Roof structure missing. Windows not maintained. Insufficient exits. Inadequate lighting.

The ordinance violations read like an autopsy. A roof? Roofless – the monicker bestowed upon 1209 Parkwood Avenue — didn’t feel the need to be so constrained. Art shows, concerts and charity fundraisers felt a home under the stars.

Born seventy years ago, the slab and block building originally served as a cleaners. Some say one of the first, if not the very first, cleaners in the city. In its final years, Roofless ceased commercial use and transformed. Roofless not only hosted art and music events but inspired art and became art itself.

In the shadows of Uptown’s towers and multi-million dollar corporate art projects, Roofless provided art and culture to a neighborhood too often overlooked. All were welcomed and many joined in the fellowship and sharing. Roofless represented what it means to bring grassroots art to the underserved.

Fire dancers danced, drummers drummed, bands jammed. Neighborhood residents and artists alike mingled and chatted over covered dish dinners. What would appear as an uninhabited structure one day would be transformed into an art gallery the next. In fact, it was known as a “gallery for [con]temporary art.”

Two of the biggest supporters of Roofless were Bryan and Jennifer Shields. The Shields teach design at UNC Charlotte, and their independent study students used roofless as the basis of various architecture projects. Boom mounted lights and retractable canvas awnings – designed by students – breathed new life into the venerable structure.

“These reclaimed post-industrial sites can not only provide a space for community interaction and cultural exchange, but serve a didactic purpose, becoming a physical timeline illustrating the past and present of a site and culture,” states Bryan Shields on his website.

The Shields had also worked with urban planners and community members to design a green, sustainable, small business incubator using the existing structure of Roofless. The design for Parkwood Green incorporated shipping containers, canvas roofs, water collection and solar power. Unfortunately the design did not have time to materialize.

Roofless was razed by the city in early January; victim of a new city ordinance. According to WFAE, “The ordinance took effect last April giving the city authority to inspect privately-owned business buildings and demand improvements for safety and appearance.”

Shortly after the loss of Roofless, WFAE reported on the impending demise of other historic structures in Charlotte such as the Davis General Store; all victims of the same ordinance.

Debating the merits of the controversial ordinance is perhaps best left to bureaucrats and politicians. Dreamers and designers like the Shields have moved on to yet another rehabilitation project.

In February, the Shields and UNC Charlotte student Cherish Rosas stepped over gravel and broken bricks as they toured their new project. From a fire escape they took notes and made observations, re-imagining the post-industrial plot as a shared neighborhood cultural space. They will return after spring classes to continue their vision.

Like flowers sprouting though pavement cracks, artists and designers are continuing to bring new life to overlooked industrial spaces in the forgotten shadows of Uptown.

Street art found in the Derita neighborhood of Charlotte.

Friday, January 14th, was the opening of The Late 2010 Blues, a photography exhibit by Armando Bellmas. All the photographs in the exhibit were made using a smartphone. The exhibition was at Dialect Gallery in NoDa. Dialect, a design firm by day, converts into a gallery and hosts a new exhibition the second Friday of every month. Follow Armando Bellmas and Dialect Design on Twitter.

Four bands performed live on New Years Day at Area Fifteen, including We Are Royalty, Reader, ElisaRay, and Daniel Gallagher.

Charlotte people, places, and events of 2010.

photos: James Willamor; view this video on Vimeo

One hundred, twenty-six photos of Charlotte taken in 2009, more or less in chronological order. The majority of the photos were taken for CLT Blog and Crossroads Charlotte. The song is Brand New, released in 2009 by Charlotte area artists One Big Love. A list of events and people featured in the slideshow is after the break.

First Night Charlotte, Uptown
Tailgating at Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers, Uptown
Pecha Kucha Night Vol. 2, Alive in NoDa
Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade, Uptown
Barcamp Charlotte Pre-party, Uptown
Barcamp Charlotte, Area 15
March 2nd snow, Uptown, Southend
Blake Edwards and Chris Crutchfield work on the short film “Fait”, Uptown
Amazing Race Bar Crawl, Uptown
Art Social night, Area 15
Saturday on Sunday, Saturday Skateboards
St. Patrick’s Day parade, Uptown
Trips for Kids/The Recyclery. Area 15
Charlotte-Douglas International Airport
Dugg Dugg gallery opening, NoDa
Jonathan Reed filming “Guys Night Out,” Eastway
Sharazad Improv, Wine Up, NoDa
Streetwise Drift, Metrolina Expo, Derita
Postgig Charlotte, Green Rice Gallery, NoDa
Art and Soul, Southend
CLT Blog town hall with Anthony Foxx
CLT Blog Sky News Team, Uptown & Southpark
Duke Energy Center construction, Uptown
Richard Thurmond, Charlotte Magazine BOB Awards party, Southpark Mall
June 5th flooding, Mallard Creek Greenway, University City
Taste of Charlotte, Uptown
“Southern Holiday” at Dugg Dugg, NoDa
Uptown Amphitheater opens at NC Music Factory, Uptown
Plaza-Midwood Gallery Crawl, Plaza-Midwood
Wheelie Man, Uptown
NASCAR Hall of Fame construction tour, Uptown
Culture Initiative Show and Tell, Neighborhood Theater, NoDa
Heroes Convention, Charlotte Convention Center, Uptown
CLT Blog town hall with John Lassiter
Bill Fehr, Charlotte bike messenger
William Puckett and mural at 3213 N. Davidson, NoDa
Sharazad Improv, Dugg Dugg, NoDa
Cobbler at Latta Arcade, Uptown
Wedding photos, NoDa
24 Hours of Booty, Myers Park
NoDa Gallery Crawl
Carlos Espin, Parkwood Green, Villa Heights
Pride Charlotte, Gateway Village
Charlotte Caribbean Festival, Independence Park
Nationwide Kiss-in, Freedom Park
Battle Slam Jam, Grayson Skate Park
Pat McCrory, Charlotte Transportation Summit, Convention Center
Sprinter Enhanced Bus unveiling, Wilkinson Rd. service center
Mario artist, NoDa
Emerging Artists tent, Festival in the Park, Freedom Park
Charlotte Greek Festival, Dilworth
Ghandi Park dedication, Uptown
Charlotte OUT Parade, Uptown
Charlotte Zombie Walk, Uptown
Dr. Richard Dawkins, Queens University
Barcamp Charlotte 2 pre-party, roofless building, Villa Heights
Barcamp Charlotte 2, Area 15
August 22nd thunderstorm, NoDa & Derita
Dios de Los Muertos, Levine Museum, Uptown
“American Children’s’ Home,” Dugg Dugg, Southend
John Lassiter campaign election night, Blackfinn, Uptown
Puerto Rican Festival, Plaza Fiesta, Carowinds
Firebird Statue (Disco Chicken) unveiling, Uptown
Bechtler Museum of Modern Art prepares to open, Uptown

photo: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr

Update: I received this feedback from Catherine Cervantes, which I found interesting:

“I stumbled across this note from a mutual friend and I feel compelled to comment. While I can appreciate your opinion on this project, there is more to the story than what is seen on the surface. The goal of the project was to put public art on Central Avenue to visually improve the streetscape and give the corridor identity. Waste Management was the only entity willing to be a part of it… and not from lack of trying. For what its worth, you have to admit they do do their job, right? =)”

My reply: I agree with the need to improve the streetscape on Central. Interesting if it is true that Waste management was the only entity willing to be a part of the project. Unfortunately, having trouble finding someone to host public art isn’t unheard of in Charlotte. The Arts and Science Council had trouble finding a home for Carlos Herrera Burgos’s large mural, which I mentioned on this post for CLTblog.com (and I still haven’t found out what the eventually happened to the mural).

If you live in Charlotte, then you probably heard the debate about the decorative trash cans along Central Ave. The trash cans cost $1,290 each. The idea – public art to add beauty to Central Avenue – is good. The execution – trash cans – could have been done better.

More after the break.

I think it is wonderful that Charlotte automatically sets aside 1% of the city’s budget for most public works projects to be spent on public art.” I agree completely with local actor and artist Stephan Monteserin when he says art “transforms cities from a series of buildings and roads, to vibrant and alive spaces.”

However, the decision by the Arts and Science Council to use funds to decorate trash cans seems like a design blunder. I can’t say it any better than commenter “momness” on the Charlotte Observer article, who writes, “attention should be drawn AWAY from utilitarian items such as AC units, light poles, TRASH CAN AREAS, etc. The object of good design and presentation is not to ‘decorate’ undesirable-looking items, but to draw the eye toward the true artistic object, whether it be a beautiful garden, a sweetly architectured building, or whatever.”

The point being that the art on the trash cans draws attention TOWARDS the trash cans. Not surprisingly, trash cans generally have a negative connotation associated with them. Also, the issue of cost is more apparent with trash cans. Most people know you can run down to Target and pick up a trash can for ten bucks. In comparison, $1,290 each seems obscene. But if the art had been incorporated into bus shelters at the stops, cost may not have been as big an issue, because who knows how much a bus shelter costs off the top their head?

For a good example of art that is also functional, there are some nice, old, tiled benches in NoDa at 35th Street and North Davidson:

photo: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr

I personally prefer public art that reflects something in the community – be it members of the community, or historical elements of the community, or certain themes that ties the community together. I like how the trash cans posted above feature the crown into the design. One example of tile art that I love is at the LYNX Scaleybark Station. The art represents themes that have historically defined our community and region. Besides the two below, there is also “The Crown” and The Cotton” at this station:

photo: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr

photo: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr