Makayla Binter has long loved creating art, but after graduating from Davidson College in Biology in 2020, she focused on Sports Medicine.

However, that focus began to change when, months later, George Floyd died below the knee of a Minneapolis police officer.

As artists from cities across the country began painting Black Lives Matter murals, Binter was asked to paint the letter “V” for a Black Lives Matter mural in Spartanburg, SC.

As her works gained visibility, she decided to give up a career in sports medicine to make a name for herself on the local art scene.

“I was just amazed at how quickly things were moving for me, and I worked and still work to be there every moment and every opportunity,” the Rochester, New York native told QCity Metro . “Honestly, I just do what I feel is right and hope for the best.”

On Saturday, Makayla’s work will be featured in “Who Are Your People?

Located at the Elder Gallery of Contemporary Art, the exhibition will feature 14 pieces created by Binter, comprised of various paintings and photographic collages that use images of herself and her subjects combined into one.

Binter’s love of art began when she was seven years old and spending time with her adopted grandmother who was a painter.

She recalled their countless trips to Michaels, an arts and crafts store, where they spent hours picking out art supplies.

“Whenever she drew or painted, she encouraged me to paint and draw with her,” Binter recalls.

After graduating from Greece Arcadia High School in Rochester in 2016, Binter and his mother moved to Charlotte after being accepted into Davidson College.

While at Davidson, Binter hosted the Mural Panel Project, an interactive mural that sought to initiate conversations about social inequalities on campus. The mural has been featured throughout Charlotte at places such as the Levine Museum of the New South.

“This project really made me ask a lot of questions about murals in Charlotte,” she said.

Binter said that after graduation his initial plan was to work in sports medicine alongside his mentor as a physiotherapist for the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

His interest in murals would change these plans.

While taking photos of the Black Lives Matter mural in downtown Charlotte, Binter met South Carolina-based artist Frankie Zombie. Impressed by her work, he recruits her to help him paint a similar mural in Spartanburg.

“I didn’t know anything about ground scaling, and my only experience was a street mural in advance,” she said. “More than anything, I was honored by the opportunity and delighted to be entrusted with such a responsibility.”

Since then, Binter has worked on at least eight murals locally, including a Black Lives Matter mural in Gastonia and the “Beatties Ford Strong” mural on Beatties Ford Road. (The latter was painted last year after a mass shooting near the site left four dead and several injured.) She has created at least 30 paintings and photo collages since the start of the pandemic.

Binter was commissioned by the City of Charlotte to create murals in City West Commons on West Boulevard and Andrill Terrace.

She was also one of many artists tasked with creating work at Camp North End in late 2020 before a campaign stoppage by then-presidential candidate Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris.

Binter has participated in projects with Spirit Square Knight Gallery, Mint Museum Randolph, Urban Outfitters and Lemonade Exhibit at Fillmore Charlotte.

As Binter created new works, more and more people noticed him. One of them was Sonya Pfeiffer, owner and artistic director of the Elder Gallery.

In January, Binter joined a list of 35 local and national artists whose works are regularly presented and sold at the gallery, which was established in 2001 by Larry Elder and sold to Pfeiffer in 2017. One of the changes Pfeiffer made was to rename the gallery. and its list by adding “contemporary artists who address contemporary issues” through their works.

Binter, Pfeiffer said, fits that description and she has admired Bitner’s work since the artist’s days at Davidson.

“The work she does is extraordinary. It’s thoughtful, but introspective, ”said Pfeiffer.

Elder Gallery allows its artists to host both individual and group exhibitions. Pfeiffer said she believes viewers will enjoy Binter’s first solo show and find a connection to the artist.

“Each piece attracts the viewer and prompts them to ask questions, and allows the viewer to create their own story,” she said.

Although each painting has a unique meaning to her, Binter is delighted to see visitors create their own interpretation of her work.

“… It’s not about me anymore. she said. “These pieces are now for other people to see and experience.”

Binter said one of his goals is to portray the black community in a positive light through his works.

“I want to show the multitude of levels of humanity that reside in the black experience that are not presented as much in the mainstream media,” she said. “So much trauma and violence is attached to black and brown bodies that I prefer to highlight the beauty and gentleness that is often displaced by fear. “

Show time for “Who are your people?” Is from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free and Binter’s exhibition will run until December 4. Visitors can RSVP on Eventbrite.

In accordance with pandemic protocols, visitors are encouraged to practice social distancing and wear face coverings, as required by Charlotte’s masking warrant.