Artists paint mural on Beatties Ford Road to lift spirits after deadly shooting

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Beatties Ford Road is getting new artwork on the street.

The artists behind the mural say the inspiration for the painting sparked after last Sunday’s shooting. Four people died and several others were hurt.

The artists will be out there for the next several days to create messages in bright, vibrant colors to catch your eye so you don’t forget about the tragedy that happened.

Eventually, the balloons that sit along the Beatties Ford will deflate, flowers will wither away, but it’s the painting that took 6 hours to complete that won’t fade away – at least not anytime soon.

“We want this to last...outlast us, outlast the artists who are doing it, the community, the people who are doing it. We want it to go on forever if I can use the word forever,” said Deneer Davis.

Davis is one of the artists who spent time working on the mural.

“The purpose is to uplift, empower, and encourage the community,” Davis said.

The finished piece reads “Beatties Ford Strong.” Three words that can mean the pain is real, but better days are possible.

“The community is going to have to step its game up, the police, the schools, the churches,” said Michael Gresham, a resident.

Love and peace are what so many people on the Northwest side of Charlotte so desperately want right now. They’re hoping this mural can reach people so a shooting like the one last Sunday doesn’t happen again.

“This is heartbreaking. Somebody is burying their child today. Some mother is weeping and mourning, never to speak to their child again, so I think all the artwork is good,” said Lisa Knox, another community member.

The same artists who worked together on this mural are the same ones who created the Black Lives Matter mural in uptown Charlotte. They say their art is a form of advocacy.

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