Cameron Village honors 'Barrel Monster' artist

A local student and part-time construction worker whose street art has earned him fame and a little attention from law enforcement has gotten a permanent exhibit in Cameron Village.

Posted 12:02 p.m. Sep 16, 2010 — Updated 3:28 p.m. Sep 16, 2010

RALEIGH, N.C. — A local student and part-time construction worker whose street art has earned him fame and a little attention from law enforcement has gotten a permanent exhibit in Cameron Village.

Joe Carnevale's sculpture "Street Knight" was permanently installed in Cameron Village Public Library's main lobby. Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker attended the dedication ceremony at 11 a.m. Thursday.

Carnevale, a history major at North Carolina State University, created "Street Knight" for an Earth Day art competition at the popular Raleigh shopping plaza. The 15-foot-tall knight is made completely of street signs – all used with the permission of authorities.

Members of the Cameron Village Merchant's Association liked the sculpture so much that they decided to purchase it and permanently install it in the library.

Carnevale first captured local and national attention with his "Barrel Monster," a humanoid figure made of construction materials that spoofed traffic diversions on Hillsborough Street. He was charged with taking barrels from a construction site but allowed to do community service in return for the charges being dismissed.

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