PHOTO | ARTS & SCIENCE COUNCIL

Marcus Kiser, one of seven Arts & Science Council Creative Renewal Fellowship recipients, advocates using public art to educate and preserve history in underserved and challenged communities.

Marcus Kiser uses art as a platform to help people.

The West Charlotte High School alumnus is one of seven Arts & Science Council Creative Renewal Fellowship recipients. Fellowships are awarded to individuals who have dedicated at least a decade as a career creative and generated most of their income over the last three years from their work.

“ASC is committed to providing opportunities for the individuals that drive the creative vibrancy and energy found in Charlotte-Mecklenburg,” ASC President Jeep Bryant said in a statement. “We know supporting artists and creatives at all stages of their careers is essential to the role arts and culture play in shaping the future of this great community.”

Kiser and “Intergalactic Soul” co-creator Jason Woodberry have begun exploring augmented reality to foster a conversation around social justice. Kiser intends to use his fellowship to dive deeper into multimedia animation and augmented reality can be reimagined as public art in Charlotte’s communities of color. He also intends to work on his multimedia skills by taking classes and online programs to enhance the experience.

“I have these ideas of reimagining how public art looks, and how we treat public art,” Kiser said. “I want it to be educational. I want it to be fun, but also examine it through this futuristic lens and a digital medium. There are wild ideas that I imagine on how these things can look, and how they can benefit a bunch of communities fighting gentrification, and how they can educate and preserve history in these communities.”

Charlotte has seen more public art in recent years, especially in neighborhoods transforming in terms of race and economics. The art, however, doesn’t always reflect community tastes, history or sensibilities.

“One thing I’ve noticed about this public art, and this is just my lens, a lot of this art is going up in gentrified spaces, which happen to be communities of color,” Kiser said. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for public art, and I’m all for creativity. However, there is a clash when we’re throwing a bunch of random art pieces up in these random spaces. They’re not telling the narratives or the stories of these spaces, and we’re losing a lot of the culture from these spaces. There’s a way to preserve the history and culture in these spaces through the art we’re putting up.”

Charlotte’s struggle with gentrification is not hidden, but does public art weave a trail through these experiences?

“We have to be honest, they are not throwing up murals over in SouthPark—not the way we did in NoDa, and now NoDa is pretty much gentrified,” Kiser said.

Charlotte’s Historic West End is among the neighborhoods facing gentrification. Yet residents are protective of what public art appears in their neighborhood.

“I’ve noticed there’s a difference—I’m not allowed to go and throw up a Star Wars mural on Beatties Ford Road without connecting with that community first,” Kiser said, “and having community meetings and feedback about what I’m putting up, why I’m putting it up, and what’s the purpose of it going up.”

Kiser also has a Knight Foundation grant to produce public art in Historic West End. Over the last two years he has learned the significance of community input in the creative process.
“I’m looking at a bunch of other public artists in town, and I’m wondering if there was any community pushback to put up their work,” Kiser said. “West End has taught me a lot.”

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