been quietly asking and meeting and applying for grants, and it hasn't been working."
She said painting over murals at the TAOH Outdoor Gallery on North Brevard Street was part of a new publicity campaign called "Save Art From Death" meant to generate donations and raise awareness of what Charlotte stands to lose without adequate arts funding.
Artists call on city to release $2 million in arts funding
Charlotte muralist Osiris Rain, who created the outdoor art gallery and graffiti park with fellow muralists Sydney Duarte and Treazy Treaz, spent much of Wednesday and Thursday covering its murals with beige paint.
"It was painful," he said. "Especially being the manager of this place — it hurts! I’m painting over my friends. And this color is hideous."
Rain and Duarte are among many local artists who've worked with and received support from ArtPop, Hickey said. In 2016, the group featured Rain's work on billboards, and ArtPop had helped connect Duarte with paid opportunities.
"Honestly, it hurts my heart seeing the space in this way," Duarte told the crowd gathered at the outdoor gallery Thursday. "I hope this is a loving smack in the face to the city to be like, 'Hey guys, what are we doing? Why are the arts not being funded in a better way?'"
The artists said the city of Charlotte had set aside $2 million in funding for smaller arts organizations, but the funds had not yet been distributed as the city seeks an organization that can administer the funds.
The city did not respond to a request for comment from WFAE. In a statement to Queen City News, a city spokesperson said staff were evaluating applications from organizations that could distribute the funding, and that the $2 million would be dispersed "in the coming months."
