In the spring of 2022, Central Piedmont Community College selected two local artists, Rosalia Torres-Weiner and Felicia Sky Sutton, to create a large-scale mural honoring the past history of the college, documenting the present, and reflecting the aspirations of Central Piedmont students for the future. In celebration of the completion of the mural project, Central Piedmont will host a panel discussion with the muralists and technical executive, to share their experience, inspiration, and process creating the mural. The panel discussion is open to all Central Piedmont students, employees, and members of the community. We invite all attendees to join us after the discussion for a reception in the lobby of the Parr Center Theater.

The Central Piedmont Mural of History spans 13’ x 98’ on the first floor of the 184,000-square-foot Parr Center. Its placement benefits from the nearby dining space, which is flooded with natural light thanks to the floor-to-ceiling glass windows that overlook the Charlotte city skyline. The mural demonstrates the college’s commitment to the fine arts and its support for the creative culture of its surrounding community.

The mural illustrates the history of the college in three compositional layers. A historical layer on the bottom in muted tones represents the College’s early years. A colorful, middle layer highlights student stories and tells the story of the advancement of educational programs and Central Piedmont’s expansion to multiple area campuses. The equally colorful top layer, purposely left abstract, represents the future of the College and all its possibilities.

Visitors to the mural will enjoy the added element of augmented reality (AR) built into the murals metadata. The RedCalacAR app, available for IOS and Android devices, allows the viewer interact with the mural through the power of technology. The AR design provides the viewer with the opportunity to enjoy various animations, listen to student stories, songs and poetry and learn more about the history of Central Piedmont.

Torres-Weiner and Sutton are both former Central Piedmont students, and were chosen from a highly skilled pool of applicants to work collaboratively with current students, faculty, and staff to create an interactive mural. The mural covers a large wall in the dining area of the Parr Center on Central Campus. The Parr Center serves as the student services hub and includes a new campus library, a 450-seat theater, a rooftop terrace, a 1,100- square-foot art gallery, and a makerspace for students to explore careers and creativity.

Rosalia Torres-Weiner is an artist, activist and community leader in Charlotte. Her art captures the themes, colors, and rich symbolism of her native home of Mexico. She took her first steps toward a creative career by taking graphic design courses at Central Piedmont. After operating a successful interior arts business, Torres-Weiner shifted the focus of her work from commercial art to art activism in 2010, by using her art to document social conditions and to raise awareness about issues affecting immigrant communities such as family separation, access to public education, racism, and moving beyond common stereotypes. Her work is featured in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Anacostia Museum and has been exhibited in a variety of venues, including the McColl Center for Arts and Innovation, Levine Museum of the New South, the City of Raleigh Museum, the Latin American Center for Arts Gallery, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, and the Mexican Cultural Institute at the Mexican Embassy in Washington D.C. Her story “The Magic Kite” was adapted by The Children’s Theatre of Charlotte.

Felicia Sky Sutton is an educator, muralist, and multimedia artist who believes art creation and art education are an important pathway to self-empowerment. Working with paint, video, digital illustration, and most recently animation, She captures the essence of her subjects and tells stories through colorful portraiture, symbolism, and visual metaphors. Sutton is passionate about the use of public art to empower, build, and strengthen communities, and to bring new life to forgotten spaces. She attended Central Piedmont’s dual enrollment program before transferring to and graduating from Appalachian State University with a bachelor’s degree in art and visual culture. Her work has been in a number of group and solo exhibitions in Boone, N.C.; Charlotte and, most recently, in Philadelphia. In addition, she has been published in multiple publications and magazines.