Wilkes County Frescoes

Wilkes County Frescoes. Blue Ridge National Heritage Area. For more than one hundred and fifty years, St. Paul's Episcopal Church has found a home atop a steep hill in downtown Wilkesboro, North Carolina. St. Paul's Church traces its beginnings to 1836. The brick Gothic church was constructed in 1848 and consecrated the following year. A new chapel to accommodate the growing congregation has been built behind the old church and the two buildings connected by the commons area. , Being instrumental in bringing international artist, Benjamin F. Long, IV to Wilkes County, the Cultural Arts Council of Wilkes entered into a sound partnership with St. Paul's Episcopal Church for two frescoes to be painted in the commons area of the church. , Members of St. Paul's parish, Cultural Arts Council of Wilkes board members and Benjamin Long met to discuss the theme of the frescoes. The group unanimously agreed the frescoes should depict the Apostle Paul. , The two frescoes depicting the life of Paul are executed masterfully by artist, Benjamin Long, IV. Long uses the same fresco technique Michelangelo chose when he painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. The technique involves mixing sand and lime, placing the mix on a wall and painting while it is still wet. The crew grinds expensive pigments from clays and minerals imported from France and Italy to mix colors used in the frescoes. The bonding of the pigment to wet plaster requires meticulous planning and great skill. Unlike oil painting, to correct a mistake, the artist must cut the entire day's work out and start over. "The wall tells you what to do," says Long. , The North Carolina mountains and foothills were designated the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area in recognition of their natural beauty and living traditions of music, craft, agriculture, and Cherokee culture. This location is part of a regional trail of distinctive heritage sites. Ask for information at area visitor centers. , More information online at: www.blueridgeheritage.com