PHOTO | JON STRAYHORN

Murals by artist Tommie Robinson in Second Ward High School’s gym.

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Eye surgery could not stop Tommie Robinson.

The 71 year-old Charlotte native underwent surgery on both while creating a pair of murals to commemorate the former Second Ward High School, which were dedicated in Second Ward Gym earlier this month.

“It was difficult, because I had two cataract operations during the process, and the project made me realize how old I was,” said Robinson, who will turn 72 on March 31. “At 72, you don’t celebrate a lot. You’re just glad to be 72. My life has been great. Someone asked me if I could be reincarnated who would I come back as. I told her I would come back as me, because nobody has had a better life than me.”

Said Lisa Lewis DuBois, chair of the Public Art Commission, the entity responsible for selecting the artists in programs like this: “When this public art opportunity arose, the desire was for the artwork to tell the story of Second Ward High School and the positive impact it had on its students.”

Robinson had to wait approximately five months between surgeries but he is in good health.

“During the time I was doing the project I had a couple health issues, but I was glad the Arts & Science Council was patient enough to wait on me,” Robinson said. “I’m sitting here working on a painting now. The surgery came out real well.”

Said Carla Hanzal, ASC’s vice president of public art: “As (ASC Public Art Project Manager) Randella Foster and I visited his studio to see the progress of these paintings, we had the opportunity to see beautiful, detailed line drawings beneath the layers of paint, which testify to Robinson’s love of drawing as well as painting. It was a pleasure to see these meaningful paintings come to life.”

The murals coincide with the Second Ward Gym (710 E. MLK Jr. Blvd) renovation as part of the 2016  capital improvement plan with a $52,792 budget. Robinson’s work titled “Go Tigers!” and “We Too, Shall Rise,” reflect the school’s significance in Charlotte’s history. Second Ward School, with the exception of the gym, which was built in 1946, was demolished in 1969 to make way for urban renewal.

“I enjoyed doing the project because I remember urban renewal,” Robinson said. “When I was 14, I had a job working on a milk truck. One of my milk routes was in Brooklyn. I was glad I was chosen to do the project because I was very familiar with the school and the community.”

Said Hanzal: “Through the advocacy of Second Ward alumni, Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation renovated and preserved the gym and dedicated this facility on Labor Day weekend, …2018.  The county has made a concerted effort to document and celebrate the history of Brooklyn and Second Ward School through historical panels and display cases.”

Said Mecklenburg County commissioners Chair George Dunlap: “Tommie’s work celebrates the history of the Second Ward High School’s academics and cultural activities, as well as the pride of the school’s alumni.”
 

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