Chapel Hill's University Mall to host Scrapel Hill art contest

Scrap metal isn’t junk.

It can be an animal, a fountain — anything that sparks the artist’s imagination.

And throughout Chapel Hill’s University Mall, artists from around North Carolina have transformed piles of garbage into recycled sculptures as part of the second annual Scrapel Hill Art Competition and Exhibition, which opened to the public Monday.

Scrapel Hill is a part of University Mall’s attempts to rebrand its image and attract new customers.

“We’re in the middle of redevelopment,” said Kelly Canfield, director of marketing for University Mall.

“We’re trying to create a vibrant cultural arts center here that centers around performing, visual and really all kinds of art.”

Deep Dish Theater Company — a regionally renowned independent theater troupe — and several small art galleries have already set up shop in the mall.

But the sculptures that make up Scrapel Hill aren’t permanent. Artwork from 21 artists from Asheville to Wilmington lines the public areas of the mall and will be on display through mid-November.

The exhibition, which was introduced in spring 2009, was implemented in part to bring a greater artistic and cultural influence into University Mall.

The exhibition introduces environmentally friendly concepts to the community, said Ed Camp, executive director for the ArtsCenter in Carrboro.

“We wanted to do something that linked with the arts community but also had a different twist with a green bent to it,” Camp said about last year’s exhibit in an e-mail.

“The idea of having artists create art from items typically thrown away seemed to link the two concepts.”

A panel of judges from the mall, the wider community and the larger art world will critique each piece on display and announce the winner at the competition’s Oct. 28 reception and awards ceremony.

First, second and third place winners will receive monetary prizes of $2,500, $1,500 and $1,000 respectively. Artists also have the chance to win the People’s Choice Award, with a prize of $500.

This year, the exhibition will bring in nationally acclaimed artist Nancy Judd of Santa Fe, N.M. to serve on the jury board.

Judd, the founder of Recycle Runway, creates clothing from recycled material.

Judd will also host classes focusing on creating recycled garments. Participants will have the chance to help her in creating a high-fashion piece out of bicycle and car tires.

“It’s a cool idea, taking things you would normally recycle and throw in the trash and creating something artistic and imaginative with it,” said Jeffrey York, the public art administrator for the town of Chapel Hill.

Eleatta Diver, who participated in Scrapel Hill last year, said she thinks the competition creates an ongoing appreciation for the arts.

Canfield said people seem to be interested in this year’s exhibition. She is excited about what Scrapel Hill means for University Mall.

“As we move forward with the development, I think you’ll see we do more things centering around the arts,” Canfield said.

Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.