Pink Hill is a hidden gem on the south side of Lenoir County. Working in local news, I’ve visited the town a time or two and knew it would be a perfect starting point to launch the ENC Local ARTbeat Capture Tour. The day started with a car whipping around and asking us to delete their addition to our video.
A lovely woman helped me locate the murals hidden amongst the local businesses. I probably gave my husband a heart attack by getting in the car with a seemingly random stranger, but I knew her mama, it was fine. It’s #PinkHillThing.
The first piece we captured was a mural on the side of a building promoting a local business, Brewed on Broadway.
The second mural we visited was at the Pink Hill United Methodist Church. It was a lovely mural that we couldn’t wait to capture, and take a group photo in front of. The mural was done by Karen Whitley Butler in May of 2016.
Let me take a moment to thank everyone who joined me on this adventure today. In no particular order, my husband, Derrick White, my bestie, Julie Babbin, her husband, Patrick Rooney, their daughter, photographer extraordinaire, Jose Perez, and his daughter. You are all incredible!
Right around the corner behind the church held the next mural. This mural was done by a friend of mine, Seraphim Smith. As always, I couldn’t wait to see another piece of his work. Those who know me, know my prized possession is a piece by Smith called Jabbertonky.
One of the people who went with us today, didn’t know who Fig Jones was and educated the group with what she found online. It was a great learning experience in addition to the exploration of a really cool town.
Next to Two Preppy Girls Boutique on Broadway Street is a small, adorable mural with the hashtag #PinkHillProgress. If local art is a sign of progress, Pink Hill is well on its way!
After our excursion through downtown, we went to a local eatery, Two Dogs Pizza. We just missed the church rush, and were all alone in a back room which suited us perfectly, we were excited and it showed in our conversation. If I can give a shoutout to the amazing server who took the time to hang out with us and learn why we were in Pink Hill.
I’ve been nervous about this tour, wondering would the app work as intended (IT DID!), would I find sponsorships to help pay for gas and food for the volunteers (I did not), and could this app beat the odds by proving that real people want to use real products that help promote their communities? While I don’t have the answer to that yet, I’m encouraged with how well today went.
Next week, on Sunday, March 8, 2026, we will be capturing La Grange, North Carolina as the second leg of our tour. We hope you’ll join us in La Grange!
Kristy Kelly
App Developer
