Come join us for Charleston’s first ever annual Mural Festival, where we will be celebrating and promoting the tradition of street art, and highlighting the city’s vibrant heritage! Applications are now being accepted for the 2025 MELT Mural Fest. For the festival 6-10 muralists (or mural teams) will be selected to paint at the festival, which will take place September 11-14, 2025.
If you are interested in sponsoring or volunteering please email us at we@meltcharleston.com.
come melt with us
we’re grateful to be supported by our amazing sponsors
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OPEN NOW!
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OPEN NOW! 〰️
ARTIST Submissions open
ARTIST Submissions open
OPEN NOW!
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OPEN NOW! 〰️
Our goal isn’t just to have a blast geeking out on sick artwork (although we will).
Murals are not merely paintings on walls, and MELT is not only about murals. Public Art is a powerful and immediate way to share inspiration and vision, and to experience, promote, and enrich a community in a way not otherwise possible. With MELT, we aim to create a space to highlight what Public Art embodies at it’s core: People, Story, Place, and Vision.
On the surface the impact of Murals and Public Art might seem negligible, but collectively we often forget the need we have in our everyday lives to create intentional, aesthetic, and uplifting spaces for ourselves. A little effort goes a long way towards building a better place to live for us all. Often the first step towards motivating positive change is just a little visibility…
meet
motivate
mentor
entrepreneur
encourage
engage
educate
Everybody does better when we’re having a good time and enjoying ourselves! Bringing people together doesn’t have to be about grand missions, ideals, or political leanings. At the end of the day, we all fundamentally want the same things - and if we can have fun together, we will be better equipped to work together, and will want to do so more often.
leadership
learn
While it is our aim to promote Public Art and the people who create it, we are also interested and want to use this opportunity to highlight the other Artisans, Creators, Entrepreneurs involved in the creative community here in Charleston.
listen
link
transform
teach
think
thrive
Much of the experience of a place lies in it’s history. The individual and shared stories of it’s inhabitants matter - that means the good, bad, ugly, and beautiful. However, Tradition isn’t only history, it is a living thing - it’s how we connect to our Past, while acting in the Present, and thinking towards the Future to build and grow a better world for all of us. With MELT, we aim to to highlight the Traditions of where we create, as well as how we create.
OUR FOUNDERS
Founder of SEVEN / Co-founder of MELT Charleston
Connor Lock
Landing in Charleston in 2007, Connor Lock, a seasoned traveler with a background in art and design, founded SEVEN Designs, a creative solutions company. Beyond graphic design, SEVEN offers services like large-scale murals, installation art, event design and brand identity.
Lock also initiated STAAHJ, a culinary adventure that has taken him around the world to learn from unique cultures/individuals. He offers in-home cooking tutorials for select clients and also creates pop-up cooking events to showcase his signature dishes inspired by his world traveling.
He engages with local schools, universities, and conferences, inspiring people to turn passions into careers. Interested in creative solutions and fun events? Give Connor a call.
Co-owners of Girls Who Paint Murals / Co-founder of MELT Allison Dunavant + Christine Crawford
GWP Murals is a female owned + operated, Charleston SC based mural company. We provide murals to both commercial and residential clients regionally and nationwide, working in a wide variety of subject matters and styles.
We are passionate about educating the public to inform their interaction with both murals and muralists. This is because we truly believe in murals and their unique ability to create positive impacts within the community.
OUR MC
NAMELESS NUMBERHEAD is a comedy duo based in Charleston, SC. Since 2014, they have been producing, performing, and teaching comedy all over Charleston. Their original sketch comedy show toured for a number of years to festivals and colleges all over the US and was a mainstay locally at the Charleston Comedy Festival and Piccolo Fringe Fest.
Maari Suorsa / Henry Riggs - Co-founders of Nameless Numberhead Comedy
Over the years they have expanded into producing local staples of the alt-comedy scene in Charleston like: Rip City CHS (monthly variety show), eXcess boXes (all female sketch comedy show), Chucktown Comedy Supreme, Vince Fabra’s Neighborhood (live streamed talk show), Henry Riggs & Friends (improv comedy), Comedy! Live!, Comedy Wars (improv game show), and many more.
OUR VENUE
Owners /// Paul Nettles - Lewis Kesaris - Matt Quillen
With starting a food truck in 2016 to opening in the Workshop in 2018 and the Reynolds Ave location in 2020 Rebel Taqueria has been riding this "Taco Wave" for some time now! With our motto of "Tacos.Tequilla.Cold Beer." We continue that focus at 1809 Reynolds Ave. Come fuel up with us and check out our site more more details.
traditions we care about
Murals have become increasingly popular as public art in the last 5-10 years; commissioned by businesses, cities, towns, and homeowners too. Much in the same way that traditional canvas paintings are commissioned. But why is the perception of mural art different from the perception of gallery art? With this festival we aim to explore the tradition of art in Charleston, and the formation of a new tradition where murals are an integral part of the city's artistic tapestry.
Charleston has long been a place for art festivals but has it been for all types of art? Many would argue “NO”, finishing their breath with “We’ve seen enough marsh scenes and palm trees”. While we believe there is a place for all types of art in Charleston, we at MELT want to hold a special festival and space for mural artists. We aim to create a tradition around highlighting mural artists and the communities we create in.
charleston, sc
MURALS / PUBLIC aRT
Murals and public art are important because they enhance a community's aesthetic appeal, foster a sense of identity and belonging, spark conversation, provide a platform for artistic expression, and can even contribute to economic development by attracting visitors and revitalizing neglected areas; essentially making public spaces more engaging and meaningful for residents and passersby alike. Businesses who invest in murals at their spaces instantly set themselves apart with better visibility and build their community relations. Murals at life to a stale building and give the business space more character. More murals, more smiles.
