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The Daily Tar Heel

Art Goes From Carrboro Farmer's Market to Washington, D.C.

Exhibited at The ArtsCenter in 1995, Katchian's recent donation of color prints to the Archives Center of the Smithsonian Institution and her reception of a grant from the Orange County Arts Commission to create a related documentary has renewed interest in the photographs and their subjects, local farmers from the Carrboro Farmers' Market.

Living and working in New York City and Tokyo for a total of 31 years, Katchian admits that her urban background makes her an unlikely candidate for a project centering on agriculture.

"I was always a city girl. It was initially not a logical involvement," she said. "Here I plopped in rural North Carolina. I suppose it was logical to eventually become involved with the agriculture here."

But it was Chester (pictured at left) who planted the seeds for The Carrboro Farmers' Market Photography Project in Katchian's mind.

"It was Chester the farmer who really triggered the idea," she said. "I saw in my mind's eye how I wanted to document this farmer's life.

"He has a sense and an ability to tell stories unlike any other person I've ever met besides my mother. He is an acknowledged legend in our community."

A love for the man Katchian simply calls "Chester," the town of Carrboro and the agricultural culture of North Carolina served as the inspiration and the basis for the project through its completion.

"I was very grateful to have had a new beginning here in North Carolina, and I had an ability to convey visually that gratitude," she said. "This would be a project that could act as a gift from me back to the people of Carrboro."

But as with any artist whose work has been completed, Katchian struggled to find a suitable home for the prints.

"I had hoped someone from Carrboro, either the city or an individual patron, would come forward and purchase the collection for the city."

The Museum of Natural History also declined Katchian's offer for purchase with the explanation that the museum does not take visual art, preferring to include artifacts into their collection instead.

It was then Katchian contacted Pete Daniel, curator of agriculture at the Smithsonian. He had seen the original exhibit of Katchian's work at The ArtsCenter and had recommended it to the Archives Center and David Haberstich, head of photographic collections at the Smithsonian. Katchian's donation soon followed.

Haberstich agrees that the photographs hold both significant artistic and documentary purposes.

"I'm interested in photographers as artists," he said. "And one of the things that (the Smithsonian) is interested in is all aspects of America. Agriculture and the social, cultural and economic conditions of farmers fall into that category."

Now that work has begun on the documentary provided for by the Orange County Arts Commission grant, Katchian is looking forward to capturing Chester's life on a different sort of film. Filming is set to be completed by the end of July.

The Arts & Entertainment Editor can be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.

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