NEA grant helps bring second mural to downtown Wake Forest

Wednesday, July 13, 2022 - 3:26pm

On Tuesday, the Town of Wake Forest unveiled a new downtown mural at Unwined on White, 153 S. White St. The wall painting is the second in downtown made possible by a $10,000 matching grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The first, declaring “Life is Sweet in Downtown Wake Forest,” was installed in December 2020 at property owned by W&W Properties & Investments, LLC, 352 S. White St.

Created by local artist Tony Ramsi, the new downtown mural is comprised of four panels, each displaying a different letter that collectively spells out WaFo. Each of the panels reflect the character of Wake Forest, including the fourth which also underscores Ramsi’s love of dogs:

  • Panel 1 features the “W” from a WF letterman sweater on display at the Wake Forest Historical Museum. It also includes downtown’s new branding colors along with several cherry blossoms which provide a subtle transition to panel 2.
  • Panel 2 offers a blue backdrop and features a Carolina Chickadee perched in a cherry tree filled with cherry blossoms. Cherry blossoms symbolize a time of renewal. Since its inception, Wake Forest has continually renewed itself – first as a college, then as a town, and again after the college left Wake Forest in the mid-1950s.
  • Panel 3 features a prominent “forest" green “F” offset by select hardwoods for which Wake Forest is known.
  • Panel 4 displays a golden retriever holding a ring (the letter “O”) in its mouth. Among the most recognizable breed of dogs, golden retrievers are also family-friendly, which aptly describes downtown Wake Forest and the “sense of place” it conveys.

Ramsi’s mural was approved by a selection committee comprised of the Wake Forest Downtown (WFD) Board Chair, WFD Design and Appearance Chair, Historic Preservation Planner, Public Art Commission Chair, Town staff representative for the Public Art Commission, Downtown Development Manager, Property Owner, and Strategic Performance Manager.

“We wanted something that reflects our (Downtown Wake Forest) tagline ‘Where quaint meets cool’ and Tony did a great job of capturing that,” said Downtown Development Manager Jennifer Herbert. “A lot of people know Wake Forest Coffee Company as WaFoCoCo, and we agreed the “WaFo” was especially fitting once we realized the mural panels made the most sense at 153 S. White St., which is across the street from the Coffee Company.”

Residents and visitors to downtown are encouraged to take pictures in front of the downtown murals and post them on social media with the hashtag #TownofWakeForest.

For more information about Wake Forest’s downtown murals, contact Downtown Development Manager Jennifer Herbert at [email protected]. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.

 

About the Artist

Wake Forest-based artist, Tony Ramsi, is a professional painter known for his oil portraits and murals which are mostly inspired by his love of surrealism, dogs, and the ocean. In 2001 he moved to NC to work for a Raleigh-based art company where he honed his skills painting large scale murals and trompe l’oeil.

In 2009, Ramsi was a featured artist on the CBS Morning News. His art has also been featured in numerous magazines. His most recent works can be viewed at TonyRamsiArt.com.