A Story of Place
Gabe Eng-Goetz shows why art is vital to building cities.
Written By Gwen McCarter Nagle
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 J…
