There is no denying Fuquay-Varina’s beauty and charm. Boasting its ability to offer residents “a dash more,” in early 2018 Fuquay’s board of commissioners set out to once again offer more to the community and those that visit. You might be thinking this means more retail or residential building, however this addition to Fuquay-Varina takes up no additional space, but enhances and beautifies the area it occupies. This “dash more” comes in the form of a mural.
French artist Henry Matisse once said that “creativity takes courage.” For a young man who was starting a new school after moving from Detroit to Philadelphia, art helped him find his courage and was the outlet he needed to face the unfortunate bullying that often finds the new kid in school. Sean Kernick found himself struggling to find his place in a new school in the sixth grade. “I was completely unprepared for the bullying that was in store for me,” he said. All that changed thanks to Abraham Lincoln.
It was a cartoon of Abraham Lincoln that lead Sean to his “ah-ha!” moment. “I was thumbing through an illustrated dictionary when I saw a cartoon of Abraham Lincoln that I thought was cool. I traced it on my notebook paper when a kid that had been bullying me walked by and saw it,” he said. Impressed with Sean’s drawing, this bully-turned-art critic said “Wow, that’s cool!” with an approving nod. Sean said “It was at that moment that I realized art had power and it could be a tool for my social survival. I haven’t stopped practicing and creating since.”
Fast forward a few years…Sean attended Syracuse University, but ultimately transferred to the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York. Sean said he made the change because “SVA encouraged me to explore my unique voice as an artist.” He also admits that the appeal of studying art in New York was just too good to pass up. As a young artist, Sean was interested in graffiti art, and SVA helped him bridge his experience into a path that leveraged his illustration skills much more prominently.
Sean moved from Brooklyn, New York to the Triangle in 2001 with the intention of moving back up north after establishing his career. However, like many northern transplants whose intent it was to move back, the draw of the area and the growth potential proved to be the perfect location for Sean to truly explore his creativity.
In addition to starting his own creative services business called Sean Kernick-Mural and Illustrations, Sean has worked on a number of album covers, t-shirt designs and large-format paintings. He has also worked with the Make-A-Wish foundation of Eastern North Carolina to help create a dinosaur-themed bedroom for a deserving young man. Some of Sean’s clients also include Ford, Disney, American Express and many more.
Always looking for the next great project, when Maureen Daly, Fuquay-Varina’s Arts Center Director approached Sean a few months ago about a mural for downtown, he was very interested in what she had to say. In February of this year, the Fuquay-Varina Board of Commissioners reviewed several mural design proposals and decided that Sean’s proposal best depicted the small town feel and history of the town. The mural was part of a United Arts Council project to infuse art into surrounding municipalities of Raleigh, and was paid for with a grant from the Council.
When you first look at the mural, which can be seen on the South Fuquay Avenue side of the Fuquay-Varina Arts Center, you are immediately struck by Sean’s use of bright bold colors and intricate details from the town’s history. When asked what his inspiration was for the artwork, Sean said “The mural touches on several markers of Fuquay-Varina, including family values, national and state pride, the Fuquay healing springs, local commerce and Varina’s love notes.”
From the prominent North Carolina and United States flags to the rushing waters of the healing springs and the hand and quill of Miss Virginia (Varina) Avery as she writes letters to J.D. “Squire” Ballentine during the Civil War, Sean has taken the stories of both Fuquay and Varina and merged them together, much like the merging of the two towns into one, in a beautiful and colorful way. “I did a lot of research on the history, heritage and direction the city was moving towards and tried to fuse all of these elements together to create a visual narrative that not only looks attractive, but drives a sense of civic pride and inspiration,” Sean said. After working through the administrative and creative process over the course of one or two months, Sean was able to complete the mural in just under a week.
Thanks to the popularity and buzz surrounding Fuquay’s newest focal point, Sean has been keeping very busy. “I have a project with Sheetz right on the heels of this, as well as a big mural for Bandwidth and the Town of Garner,” he said. There are also a few top-secret projects that he can’t tell us about, but that just enhances the anticipation. As for what he would like to do in the future, Sean said that he has a NC Jazz mural he has been cultivating for the past few years. “It’s a big one that will span a few cities and celebrate the rich musical heritage of North Carolina.”
So what advice would Sean Kernick give to a budding young artist? Practice, experiment and invest time in your craft. “I often hear people tell me that I have such an amazing gift. The reality is that my ability to draw and paint is from time invested…and there is no better place to invest than in yourself.” Sean’s time and investment in his craft has certainly paid off, and Fuquay-Varina is fortunate to have been able to reap the rewards of Sean’s hard work and dedication.
To see more of Sean Kernick’s work, visit his webpage at
www.seankernick.com.
