Downtown Roseboro is adorned with colorful murals that will delight your senses and spark joy.
In April 2025, the crosswalk murals on NW and SW Railroad Streets were restored to full glory!
In 2022, the crosswalks were painted by talented local artist and volunteer Shawn Hobbs. Thank you, Shawn, for the vibrancy your pieces have brought to Roseboro over the years!
The crosswalk paintings had become weathered over the years. With the assistance of the North Carolina Museum of Art, the restorations were fully funded. Professional muralist and co-founder of NC Public Art Max Dowdle came to Roseboro and painted a cohesive, colorful design with the help of community members. The murals feature many plant species native to this part of the state, USDA landscaping zone 8A.
The flowers are:
- Golden rod (yellow)
- Perinneal lupines (tall purple flowers)
- Wild cosmos (pink and blue flowers)
- Late purple aster (purple flowers with a yellow flower head)
- Butterfly weed (orange)
- Wild bergamot (individual pink flower with spidery blooms and tousled crown petals)
In addition to these native plant species, there is also a bee (SW Railroad Street) and butterfly (NW Railroad Street) featured to symbolize the importance of conservation, ecological care, and the many pollinators that make planet earth hospitable for us humans.
This was an opportune moment for youth engagement, allowing the future generations of Roseboro to have a direct impact on the revitalization of Downtown. Local daycare students and various families stopped by throughout the week for "community paint days." Dowdle helped our young artists contribute by outlining different sections and having the kids fill in with the corresponding colors.
This was a huge step for Downtown revitalization, right in time for BloomFest 2025! Read more here: https://www.roseboronc.com/public-art-roseboro/page/press
Visitors enjoyed viewing the Barn Quilt Mural when Roseboro hosted Cycle NC participants in Downtown on October 11, 2024. With open, clear skies and light wind, cyclists could view our art and rest easily that the majority of their daunting cross-state expedition has been completed. It's the perfect light to frame the mural that gives Downtown Roseboro its distinct charm.
In 2022, the Sampson Arts Council collaborated with visiting artist Virginia Maier to create the concept for the mural, which blends Sampson County history and culture (click this link to the Visit Sampson County webpage to learn more about this traditional art style) with the interests of local youth. Maier spent a week working with Roseboro-Salemburg Middle School students to complete the mural, which has 28 individual quilts designs that make up an eclectic tapestry. Learn more about this project by navigating to the In the Press section of this microsite.