Phot courtesy of Jamil Dyair Stel
Entitled “The Essence of Kindness,” this piece was part of a campaign for a local nonprofit, AboutFace Charlotte, and is now on permanent display at the Levine Children’s Hospital.
Jamil Dyair Steele
Uses Art to Interpret Black Life By William Carter, Jr.
T
he Black Lives Matter mural that Jamil Dyair Steele painted on South Tryon Street in Uptown Charlotte after the violent deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor last summer was a seminal cultural moment in the Queen City that will surely be chronicled in the city’s permanent history. Steele’s mural is on permanent display at the Mint Museum Uptown in the Carroll Gallery. The City of Charlotte selected Steele’s “Heritage of Biddleville” mural design as the winner of Charlotte’s I-77 and West Trade Street underpass project proposal request. Steele will receive $30,000 and a 185-foot mural installation of his winning design. The
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mural celebrates the Black culture of the Historic West End and will complete 2012’s “Passing Through Lights” public exhibit, which illuminates the underpass. The North Carolina Department of Transportation is currently in the final stages of approval for Steele to begin painting the project. Steele said he was ecstatic when he won the proposal because it was “a great opportunity to capture the essence and vibrancy of the West End community.” He added, “I grew up in this community and it’s important to me to tell and help preserve its rich history.” The concept of Steele’s awardwinning mural expands upon his earlier work called “Biddleville,” which depicts a young Black boy with long flowing hair
containing iconic symbols of Historic West End, such as the Excelsior Club and Johnson C. Smith University. As a commissioned artist, Steele uses his striking artwork to influence and creatively frame his hometown neighborhood, West Charlotte. His works include the “Charlotte Past, Present, and Future” mural located in Charlotte’s Historic West End, and three sidewalk murals on Montford Drive in South Charlotte. His work has also been showcased in various eclectic and diverse venues around Charlotte, including the McColl Center, Spirit Square, NoDa@28th Creative Arts Studio and Romare Bearden Park’s Annual Arts Festival. Steele was the lead artist for the AboutFace Charlotte’s Blessing Box
