A new sidewalk mural in Raleigh lets children in on the creative process.
WEB EXCLUSIVE Wake County kiddos return to in-person learning this week after a year of restlessness and screen fatigue from virtual schooling. Helping to add more interactive art opportunities is local artist and graphic designer Anna Totten, who recently unveiled a new interactive sidewalk mural right outside of Worthdale Community Center.
Part of Raleigh Art’s Make Your Mark series, Totten’s mural, which incorporates weather-proof paint, leaves open spaces for children to color in themselves (picture a life-size coloring book) using chalk from small supply houses positioned at the installation site.
“I was thinking of how to have a creative way for people to interact with art in the community—something other than just visually viewing,” Totten says. “I came up with the interactive mural idea, thinking that was approachable and something kids could do.”
Totten collaborated with the Worthdale neighborhood to create content for the first mural in the series, which features kid-friendly drawings such as flowers, animals and modes of transportation. She says that each mural will have slightly different content depending on the community with which she’s working.
When it rains, Totten’s part of the mural will remain, while the children’s chalk art will wash away, once again creating a blank canvas for returning and new children passersby alike. “It’s a regenerating piece,” explains Totten. “Working with Raleigh Arts has been a fun opportunity to do some more environmental design.”
A graduate of NC State, Totten has completed two other murals on bus shelters in Raleigh as part of Raleigh Art’s #TogetherRaleigh project that launched in November 2020. She then brought the idea for the Make Your Mark series to the org after answering a call for its Neighborhood Art Funds.
“It has been great to work with Anna on this project,” says Belva Parker, arts program director for the City of Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department. “Her ideas for engaging children with sidewalk art have really changed the way we look at some temporary installations. Her patience has been amazing as we worked on this project during times which challenged how we thought about pretty much everything!”
For this mural series, you get to be the artist too.
VAE’s 2021 Mutual Aid Art Auction gives back to local artists at a time when they need it most.
WEB EXCLUSIVE Calling all creatives! This year’s VAE gala is all about local artists who, like many, have been hit hard by the pandemic. Instead of throwing its annual party, VAE is holding the first-ever Mutual Aid Art Auction, which will provide all participating artists with 100% of the commission for the sale of their work. Can we get a hell yeah?!
“VAE believes the core of our work is to put our people first, and our people are the artists that make our communities worth living in,” says VAE director Brandon Cordrey. “We decided to forego the big party out of safety and to forego ticket sales and commissions on artwork sales in order to direct all of the attention to our artists and to put as much money in their pockets as possible.”
Any artist who has previously exhibited with VAE, been a member or donated artwork to VAE’s annual gala since January 2017 is eligible to submit up to two original works in this year’s auction. The deadline for registration and artwork delivery is March 1. Better get those creative juices flowing!
“What Grows” by Hannah Surace
Many local artists have already begun submitting their works to VAE. Starting bids are as low as $25, making the auction accessible to almost everyone.
On March 3, the virtual auction will open to sponsors; on March 6, the public will be able to bid until March 24 or 25. And don’t miss VAE’s Virtual Auction Party on March 23, where the nonprofit organization will celebrate all the artists who participated—and name the winner of VAE’s 2021 Margot Richter Legacy Award. The anticipation!
Cordrey maintains that VAE would not be in a position to provide this level of financial support for artists without the backing of such sponsors as presenting sponsor PNC, and grantors, including the City of Raleigh’s office of Raleigh Arts.
And if you’re looking to spruce up your home (ya know where you spend so much time these days), VAE’s auction is the perfect opp to snag an original piece while supporting local. A win-win! vaeraleigh.org/auction-art
Charlotte Russell Contemporary Fine Art Gallery opens in Cameron Village.
WEB EXCLUSIVE Curator and arts writer Charlotte Russell has always been passionate about bringing more inclusivity into the art world. Her new pop-up gallery in Cameron Village does just that, highlighting the quality works of underrepresented artists, female artists and artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Charlotte Russell
Charlotte Russell Contemporary Fine Art Gallery‘s inaugural exhibition, On the Horizon, is a two person exhibition by local female artists Grace Clark and Alexandra Chiou. The series of photographs and hand-cut paper artworks explore our connection with nature, the horizon line and its symbolism of hope and possibility. On the Horizon will be on display until March 26, 2021.
“During the global pandemic, people spend a lot of time outdoors in nature in a way usually designated for weekends or vacations,” says Russell. “For my first exhibition at CRC Gallery, I wanted to draw the natural world in through this selection of [Clark’s] photographs. I selected Alexandra Chiou… because her hand-cut paper artworks are rooted in hope, possibility and new beginnings. Her conceptual narrative fits perfectly with my vision for CRC Gallery and my hopes for 2021.”
Curiosities is a solo exhibition of sculptures by another Raleigh artist, Kelly Sheppard Murray, also on display at CRC Gallery until March 26, 2021.
Be sure to come back and check out the new collection, Art Ritual, on April 9. This exhibition will focus primarily on contemporary art and explore the ritual of art making. Featured artists include King Nobuyoshi Godwin, Rebecca Kaufman, Joy Tirade, Ethel Revita and Evelyn Reyes.
“Art has the power to change the way we view the world and our role within it,” says Russell. “Focusing on inclusivity in the arts allows for new voices, fresh perspectives and innovative art practices to be heard in the art world and beyond.”
CRC Gallery opened at 419B Daniels St. on Jan. 8. The gallery is open to the public at a limited capacity Sunday through Friday and Saturdays by appointment only. charlotterussellcontemporary.com
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 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.
