By CATHERINE RIERSON
Courtesy of the Carrboro Commons
In Carrboro, a town teeming with creative folks, the Town of Carrboro Arts Committee is offering another opportunity to showcase local art. But it’s no highbrow art exhibition – it’s a show open to all.
The first annual Carrboro Community Art Project will display Carrboro-themed artwork created by anyone connected to the town, beginning May 14, following closely behind Carrboro Day on May 1 and coinciding with the 101st 2ndFriday Artwalk.
“It’ll be like a month-long celebration of Carrboro and Carrboro arts,†said Chris Beachem, a member of the arts committee.
The artwork will be on display in the Carrboro Century Center and Carrboro Town Hall until the end of June.
Beachem said the Community Art Project, coupled with other similar events, will allow artists more opportunities to exhibit their work and share it with the town, stimulating a dynamic relationship between the community and the arts.
“Art should really play a part in the community, so we’re constantly trying to better integrate it in the Carrboro community,†Beachem said.
The town is hosting a party of sorts for the opening reception. There’ll be a band playing at Town Hall and Carrboro’s newly elected poet laureate, Jay Bryan, is scheduled to read one of his poems.
Bryan has teamed up with the arts committee to expand the role of poetry and literature in the community. He said they’re exploring ways to better market and distribute poetry to those residents – including children, the elderly and minorities – who may not typically encounter it. Ideas include posting a poem in every bus – “public transportation poetry†– or in a smattering of other common spots, like coffee shops and churches, making the art of verse accessible to anyone.
Making the arts more readily available is the Community Art Project’s objective too. There’s no judging and anyone can participate, provided their piece meets the requirements listed on the project’s website, carrboro.com/CAP/
Work must be submitted on April 24 between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the Century Center at 100 N. Greensboro St. Participants can price and sell their pieces, but those exchanges are between the buyer and seller. Otherwise, Beachem is encouraging artists to donate any earnings to local charities.
Catherine Rierson is a UNC student writing for the Carrboro Commons, a bi-weekly online lab newspaper for Jock Lauterer’s Community Journalism class at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.