The Nature in North Carolina Mural by Vasily Polevoy (318 N. Main St.) Black Bear Coffee

This episode features the Nature in NC mural at 318 N. Main St. on the façade of the “Hands On Children’s “ just above the Black Bear Coffee shop.

Nature in North Carolina is an 18x18 mosaic created in 1993 by Ukrainian artist Vasily Polevoy.

Vasily Polevoy was a well-known painter, muralist, and mosaic artist from the Soviet Union who suffered persecution for his religious faith and for artwork that did not fit within the Communist Party’s ideology. As a result, he was forced to work in a factory and was barred from the USSR Artist’s Union. But he continued to practice his art underground.

Eventually, he emigrated to the United States and settled in Hendersonville. Moved by Polevoy’s story, a local businessman commissioned him to do this mosaic mural.

Unfortunately, Vasily passed away some years ago, so we cannot hear directly from him about the mural. But it is a marvelous piece of intricate art. So, listen as we do our best to describe it.