WEB EXCLUSIVE We love seeing the magic local artists make on the blank spaces they see around the city. And, lately, murals have been going up like crazy. Now grab a bike, take a walk or take a drive to see some of the beautiful public art Raleigh’s artists are creating around town.
If you want to locate more art around Raleigh, take a look at this interactive map that Raleigh has put together at their website here. Or check out our previous round up of Raleigh’s must-see murals.
“Reflect of Diversity” by Rosa Cruz
New Bern Ave at Raleigh Blvd
Cruz uses her artistic talents to depict the social and cultural diversity of the city through abstract art. This mural is part of the #TogetherRaleigh project, an initiative to make GoRaleigh’s bus shelters inviting and beautiful by the addition of public art.
This artwork is a tribute to the Native American tribes and the lands we have trampled on and lived on. All the details here depict elements of the natural world that are culturally and environmentally important to the these eight tribes.
Created in collaboration with MTV and Downtown Raleigh Alliance, this vibrant art mural encouraged the community to get out and vote. Chalk Riot is a group of mural artists, many of whom use their art for activism.
Sanders pays homage to some of Jazz’s greatest black artists and North Carolina natives, including Nina Simone (Tryon), Thelonious Monk (Rocky Mount) and John Coltrane (Hamlet). This bus shelter mural is also in collaboration with the #TogetherRaleigh project.
Denise Hughes uses her art to bring sunshine and positivity to her community everyday. She uses shadows to really bring the art to life in hopes that it will brighten the cloudy days of all who sees it.
Ronin was offered the opportunity to create this mural in loving memory of John Lewis and the impact he had on America. Check it out at Trophy Brewing in downtown Raleigh.
“Piedmont Neighbors” by Annie Blazejack and Geddes Levenson
Poole Road and Rawls Drive
As a part of the #TogetherRaleigh project, Blazejack and Levenson use their art to celebrate our local friends in nature. Every component of this piece lives in this region of North Carolina!
WEB EXCLUSIVE If you’re already feeling unmotivated about keeping your New Year’s resolutions, we’ve got some good news for you. In a study released yesterday by WalletHub on 2021’s Best and Worst Cities for Keeping New Year’s Resolutions, Raleigh placed ninth best out of 182 other cities.
These U.S. cities were compared across 57 different metrics, including exercise opportunities, income growth and employment outlook. All of these factors influence the feasibility of sustaining financial, physical or relational New Year’s resolutions.
In addition to being ranked ninth best overall, Raleigh placed 43rd out of 182 cities for job opportunities and income growth. Raleigh was also ranked 10th for “bad-habit resolutions” and 19th for financial resolutions.
WalletHub is a personal finance website that conducted this research to demonstrate how location and limited resources can affect personal lives, and, ultimately, to rate these U.S. cities on how conducive they are to self-improvement. And, hopefully, it gives you a just a little bit more motivation to achieve all of the goals you’ve set for yourself this year.
To find out more about WalletHub’s research, results and methodology, visit their article on the study here.
WEB EXCLUSIVE With the governor’s recent coronavirus restrictions, many of us may find ourselves enjoying the holidays at home this year either by ourselves or in the company of just a few close friends or family members. Since cooking up a large feast doesn’t make much sense in that case, consider giving yourself a break from the kitchen—while supporting local restaurants!—by dining out on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and/or New Year’s Day. The following Triangle-area restaurants will be open for the holidays and are happy to serve you and your loved ones a festive meal. (For exact hours, please visit each restaurant’s website.)
Deibler won the first place grand prize of a $2,500 gift card to Bailey’s Fine Jewelry store, with Cathy Allen and Macy Aguirre in second and third place receiving $500 and $250 gift cards, respectively. Additionally, the 12 finalists who did not make the final cut will each receive a $50 Bailey’s gift card. See their incredible creations below!
Bailey’s gingerbread house competition received entries from all across North Carolina at their stores in Raleigh, Rocky Mount and Greenville. Their only requirement for the gingerbread creations was that they must include a Bailey’s-themed element. Five of the finalists from each store location were selected to advance to the final round of judging.
All of the finalist’s gingerbread house entries can be viewed at their respective locations; Raleigh finalists’ creations can be viewed at Bailey’s Cameron Village location until December 18.
WEB EXCLUSIVE The Downtown Raleigh Alliance has partnered with VAE, a cultural arts community center, to commission 19 local artists to transform storefronts and plazas all across downtown into light-based art installations (14 of the installations are temporary pieces and 5 are existing). Illuminate Art Walk will run nightly from December 11, 2020 through January 8, 2021.
The eye-catching glowing art installatoins revolve around themes of movement, hope, love and life after the pandemic. The DRA and VAE chose artists with a diversity of backgrounds and experiences, including three female artists, four Black and/or Latinx artists, and four artists who identify as queer, to create pieces for the project.
Artwork by Katie Stewart
Illuminate Art Walk offers a safe, festive way to enjoy downtown during the holiday season while supporting local artists and businesses. Dine at your favorite restaurant or grab a hot beverage along the way before enjoying the beautiful art instillations on a crisp December night downtown. Remember to adhere to public health guidelines, wear a mask and social distance yourself from others.
This tour is self-guided with a map online and sidewalk markers at each installation to help you navigate. Additionally, complimentary parking is available through Secure Parking; use code “ILLUMINATE” at checkout on the Secure Your Spot app available on Apple and Google Play. For more information on the artists and their installations, visit downtownraleigh.org/illuminate.
