The Fuse Project Adorns the Mecklenburg Investment Co. Building

By Tim Miner

The building that houses the Brooklyn Collective at 229 Brevard St. in Uptown has a proud history … and now it has a new look.

Built in 1922, the building was originally known as the Mecklenburg Investment Company (MIC), founded by Thaddeaus Tate. It’s one of the last remaining buildings in Charlotte’s historic Brooklyn neighborhood. Nearly 100 years old, the building has enjoyed new life of late thanks to creative community events arranged by the Collective and fellow occupant, Studio 229.

Now, thanks to artist Kenny Nguyen and Angela Kollmer of Upcycle Arts, the exterior of the building matches the creative vibe of the interior.

Working with more than 50 volunteers and funded by Wastequip, Ngyuen and Upcycle Arts created an art installation of more than 2,200 plastic bags woven together off the corner of the building. The installation, called The Fuse Project, took two months to create and will hang on the building until January.

The work was designed as a companion piece to another exhibition curated with SOZO Gallery – Reconstructing Deconstruction – on display inside the Collective.