Art (and flowers) from downtown Raleigh walk June 17, 2020 [View all]
Last night I went for my first walk alone since Snowy left this life on Monday. I decided to walk up to the Capitol Building, which is where we used to walk every morning when I first moved downtown. Last summer, she started letting me know she couldn't walk that far anymore, so I haven't really been there in a long time.
We have had protests since the death of George Floyd. The first two nights, the protests turned ugly and many, many windows were smashed. Two stores--a pharmacy and a convenience store--had fires set in them. Plywood went up all over downtown Raleigh to replace broken windows or protect what hadn't been broken. It didn't take long before artists appeared to make use of the blank canvas. The grounds of the Capitol are now surrounded by barricades and guarded by half a dozen State Police. The large statue on the grounds honoring the Confederate dead has been a target and is covered in graffiti.
Here is what I saw on my route last evening.
West side of the Capitol Building
Fallen magnolia blossoms
Black eyed Susans in front of one of the Baptist Churches across from the Capitol grounds
Lilies on the grounds of the Capitol. When I walked through an opening in the barricades, one of the State Police approached to tell me the grounds were closed to the public, but if I was only going to take some photos, it was ok.
Across the street from the Capitol
East side of the Capitol Building
Unity
On my apartment building
Art is so powerful. I had a conversation with a man who came out of his office building door--across the street from my apartment building--just as I was getting ready to shoot his door. Apparently, most of the plywood--and the art covering it-- will be coming down in the next week. We both hoped that it will be saved and eventually displayed as an important part of the history of Raleigh.
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