ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Dayna Walton, a Canton-based printmaker and muralist, is in the process of reimagining the Wall Street Steps, a staircase connecting Wall Street to Battery Park Lane in downtown Asheville. In our interview, Walton explained the steps behind painting the stairs.
Rooted in nature
Previously, the Wall Street Steps were decorated with a mural called “Catawba Falls,” painted by Ian “Ian the Painter” Wilkinson in 2019. In an effort to reinvigorate Wall Street commerce after citywide struggles caused by Tropical Storm Helene, Wilkinson worked with the Asheville Downtown Association Foundation to select a new artist to paint the stairs: Walton.
Walton moved to Western North Carolina four years ago after falling in love with the people and ecology of the region.
“I made a lot of connections and felt excited about the nature and the diversity of all the crazy plants and mushrooms and animals,” Walton said. “It felt like there was so much more to learn about.”
Walton draws inspiration from the natural world in much of her work. The artist grew up on a cow pasture under the influence of her grandfathers, a botanist and a farmer, and was impressed by natural science illustration while in college. After moving to WNC, local ecology become the focal point of her work…