Home of the Airborne

In fall 2023, as part of the Muralist Cohort: Making Your Own Opportunities in Public Art in Durham, I was encouraged to research a more experienced muralist working in the field. I decided to take that a step further. Instead of stopping at research alone, I reached out directly to North Carolina muralist Max Dowdle and asked whether I could volunteer on his crew in exchange for the chance to learn from him in person. He agreed, and the timing aligned beautifully: he was just beginning Home of the Airborne in Spring Lake, North Carolina. It was one of those moments where if you put it out there, the universe aligns.

The mural is part of the Spring Lake Art Trail and was created as a tribute to America, its troops, and the 82nd Airborne Division. Painted on the Beatitude House wall near the corner of Main Street and Spring Avenue, the work spans approximately 1,380 square feet. 

What made the experience especially meaningful to me was not only the chance to help on the mural itself, but the way it reflected the deeper lesson of that Durham cohort: that sometimes opportunities are not something you wait for, but something you make. Reaching out to Max, offering my time, and stepping into a real public art project in progress turned research and curiosity into hands-on learning.

For me, this project stands as a reminder that growth in mural-making often happens through initiative, generosity, and showing up. The wall mattered, of course, but so did the exchange around it — the willingness of one artist to share experience, and the willingness of another to ask, travel, help, and learn.

Title: Home of the Airborne
Size: 23' h x 60' w
Site/City: Main Street and Spring Avenue, Spring Lake, NC 
Medium: Exterior latex paint 
Date: October 9, 2023