ALBEMARLE, N.C. — Two brothers are beautifying their hometown, one mural at a time.
Jack and Eli Williams grew up in the city of Albemarle. Their family business, WMS Brothers, is well known for using art to transform outside structures across the downtown areas.
"I really take a liking in painting signs, restoring old signs on the side of old brick buildings," Jack Williams said. "My brother does more of the spray paint art, but together we form one team and we paint murals and signs."
"Show some of my talent to the community," Eli Williams said.
Jack Williams said he and Eli launched the business shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
"I went to Wilmington for school, my brother went to Chapel Hill," Jack Williams said. "We've always done art. During COVID, we came home. The gas station across the street, we started painting on the outside of it just trying to take up time. One thing led to another, and we started painting signs and murals."
The brothers specialize in turning ghost signs, which are faded ads or logos on the outside of buildings, into something magical.
"Just kind of give them more life so they don't fade away to nothing," Jack Williams said. "It doesn't necessarily look new, but it still is new to the community in a way."
The Williams brothers' work can now be seen statewide, including murals and signs in Mt. Gilead, Chapel Hill and downtown Albemarle.
Eli Williams said their murals are helping attract potential customers to the downtown businesses.
"[The] mural on the back of Livi Bug's Boutique in Albemarle," Eli Williams said. "This is the first actual spray paint mural we've had in Albemarle, which is exciting. It took three days. It brings some attention to her business."
Eli Williams says grant support from city leaders has been instrumental with helping them beautify several buildings.
"Bring their businesses to life," Eli Williams said. "Watch some of the downtown businesses grow."
Jack and Eli Williams say their passion for the arts came from their parents, Nicole and John Williams
At a young age, the brothers starting seeing the artistic impact their parents were making across Albemarle.
"Growing up, we always got to see how our dad contributed to the downtown development," Jack Williams said. "My dad remodeled two old buildings that were pretty much in shambles into successful restaurants. As we got older, we realized how much [both our parents] did. They helped make Albemarle not a dry town. My mom did marketing, and she did a lot of billboards around town. I'm really grateful for our family."
"I had both [of my sons] as art students. I taught high school art for 30 years," John Williams said. "Just to see them do something with arts is incredible. They're both so different and talented. Eli's a portrait artist specializing in spray paint, and Jack is really good with the graphic design and layouts. Together, the two differences make for a really good partnership, so we're really proud of them and pleased."
Nicole Williams said she saw her sons' passion for the arts blossom in 2015, when they created their first ghost sign in downtown Albemarle.
"When Jack was a senior in high school, he had to do a senior project. I was really adamant he do something that gave back to the community. We identified a ghost sign, and I said why don't you restore a ghost sign, that's something everybody can enjoy. Thats how it all started. It was beautiful day in November," Nicole Williams said.
"I remember my dad and brother helped me do it, we had some friends help us," Jack Williams said. "My mom said [then] you never know, this could be something you do as a job later on in life. I did not think that was actually going to come into fruition, but here we are now. It's what we do."
"I know sometimes people want to do art and it's kind of hit or miss [with] their parents supporting them. We've had nothing but support growing up, we both went to school to get art degrees and now we're both using them outside of it. Just keep chasing [your dreams]. It's better to try and not succeed then not try at all," Jack Williams said.