Walkers see art, area at the same time

Local galleries, eclectic art museums and funky-creative centers flung opened their doors and dished out wine, cheese, jazz and their most appealing visuals Friday night.

The 2nd Friday Art Walk caused many Triangle residents to equate the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area to the world's great artistic centers of New York City or Paris.

"This is the Soho of the South, formerly known as the Paris of the Piedmont," said Chuck Lewis, a resident of Chapel Hill and a UNC graduate.

The Art Walk is part of a free monthly event sponsored by The News & Observer that allows people to view the community art for free. Participating galleries included The Ackland Art Museum, the Chapel Hill Museum, Bleecker St. Studio and Gallery and Sizl Gallery, among others.

"You won't find anything like it outside New York, Los Angeles and Carrboro," said James O'Briant, a Chapel Hill resident and a UNC graduate.

For local artist Eduardo Lapetina, the long, solitary hours painting in his Chapel Hill studio are validated when he can share his work, ideas and creativity with the community members strolling through the art walk's galleries.

"Suddenly when you are showing your work you get the link to the community," said Lapetina, who was a research scientist on the university level for 35 years before a battle with multiple sclerosis spurred him to move into the art world.

Lapetina has become one of the best-selling artists in the area, according to Karen Shelton of Sizl Gallery.

The participating institutions showed a wide range of art, each offering a distinct atmosphere and artistic taste.

Sizl, at 405 E. Main St., with its rouge-colored floors, hanging lanterns and deep-colored curvaceous furniture, showed paintings of diverse themes and materials all united by their vivid color schemes and abstract forms.

Differing from Sizl's vibrant atmosphere, The Ackland Art Museum - which also was celebrating the 150th birthday of William Hayes Ackland with balloons, chocolate cake and jazz keyboard - gave an academic and professional vibe. Both the Ackland and the Chapel Hill Museum at 523 E. Franklin St. joined the retinue of first-time participants Friday.

"Tonight is going to be our first event with the art walk," said Maria Bleier, director of communication for the Ackland.

The museum is featuring the highlights of its 8,000-piece collection with 80 prints from diverse origins and time periods.

Wootini, a gallery at 200 N. Greensboro St., was exhibiting the work of Andrew Bell, a former Nickelodeon and Marvel Comics employee who now does sketches of fantastical creatures and human-like images as well as toys and pieces of graphic design.

"It's great that the galleries are getting together so that there's one particular time people can see the amazing art this area has to offer," said Heather Yurko, Wootini gallery director.

Yurko mentioned that a communitywide exhibition is only possible in an area like Chapel Hill-Carrboro because it has a select group of galleries and a strong base of appreciation within the towns' residents.

"There are collections of galleries in New York but because there's so many of them, people don't care," she said.

And the people did walk.

Raleigh resident Mike Moon, started at the Arts Center, located at 300-G E. Main St. in Carrboro, and worked his way down Main and Franklin Streets, enjoying the atmosphere as much as the eye candy.

"Part of it is just the pleasure of Franklin street on a Friday night - the ambience and the galleries opening up - it's just a nice thing to do," Moon said.

Lewis said that the experience gives him an opportunity to broaden his perspective on life.

"To see how (the different artists) have expressed the same thing you may have seen, but in a different way," he said.

The next art walk will happen Friday, Oct. 14 from 6 to 9 p.m.

 

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.