CITIZEN BUILT | A Story of Place
CITIZEN BUILT | A Story of Place
Gabe Eng-Goetz shows why art is vital to citybuilding.
Written By Gwen McCarter Nagle
This piece was originally printed in Issue 1 of Southern Urbanism Quarterly.
What makes a city? There are the material aspects and the non-material ones, the steel and the sentiment. But in memorable cities, both types of factors are intertwined, and the architecture has soul. What counts as architecture can surprise us, though, and what gives a place its shape goes far beyond its structures.
When a place captivates us, that magnetic pull has as much to do with design as it does with energy. It also has to do with story. Public art lies at the intersection of these forces.
“Without art in public spaces, it just feels drab and uninspiring,” says Gabriel Eng-Goetz, who has become a fixture of the art community in Durham and beyond. As he puts it, “Murals bring joy to people, especially if they feel represented.”
In Gabe’s art, murals or otherwise, making people feel seen is a constant pursuit. The same mindset was at play when he created the iconic Runaway brand in 2011 with co-founder Justin Laidlaw. When Runaway got started, they “were two kids from Durham putting a spotlight on what’s going on here.” They had a genuine connection to the area, and everything designed under the Runaway name reflected Durham back to itself in genuine ways too.
Over the years, the clothing and lifestyle brand has come to define how people think about Durham. Whether it’s special-edition baseball jerseys for the Durham Bulls, socks that give a nod to the city flag, or wall art that makes a statement, locals clamor for Runaway. During the 2016-2019 period where Runaway had a brick-and-mortar location, the space served as a place of refuge, of belonging. Everyone who walked through their doors could see themselves in the city that was represented in the store. At a time when Downtown Durham was beginning to see major growth, Runaway helped crystalize the city’s core identity (and still does). Gabe’s designs became synonymous with Durham’s culture.
Through his work on murals like the one at Willard Street, Gabe isn’t just telling the story of equity. He’s building it too.
When it was time for a change, the physical store was shuttered, and Gabe began to tell communities’ stories through murals. For him, the impact that this kind of public art has on citybuilding goes beyond mere beautification; it also contributes to quality of life itself.
Murals may only be two-dimensional, but their power transcends a physical plane. They have power to instill pride, power to uplift, power to change the mood not just of individuals but of the city as a whole. The grand scale and vibrant colors of murals also help tell a story. But whose story gets told?
That question is key. Understanding whose story needs to be highlighted is central to the process that Gabe takes each of his mural designs through. In truth, it’s a question of equity. And so while his style is undoubtedly his own, he doesn’t work in a vacuum. Instead, he goes to great lengths to learn what equity means in different areas, and he talks to as many people as he can before even picking up a brush.
When Gabe first embarked on mural work, he learned that “at least half the work is engaging community.” As he puts it: “Most of my time is not spent painting a wall.”
Very few people will see all the work that goes into creating an equitable piece of public art. Murals, sculptures, pop-up exhibitions—they may seem to just appear. But for Gabe, his process includes crowdsourcing on his website, walking up to people at events, working with an advisory board that can help him push surveys out to their communities, going into minority-owned businesses, asking kids for their ideas, and more.
In 2022, Gabe was selected to create a mural for the exterior of the Burke Arts Council building in Morganton, North Carolina. As someone not from there, he recognized the need to do his research, and he quickly saw that his design would involve honoring the minorities who are part of the fabric of the area. He described his intent in an interview with Southern Urbanism Quarterly: “Let’s make some art that celebrates some of these marginalized communities.” And to make sure his idea of equity would ring true for people living there, he solicited ideas from local residents.
Similarly, in Durham, he’s long wanted to “tell a story that hadn’t been told” about the Native American population that once thrived here. When he was asked to paint a mural at the Willard Street Apartments in 2021, he also talked to the community. And as part of that, he sought out and received “the guidance and blessing of the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation tribal council celebrating the tribes of the Piedmont.”
The Willard Street affordable housing project, completed under former Mayor Steve Schewel, took a plot of city-owned land that had long sat vacant and turned it into something striking. Gabe’s multi-panel mural (above) is visible not only to Willard Street residents but also to anyone using the Durham Transportation Center bus station. It also includes art by other notable locals Candy Carver and Darius Quarles.
Where the city officials could have sought out public art from anywhere, they tapped into the local community for talent, vision, and authenticity. The artists crafted something meaningful for residents, and the money that was made then circulated back into the area.
Through his work on murals like the one at Willard Street, Gabe isn’t just telling the story of equity. He’s building it too. When he fills blank walls with scenes that make all people feel like they matter, he’s bolstering the city as a whole. And in that way, what is he if not a citybuilder?
Murals may have dominated Gabe’s professional life over the past few years, but they won’t forever. “I always want there to be some wonder and excitement in my career,” he says. And luckily, “there’s a great art community here that can support different pivots and dreams.”
Having long focused on doing work for others, Gabe is now looking forward to a new phase that’s more about navigating his own path and understanding where he fits in. As he explores more of his own story, his art will probably take on different forms. But whatever it looks like, you can count on it being a source of strength for a growing region.
Gwen McCarter Nagle is Editor In Chief of Southern Urbanism Quarterly.
All images courtesy of Gabe Eng-Goetz.