Public Art - Biltmore Hills
Public Art - Biltmore Hills
Project Details
Biltmore Hills Park is a 39 acre park with a swimming pool, tennis courts, baseball field, basketball court, playgrounds, some wooded trails, picnic shelters, and a well used community center. The public art should honor this historic community, involve residents in the sharing of community history, and enhance the Biltmore Hills Park. The Biltmore Hills Park has long been a central heart of this community which hosts sporting events, social gatherings at the baseball fields, playground, community center and pool.
The park is situated within the historically important Biltmore Hills neighborhood. Biltmore Hills was developed in the 1960s by John W. Winters, Raleigh’s first black council member who also started a successful construction and real estate company. The neighborhood is notable for its well-built, mid-century modern brick dwellings. The neighborhood tells a story of the history of black home ownership in Raleigh and the US. Residents who grew up in the neighborhood tell stories of eating lunch in the park during the summers and being able to walk to school until the neighborhood was cut off from the school and Rochester Heights neighborhood by the development of Interstate 40. The City is currently working on a National Register Nomination for the Biltmore Hills neighborhood.
Additional information can be found in Raleigh's Black Heritage and Historic Places: 1945-1975.
Learn more about the Biltmore Hills Tennis Improvements Project
Public Artist - Georgie Nakima
Georgie Nakima is a contemporary artist based in Charlotte, NC, and the creator of Garden of Journey, a visual exploration of identity, nature, and the human experience. Her work focuses on public art and the relationship between 2D and 3D space through illustration, mixed media painting, and sculptural installations, characterized by vibrant colors, intricate linework, and surreal compositions. Her art reflects a deep connection to Black and Indigenous heritage, and the interplay between reality and imagination, drawing inspiration from nature, mythology, and Afrofuturism.
Self-taught and formally trained in the sciences, Georgie has honed her craft through years of experimentation. Her work has been featured in the Mint Museum, Ackland Museum, Starbucks, and the World Trade Center, as well as in publications like Elle Magazine, The Boston Globe, and ArtForum. Through Garden of Journey, Georgie invites viewers on a visual odyssey, exploring the beauty and complexity of life’s ever-evolving path, using art as a means of connection and transformation.
Project Timeline
2024 - 2028
About Raleigh Public Art
Mission: To create and integrate diverse artworks into Raleigh's landscape in order to establish a vibrant visual environment that provides public places with civic distinction, as well as fostering meaningful connections between people and place.
History: In 2009, the City of Raleigh adopted ordinances creating the Percent Art Program. The program allocates 1% of funds from capital construction projects for public art. Public art associated with City of Raleigh construction projects is managed by the Raleigh Arts Office. More information about Raleigh Arts can be found at https://raleighnc.gov/raleigh-arts.