Est. 2004 · Derrick J. Monk, Lead Artist
Visual Original Customs is a public-art studio building iconic sculpture, memorials, and civic landmarks — from historical research through weld, pour, and installation.
01 · Meet the Lead Artist
Led by Lead Artist and founder Derrick J. Monk, the Visual Original Sculpture Team centers its practice on creating iconic public artworks that celebrate history, strengthen community identity, and contribute to creative placemaking through contemporary sculpture.
Our artistic approach combines deep historical research, robust community engagement, and technically sophisticated fabrication. We have successfully led large-scale public art projects from concept through installation, collaborating closely with municipalities, engineers, historians, and community stakeholders.
Every project begins with an understanding of the site's history and community, resulting in enduring artworks that honor place, inspire connection, and create lasting cultural and economic value for generations.
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Custom Memorials
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Public Art & Sculpture
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Original Works
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Private Commissions
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Project Consulting
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Installation & Logistics
02 · Visual Originals Artists Team
Derrick J. Monk collaborates with a bench of engineers, fabricators, foundry specialists, and installers to bring complex visions to life — coordinating the many hands and disciplines a permanent public artwork demands.
03 · Public Art Projects
Durham County Board of Elections · Durham, NC
A civic monument to the strength and courage of casting one's vote, regardless of political affiliation.
Intergenerational Center for Arts & Wellness · Winston-Salem, NC
A sculptural bloom for the partner organizations serving seniors and their families through arts and wellness.
WSTA Bus Station · Winston-Salem, NC
Contributing lead artist on the community restoration of the Mr. Imagination wall and bench for the City of Winston-Salem and SECCA.
Cultural Arts Center · Greensboro, NC
A bronze meditation on the cultural history of Black America, taking its title from Billie Holiday's ‘Strange Fruit.’
04 · Community Engagement
A mobile metal-casting workshop and roadmap to cultural public memorials and sculptures in established and new communities.
Community engagement is an essential part of our public art practice. In partnership with local organizations and residents, we facilitate an interactive mobile metal casting workshop at or near each project site. Participants design small figures, symbols, and culturally inspired objects rooted in local history using carved foam patterns — then watch them transformed into cast aluminum sculptures during a live pour.
The workshop introduces the traditional craft of metal casting and blacksmithing, and highlights the vital role these trades played throughout early history. Beyond demonstrating the process, it creates meaningful opportunities for learning, storytelling, and participation.
The Foot Prints Project is also a roadmap to cultural public memorials and sculptures. Derrick Monk works with community partners to develop and create new public artworks, and to revitalize existing sculptures, in both established and new public spaces.
Selected cast aluminum objects created during these workshops may be permanently incorporated into the project — installed within the concrete base or integrated onto the sculptural bases themselves — creating a lasting legacy embedded within the artwork itself.
Support the Foot Prints Project
Individuals, company sponsors, and community partners can help bring mobile metal-casting workshops, educational programming, and permanent public art to the neighborhoods Derrick Monk is working in collaboration with.
Tell us how you'd like to get involved — charitable giving, corporate sponsorship, or in-kind partnership — and we'll follow up personally.
Or email dmonk@visualoriginalcustoms.com20+
Years of practice
100%
Community-engaged
∞
Stories cast in metal
05 · Custom Art Creation Inquiry