The Discovery
mural with community component
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This mural was commissioned by Durham County for a new downtown development located a few blocks from the historic Hayti District—once a thriving center of African-American entrepreneurship often referred to as “Black Wall Street.” After learning about Hayti’s history and the devastation caused by mid-century urban renewal and the construction of NC Highway 147, we began to see how stories like this can remain buried in plain sight.
The mural sits beside the garage entrance of the building—an “under the bed” space that felt like a natural threshold for the concept. In the image, a young girl holding a teddy bear and a flashlight shines light beneath her bed, capturing the moment of discovering something she did not know before.
The scene connects a child’s act of curiosity with the uncovering of history itself. Once something is brought into the light and truly seen, it cannot be unseen, and it becomes part of the reality we carry forward.
• 65' x 16'
• 2,500+ triangles
• around 100 people participated in the community painting portion
• 2,500+ triangles
• around 100 people participated in the community painting portion
