Creating Art-Inspired Public Spaces

Raleigh Iron Works is a part of the Collision Project, a public arts initiative that presents the campus as a canvas for creative expression. RIW will continue to add to its public arts portfolio, featuring sculptures, murals, spoken word expression, and experiential art sprinkled throughout the campus.
Meet the Artists


MCK ONE is a North Carolina-based Muralist with 12 years of experience in public art installations. His mural pays homage to the medium by deconstructing his signature lettering style, placing a strong emphasis on shape, color, and movement, and aiming to capture the energy of style writing. Located in the pedestrian entrance to the parking garage, the mural welcomes visitors to the property.


Painter and muralist Taylor White, a Raleigh native, will create a mural at the property this fall. The mural will celebrate the site’s history of iron and steel manufacturing and pay homage to the blue-collar workers of Peden Steel. These men and women helped build barges for the U.S. War Department during World War II and manufactured steel beams for many of Raleigh’s iconic buildings. The mural will be painted on the exterior of Forge at Raleigh Iron Works, a new residential building offering inspired apartment living and welcome visitors entering the property from Wicker Drive.


Spoken word artist Johnny Lee Chapman, III of Fuquay-Varina will perform a creed for Raleigh Iron Works, ‘Iron Code,’ to a live audience in 2024. ‘Iron Code’ is a series of 26 poetic statements embedded around the property, each designed to inspire and motivate visitors.