CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Mecklenburg Investment Company building turns 100 years old this year. On Friday, Feb. 18, the first event was held to celebrate the milestone, bringing together new and established artists while carrying on the mission of those who founded the building.
A few hundred people strolled through The Brooklyn Collective Friday night at their Brush Stokes and High Notes event that showed off art from numerous local and international artists.
"I've been working on it for about six to eight months," Beverly Smith, who's a Charlotte-based mixed-media artist, said as she pointed at her latest quilt she made.
"I drew these on the fabric," she said, pointing to the sewn-in faces of her siblings on the quilt.
She's one of five professional Black artists whose work is part of the 'Still Standing' exhibit.
"This is actually a replica of the Grace AME Church," she said pointing at the quilt.
Smith stitched the quilt together inside the church next door. It's a quilt built with the fabric of her own family's history.
"It is very important to keep that connection going and those stories being told so people don't forget," she said.
The stories told through the art on the walls help to celebrate the Mecklenburg County Investment building that's still standing 100 years later.
"This event is an opportunity to do exactly what The Brooklyn Collective is here for, and that is to be a collision point for the community," said Monique Douglas, who helps lead the collective.
In the next room, young and emerging artists like 'Delmar' had their art in full display as they made connections with others in the community and artists.
"The fact that they're already settled into their profession and I'm just starting gives me motivation," said Delmar. "I want to be in that next room soon."
And that's what it was all about in the end: artists coming together to move each other up, in a historical building that still stands tall while staying true to its mission.
"The work that was done in this building is still going on," said Douglas.
Contact Hunter Sáenz at hsaenz@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.