The Block

Digitally Printed Mural
June 2025

As part of the City of Greenville’s BUILD grant revitalization and in partnership with the Pitt County Arts Council at Emerge, I contributed to a creative placemaking initiative at the Elizabeth Street Roundabout. The design features three 4’ x 8’ panels installed along the retaining wall, inspired by the rhythm and energy of jazz music and the historic legacy of Albemarle Avenue, a landmark on Greenville’s African American Cultural Trail.

The goals of this project were central to the design:

Reflect the rhythm and energy of jazz music and the colorful pattern created by the music notes.
A strong connection to the history of Albemarle Avenue is encouraged as this is a historic African
American Cultural Trail location.

RESEARCH

“I operated the [beauty] shop, and Charles [Shivers] had the shoe shop next door, and there was a little peep hole through his shop I didn’t know was really there.”

— Louise Shivers

Alex Albright - Location: The Block (Article)

Getting an accurate understanding of the history of the area was pivotal prior to creating a single sketch.

To Pitch a Boogie Woogie (Video Doc)

Initial Sketches

Now informed with the people, places, and important details of the area, I could sketch out ideas confident that I had immense knowledge of the subject matter.

My idea going into the sketches was to cross reference the 1987 recreated map, and highlight all the specific key spots from the recollection of interviewees. Along with getting their locations to one another accurately, this accomplished the goal of connecting to history.

Jazz is represented in this piece as being the pulse and soundtrack of the Block. It leads you through the panels, and is played by the musicians of the visiting Winstead band, as well as aspiring Greenville musicians. This shows the power of jazz to energize a whole block, and accomplished the goal of reflecting the rhythm and energy of jazz.

Final Version: Panel 1

Highlights the businesses: The Ice House, taxi service, Bell Cafe (Grant & Rosa Bell), Plaza Theatre (John Warner), and Brown’s Barber (name of man).

The series of panels goes from right to left, the direction that you would enter “the Block” by foot or car. The musicians on top of the buildings are traveling musicians, namely the Winstead band, which were very common at the time.

Final Version: Panel 2

Highlights the businesses: Midgette’s Beauty Salon, Shivers’ Shoe Repair (Charles Shivers), Stars Warehouse, Wet Wilson & City Pool (Sylvester Wilson), Red Eaton’s (E.H. Eaton), as well as the AME Zion Church.

The Stars Warehouse is where musicians from other cities or states would come to perform popular music. It didn’t matter if you were the artist of the song, so long as you sang it well. The Stars Warehouse had a red rope in the middle, which segregated Black listeners from White ones.

Final Version: Panel 3

Highlights the businesses: the Red Rose Club, Willie’s Oyster Bar (Captain B. Willie), Rainbow Cleaners, Roxy Theatre (John Warner), and the S.S. Tropicana club.

“The Block” lasted from roughly the 1920s to the ‘60s, with
its peak popularity being the ‘40s and ‘50s. The need for Black business bureaus dwindled out when segregation was
outlawed, and Black consumers could be allowed to integrate
White-owned shops.