Story

The trail to the North Carolina Musician Murals begins in Chapel Hill, on a wall inside Pepper’s Pizza (pictured below), more than a decade ago. It’s where Scott Nurkin, owner of The Mural Shop, arranged portraits of renowned musicians from around the state, many of whom he idolized as a drummer growing up in Charlotte. The deal worked in his favor two ways: it showcased his work and, in exchange for the decor, he received “free pizza for life.”

When Pepper’s shuttered in 2013, Nurkin ate his last comped slice, but the art lived on, thanks to Mark Katz, then chair of UNC’s Department of Music, who purchased the lot and commissioned more to display in Hill Hall on campus. They remain there, a small piece of North Carolina music history preserved.

Today, the NCMM trail is coming together as Nurkin ultimately envisioned it—as large-scale murals in the hometowns of the musicians he originally honored at Pepper’s. In collaboration with Backdrop, a Raleigh-based consultancy, The Mural Shop is hitting the road; from John Coltrane on the historic Opera House in Hamlet to Earl Scruggs on Newgrass Brewing Co. in Shelby, the project reaches communities small and large, rural and urban, in every part of North Carolina. It’s our hope you visit, share with friends and family, and help us appreciate the legacy of some of the finest musicians the world has ever known.