The Music Box on Main Street
made possible by Friends of Cville Downtown
The “Music Box on Main Street” is a grand installation of artwork now being fastened to the Dewberry building at 200 East Main on the Cville Downtown Mall, featuring the paintings of acclaimed guest artist Eric Waugh.
The extraordinary Music Box on Main Street installation is made possible by Friends of Cville Downtown, a private group dedicated to increasing social and economic vitality in Downtown Cville.
The Music Box on Main Street features ten vinyl-mesh panels measuring an incredible 9 stories high, imprinted with Eric’s dynamic paintings. There is also one 190’ horizontal banner featuring a piano keyboard that wraps around the 2nd Street base of the building. The open-weave mesh allows the wind to pass through the banners. The artwork will be on display for 16 months.
The mesh panels were fabricated and installed by CSI–DigiLink, an Alexandria, Virginia, commercial printing and graphic display company with special expertise in large-format installations. The installers lifted the banners to the top of the building, then rappelled down the face of the building, unfurling and fastening as they descended.
The Art of Eric Waugh
The “Music Box on Main Street” is an artistic installation at 200 East Main Street on Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall, and features ten 9-story-high banners that are imprinted with two paintings created by famed artist Eric Waugh. The installation is funded by private contributions.
Eric Waugh is one of the most recognized and collected fine artists in the world. He has sold well over 45,000 original artworks, globally, in the past 30+ years. During his illustrious career, he has created incredible art installations and has painted live on stage with a who’s-who of musicians and celebrities. Fusing art with music, Waugh paints live to the beat, capturing its rhythms and energy on his canvas. He was commissioned by Forbes to immortalize its “30 Under 30” winners and was featured in 20 pages of the magazine. He created the world’s largest painting of John Lennon—2,500 square feet—to celebrate International Day of Peace. He also entered the Guinness Book of World Records for
“The World’s Largest Painting on Canvas by One Artist.” The unveiling of this installation was featured live on NBC’s Today Show and garnered international media attention. The painting, entitled “HERO,” took over 5 years to complete, and was 41,400 square feet. It was a giant mosaic of 1,656, 5’ x 5’ stretched- canvas panels.
Waugh works primarily in acrylics with mixed media elements. With its vibrant colors, rich textures, and lively images, Waugh’s fun-yet-sophisticated art reflects his own heartfelt passion for the arts and his appreciation for life’s simple pleasures. Eric’s art celebrates life. His artistic themes embrace the excitement and energy of urban life, romance, music, sports, celebrities, animals, popular culture, wine, and still life. Waugh describes his artistic style as “Pop Fusion.” Eric’s art is a unique blend of myriad artistic styles, including pop art, expressionism, art deco, and cubism.
Waugh’s exploration with his technique has given his art energy and vitality, resulting in an immediately-recognizable, fresh, uplifting, and distinctive style.
It is an honor for me to be a Friend of Charlottesville, and to contribute to the vitality of its wonderful Downtown Main Street. This is thrilling, and I hope it gives pleasure to all who see it.
~Eric Waugh
Friends of Cville Downtown hope to bring Eric Waugh to Charlottesville later in the Spring to give talks and also to present a master class.
The image facing Main Street is called “Jazz Makers 1,” and the image facing Water Street is called “Jazz Makers 2.” Eric states: “I wanted to pay homage to the rich history of one of America’s greatest downtowns, its warmth, its people, and its love for the arts.” The black marble façade on the building, with its tall white windows, is reminiscent of a piano keyboard, and that piano keyboard motif is carried around the 2nd Street and Water Street sides of the building.
Friends of Cville Downtown is a new non-profit that works with City Government and the Community to craft strategies and implement projects that can stimulate Downtown social and economic vitality and make Cville even better and more inclusive. Learn more at FriendsofCville.org.
Friends of Cville Downtown is a group of stakeholders who care deeply about the future of Cville and work in partnership with City Government and the Community to craft strategies and implement projects that can stimulate Downtown social and economic vitality, and make Cville even better and more inclusive.
Friends of Cville Downtown is a forum for fresh ideas and a catalyst for the advancement of the common good — a public-private placemaking partnership to invigorate Downtown Cville.
Friends of Cville Downtown will provide leadership on critical issues, and work to define and implement 1, 3, 5, 10-year innovation plans and strategies to expand transit, safety, sanitation, housing, economic development, and community inclusivity.
Friends of Cville Downtown, Inc. is a Virginia not-for-profit Corporation (tax-exempt status pending) and a Committee-Advised Fund at the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation. Donations are tax-deductible. Tax ID: 87-3321523.
For more information:
Michael Caplin: M.Caplin@FriendsofCville.org
Susan Payne: S.Payne@FriendsofCville.org