Tuscarora Mural to be Dedicated

Smithfield, NC, March 31, 2026:

The Johnston County Committee for America250NC will hold a dedication ceremony for a new mural in Downtown Smithfield honoring the Tuscarora people on Saturday, April 25, at 11 am. Greensboro artist Brian Lewis, who also painted the nearby Ava Gardner mural, completed the Tuscarora mural last November.

The dedication will include speeches, stories, and songs by Tuscarora descendants in both English and Tuscarora languages. A plaque explaining the symbols represented in the mural will be unveiled at the conclusion of the ceremony.

This project was supported through a grant from America250NC, a program of the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. “We are thrilled to have this beautiful masterpiece honoring indigenous people who once called Johnston County home,” said Allison Elsee, Johnston County Chairperson for America250NC. “We sincerely hope members of the Tuscarora Nation will find this to be a meaningful place to visit and pay homage to their ancestors.”

The event is open to the public. For more information about this event and other 250 th happenings, call the Johnston County Heritage Center at 919-934-2836, the Johnston County Museum at 919-938-5912, or visit the county’s America250 website.

Tuscarora elder Robert Chavis of Red Springs, along with artist Brian Lewis of Greensboro, moments after finishing touches were made to the mural on November 17, 2025