Who are the 8 greatest Carolinas artists?

It’s a two-fer kind of deal: Eight artists from the Carolinas, honored by eight current Charlotte-area artists.

That’s the plan, says Tom Gabbard of Blumenthal Performing Arts: Ask the public to nominate “legendary” artists, then get artists from around here to paint the columns in the Spirit Square atrium to honor those eight.

Charlotte artist Matt Hooker will designate who’s doing the painting; he was one of 10 graffiti artists who painted the columns in the Knight Theater lobby for last October’s Breakin’ Convention. Gabbard declares that work a success and wants to do something that would stick around longer (those were only up for a few days).

Nominate an artist who “was born in or has another strong connection to” North or South Carolina – yes, it can be literature and performing arts, in addition to visual – at BlumenthalArts.org/nominate by noon Feb. 5. Honorees will be named mid-February (those doing the painting will be announced earlier in the month).

Helen Schwab

This story was originally published January 20, 2016 at 6:00 PM with the headline "Who are the 8 greatest Carolinas artists?."