While that family flips craftsmanship into landmarks, our next story turns creativity into connection.

Art gives local artist John Hairston Jr.

more than a visual language.

It connects culture, history, and community, drawing inspiration from street art, expressionism, and the vibrant colors of hip-hop culture.

Hairston blends those influences into a style distinctly his own.

Producer Russ Hunsinger introduces us to the artist with many titles.

(relaxed jazz music) - My love of art was always there.

It's a part of me.

I was always a creative child.

My mother would always give me a pen and a pad, and I could just draw in church so it'd keep me from fidgeting.

I was taught to read by reading comic books, or that's what reinforced it, because in order for me to know what's going on, not only did I have the context clues of what was drawn on the page, but I was also reading things and I couldn't wait to read more of them.

So I was just a sponge for all that stuff.

And then like the Sunday funnies would come out, and I'd always read the Sunday funnies.

So my favorites were, of course, Garfield, the Peanuts, Family Circus.

I try to create the artwork that I want to see.

(upbeat funk music) When I started to go to college, I saw people working on canvas, (paint spraying) working on walls, doing all kinds of stuff, and I wanted to translate what I was doing in my sketchbook to a larger format.

I am an illustration professor.

I teach a graphic novels class.

I teach an animation class.

I teach commercial illustration.

I know that I would be a completely different person had it not been for someone taking the time to go ahead and work with me.

Your performance in the classroom makes your classmates' performances that much stronger.

Do you know that?

- He's just super experienced.

He is obviously out here in Charlotte.

He knows the community.

I'm a local student, so I'm lucky because I get to come out here and like see what local people are doing and then, during the summer, not just during the school year.

So I really appreciate that he's out and about doing things all the time.

- [John] I find the most joy in watching my students progress from being very timid artists to feeling very capable and growing into their more productive, more creative forms.

- Whenever people are struggling, he just puts so much mental energy into helping them to find a new path to get to where they want to go.

I've never spray painted before, but I'm here trying something out on someone else's work, which is usually kind of scary.

He's just like, "Yeah, just try something out."

- What do I tell a young person who is trying their hand at art for the first time?

First thing I'll tell them is that comparison is the thief of joy.

Don't compare yourself to other people.

Keep it fun and know that you're allowed to make bad artwork.

I'm very passionate about human rights.

I love taking my gifts, almost like a superhero, taking my gifts and trying to use them for good.

So I'm always trying to help people, either by working with nonprofits, charities, anti-gun violence.

I've done a couple Black Lives Matter murals.

I've lived a very fortunate life, and I try to give back in whatever way I can.

(upbeat funk music) - We're currently at Dupp & Swat, which has been a longstanding platform and hub for creatives and artists in the city of Charlotte.

We devote space, provide platform to artists.

Crown Keepers, our nonprofit arm, is devoted to education and arts.

We want to inform those that are artists, give them an opportunity to learn and grow as creatives, understanding that you can be an entrepreneur.

- With Crown Keepers, we have this particular program called Imprint, and it's a workshop series.

John, he created one that taught various people how to create a mural, and so a step-by-step guide in doing that, and then they worked on one together as a community.

He has created quite a few murals for us, and of course we're standing on one currently.

So definitely a proponent and a champion of him and his work.

- John is a staple in the community, man.

Not just the art community, but to the city in general.

He does a lot of work to help younger creators.

He helps to give them insight that we didn't necessarily have when we were coming up.

He takes a lot of time to try to open up doors, explain things, connect people.

A big part of it is also him just taking the time to look at portfolios, show them things that he's learned over time.

- [Hannah] His personality is amazing.

He's very kind, and questioned, and he interacted with my son, which makes me very happy.

- I've never regretted helping anyone out.

So much good comes from just being there and showing up.

It's important to me to kind of pay it forward and, you know, also try to usher in a future generation of artists by sharing what I'm good at and hopefully, like, they can go ahead and share their thing, and maybe it inspires them to continue to beautify.

I can't complain about what's going on in the world if I don't take an active role in being able to build with young people.

(bright music) I hope that there's something that people see in my work and see a reflection of themselves, because everything that I'm making is kind of like a love letter to my humanity and the humanity of others.