Art in Time for Autumn

In Do, September 2020, Uncategorized, Web Exclusive by Jane PorterLeave a Comment

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WEB EXCLUSIVE If you’re like us, you’re loving today’s cooler air; the first day of fall is only one week away, and soon, the leaves will be changing to their golden hues. If you can’t wait for the leaves, there are already some aesthetic changes around Raleigh for you to take in. Here are just a few new public art installations to visit soon.

Vote 2020 at Centro

It’s election season as you’re no doubt aware. With 49 days to go until Election Day, in North Carolina, registered voters can already request, fill out and submit their ballots by mail. Early voting starts October 15, one month from today, and Election Day, of course, comes November 3 this year. It’s still a work in progress but we’re sure this mural at Centro will be a great reminder to us to do our civic duty.

Berkeley the Squirrel at Nash Square

In a collaboration with the City of Raleigh and its parks and urban forestry departments, Raleigh Arts commissioned artist Corey Lancaster to carve the 120 year-old willow oak, taken down in Nash Square Park last summer due to age and disease, into this fun and Raleigh-esque installation.

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Happy Friday! Some of you may have already spotted this friendly face but here’s the official welcome- Say Hello to Berkeley the Squirrel by artist Corey Lancaster! You can find Berkeley catching some rays outside in Nash Square in Downtown Raleigh. (#swipe till the end for a sweet surprise 🐿😉) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Artist Corey Lancaster was commissioned by the City of Raleigh to carve the newest Nash Square squirrel from a 90 foot willow large oak that was removed from the park in 2019. Often referred to as the Berkeley Oak, the 85-inch tree was thought to be about 120 years old, but age and disease were starting to cause the tree to lose limbs during storms. The tree was known as being the widest tree in downtown Raleigh and for how its roots came over the sidewalk on Martin Street, where it stood opposite The Berkeley Café. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ About the Artist: After spending four years pouring 70 hours a week into his job managing a restaurant. Corey left his job in April 2013 to become a chainsaw artist and to open the Boon Hill Gallery located in Princeton, North Carolina with his grandfather. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This project was a collaboration between Urban Forestry, Raleigh Arts, @raleighparks, and @raleighgov. • 📸: Teresa Moore Photography

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Endless Summer at North Hills

Not quite ready for summer’s end? Stop by North Hills where artist Britt Flood (@b.l.flood) has transformed the shopping center’s signature fountain into an eternal sunset.

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serving sunsets #EndlessSummer. Go take a walk at @visitnorthhills and find this babe! 💜This project was a colorful and light hearted break from the heavy paintings underway in my studio. My major goal is merge my studio work with my public art, but I’ve been having a hard time getting my personal work approved on a large public scale. (Lovers, Kisses, dark portraits, figurative studies) Ideally my first exterior Lovers/Kiss mural will be in Boone. IYKYK. ❤️The next two public art pieces I’m creating will be an ode to isolation and mental health and are in line with what I’ve been cookin in the studio. I’m excited to be painting (among some of my hero’s) in Durham next week for @uhillwalls Mural Festival and will be contributing a 4 panel portrait piece. Next up will be a sidewalk mural in downtown Raleigh with @raleigh_arts focusing on the emphasis of human touch. 🧡This fall and 2021 I’m actively seeking walls and public art opportunities. One of my big goals this year was to contribute a large exterior mural in NC. It hasn’t happened just yet – I’ve been a finalist for a few projects and am super grateful for and motivated by the generous feedback I’ve been receiving. I feel a biggn coming soon! 🤠 I choose hope. Please share or contact me today, let’s paint.

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Georgia Tardy’s Mural at Whiskey Kitchen

Whiskey Kitchen loves a mural and it’s the perfect time of year to spend a few hours over drinks with friends on the downtown bar and restaurant’s patio, the home of artist Georgia Tardy’s (@georgiatardyart) new piece. We can’t wait to see the final result!

New Murals at Trophy Brewing

Artist William Paul Thomas (@willartforfood) and his portrait of civil rights heroine Ella Baker urge you to seize your power and vote this election cycle as part of the March for Our Lives #OurPower national campaign. In addition to the painted mural, an installation of envelopes packed with voting information drive that message home on the back of the brewery’s building on Morgan Street.

New murals right next to these commemorate the late civil rights icon and longtime congressman, Rep. John Lewis, as well highlight the looming threat of climate change to North Carolina’s coastline and celebrate NC pride.

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