Asheville Brewing Company, 77 Coxe Avenue, features “Can Vault," a Brushcan Custom Murals project. Here, the building façade is adorned in mid-century patterning with abstracted, geometric representations of pint glasses. A distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture. This mural is a great example of the challenge in working within a building’s parameters to create a dynamic and cohesive composition.

Artist: Brushcan Custom Murals
Brushcan Custom Murals offers a combination of art and design services including high quality murals, signs and specialty/faux finishes for a diverse clientele. Created in 2014 by artists Scott Allred and Jeremy Russell, Brushcan has contributed many murals to the South Slope neighborhood and the greater Asheville area.

Scott Allred has worked as a custom sign painter, graphic designer and muralist for over 30 years. Beginning his career as a scenic painter for an international theme park company, Scott developed a wide range of skills and techniques that still inform his work today. Preferring traditional methods of working, his murals are mostly hand painted with an often historic and classic feel.

To learn more about Scott Allred: www.brushcan.com

Chemist Spirits, 151 Coxe Avenue, features “South Slope," a mural designed by James Donaldson, Creative Director of Chemist, and Scott Allred of Brushcan Custom Murals. The goal of this work was to celebrate the present day South Slope brewing district while honoring the businesses that existed in the area a century ago. Many of the phone numbers and business names listed are authentic to the time, Mountain City Laundry and Sawyer Motor Company among them. Painted in a style that resembles “ghost signs” that remain from businesses long ago, the mural was created by adding and removing paint in a way that would mimic the wear and fading that happens over time.

Referenced in the “South Slope” mural is Asheville’s historic Battery Park Hotel and its prominent developer Edwin Wiley Grove. In 1924, to build his Battery Park Hotel, Grove had to relocate a mountain of dirt from the hotel site to fill a gully, creating what is now the current Coxe Avenue. Grove, along with his notable Asheville projects, also created Grove’s Tasteless Tonic Chill, a malaria remedy claimed to have sold more bottles than Coca-Cola in 1890. Chemist Spirits sits on what used to be Edwin W. Grove's property.

Additional Work:
On the far left of the Chemist building is another work, “The Chemist” also by James Donaldson and Scott Allred. This work is hand painted, created to resemble a vintage advertising poster. Chemist’s custom 24K gold-leaf signage was also created by artist Scott Allred of Brushcan Custom Murals.

Artist: Brushcan Custom Murals
Brushcan Custom Murals offers a combination of art and design services including high quality murals, signs and specialty/faux finishes for a diverse clientele. Created in 2014 by artists Scott Allred and Jeremy Russell, Brushcan has contributed many murals to the South Slope neighborhood and the greater Asheville area. Currently, Scott continues to operate Brushcan while Jeremy now focuses on his fine art career.

Scott Allred has worked as a custom sign painter, graphic designer, and muralist for over 30 years. Beginning his career as a scenic painter for an international theme park company, Scott developed a wide range of skills and techniques that still inform his work today. Preferring traditional methods of working, his murals are mostly hand-painted with an often historic and classic feel.

To learn more about Scott Allred: www.brushcan.com

Instagram: @brushcan

The mural at Hi-Wire Brewing, 197 Hilliard Avenue, was created by artist Ian Wilkinson to make the once very ordinary building more noticeable. Now impossible to miss, this colorful explosion pops out of the landscape as an invitation for fun. Fun and interesting is what Hi-Wire strives for as they honor the tradition of craft beer while not taking themselves too seriously. In keeping with their carnival vibe, the mural is created to look like a circus tent, embracing the spirit of the brewery, and in their words, “this little circus town we call Asheville.”

The tight-rope walker and the silhouette figures found on the side and front building façade were created at an earlier date by artists Josh Spiceland and Gabriel Shaffer. The walker concept was inspired by the brewery’s flagship lager label designed by a North Carolina artist.

Artist: Ian Wilkinson
Ian Wilkinson is a painter and nationally recognized muralist with works in the national mural registry. Through his work, Ian recognizes the power and obligation of the artist’s platform to do good, empower people and create change. For Ian, working in the public realm is a tool, a way of telling a story, of communicating, of giving a voice to the voiceless. With this he welcomes the potential to provoke, to challenge, but ultimately to enrich the viewer. Finding value in creating work that maintains its relevance, Ian’s work embodies the universal principles of truth, connection and our basic humanity.

For more about Ian Wilkinson: www.ianthepainter.com

Artist Caren Frost Olmsted created “100 Years” for Swannanoa Cleaners at 165 Coxe Avenue. Taken from an actual photograph from the early 1900s, the mural shows two of Swannanoa Cleaners’ delivery men in route to pick-up and drop-off laundry by horse and buggy. The horse used to model for the mural was Kayro, the personal horse of past owner and great-granddaughter of the business’ founder.

Artist: Caren Frost Olmsted
Caren Frost Olmsted is an award-winning artist and art educator currently located in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. Caren’s work is wide and varied including large and small-scale murals, book and poster illustration, theater set and lighting design, and hand-painted musical instruments. With a passion for collaborative mural projects, Caren has created over 76 murals in schools, community centers and hospitals with anywhere from 100 to 800 participants per project.

For more about Caren Frost Olmsted: https://cfodesign.com/

Instagram: @olmstedmurals

Wicked Weed’s Funkatorium, 147 Coxe Avenue, features “Les Tonneliers” by artist Jordan Atkinson. You will find the mural on the northern side of the building facing the outdoor patio area. Inspired by the brewer’s barrel aged sour beer program, this work pays homage to traditional barrel makers, known as coopers, in a trade dating back as far as 2600 B.C. The far left of the mural shows a cooper hammering a metal hoop. To the right of that is a cooper setting a stave - the wooden pieces that make up a barrel. And to the far right is a cooper attaching the metal hoop to a barrel which holds it all together. Adorning the background, is a mind-bending, surrealist flower motif to represent the sour beer experience.

Artist: Jordan Atkinson
Artist Jordan Atkinson made many contributions to the Asheville mural scene. Now living in Seattle, WA, Jordan works in a variety of mediums including painting, drawing, digital media, industrial design and sculpture. While in Asheville, Jordan worked as a bartender for craft brewer Wicked Weed and was given the opportunity to design murals, logos, packaging, posters and even tap handles for the brand.

To learn about Jordan Atkinson: www.jatkinsonstudios.com

Instagram: @atkinson.studios