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.

“I didn’t really focus as much on native plants until I moved here, because there’s so many rare ones that there’s a lot of people that live here to study them and work in that field. I kind of got pulled into that whole world,” Walton said. “I sell my stuff at art markets a lot, and all the botanists, we find each other, it’s funny. Even talking to them about what they’re excited about is inspiring. Even really short conversations, and so it all has snowballed into a weird obsession.”

Walton has previous experience working on Asheville murals, like in West Asheville, where her work adorns a wall at 12 Baskets Café. When Wall Street Steps applications opened, she was impressed by the mural committee, which included local business owners, Wall Street stakeholders and Wilkinson.

“I really appreciated that they didn’t ask for designs up front. 
That was a big green flag. It was a request for a proposal and information about you, and then from there, they trusted me to create this artwork and didn’t ask me to do any work unpaid,” Walton said. “
That is tricky with murals, because people want to know what they’re getting. I really respected that and was like, okay, this seems like a good one to try.”

Reflecting the Blue Ridge

Walton said that the idea behind her Wall Street Steps was to walk visitors through seasonal ecosystems inspired by the Blue Ridge Mountains.

“It starts in the spring, in a rich cove forest, and then you go up through a mountain bog in the summertime. Then, a grassy bald, like you’re getting higher up, like you’re climbing a mountain, and the very top section will be a rocky outcrop, so lots of fun lichens and boulders,” Walton detailed.

While the natural influences of the mural are all drawn from the region, a few of the seasonal specifics required some artistic interpretation.

“It’s hard to be exactly accurate because I still want it to look good, so there’s some things that are slightly out of order for the sake of looking good, you know?” Walton chuckled.

Walton is the sole artist working on the project, which cascades down four flights of stairs and three landings, in addition to splashing onto the stairway walls. The artist started working on the project on Monday, June 8, and projected to finish this Sunday, June 21, nearly two weeks later. Each work day lasts around 10 hours, Walton said.

There have been small hiccups in the process.

“The rain has been interesting. 
It will sprinkle and then it stays wet for a while, because it’s flat. Different than a wall. I’ve never done that before,” Walton said. “
So, yeah, every day is a little different. Lots of surprises.”

True to the artist’s experience, the new design has been a surprise for some passing Ashevillians, too. Walton said that most people have been very friendly, if sentimental about the replacement of “Catawba Falls.” However, as Walton’s piece has come to life, excitement has started to grow. During our interview alone, two separate men approached the paint site and shared their enthusiasm about the progress of the project.

Ginkgo tree and identity

A major part of the identity of Wall Street are the ginkgo trees which line the block. The leaves turn bright gold in the fall, and have inspired the Ginkgo Marketplace, a monthly artisan market, along the avenue.

Knowing its importance to the block, Walton was sure to incorporate the ginkgo into her mural.

“There’s some on the bottom here, little gingko leaves, and there will be some at the top, too, just to tie everything together,” Walton said.

Next Saturday, Walton’s work will be celebrated right along the Gingko Marketplace. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, June 27, a celebration of the new Wall Street Steps will be held along with the market.

In addition to music, vendors and an urban tree walk, Walton will lead two community art workshops, where attendees will design plywood squares in the fashion of barn quilts. The squares will later be publicly displayed. Register for the event here.