Davis Library to feature concert poster exhibit

Davis Library isn’t just a haven for studying — it’s also a venue for art.

Tonight, the library’s gallery will open “From the Cradle to the Cave: 18 Years of North Carolina Poster Art.”

The exhibit features reproductions of 40 posters from the past two decades advertising local bands and music venues.

As a part of an initiative to document the region’s music culture, Steve Weiss, head of the Southern Folklife Collection, asked the individual artists to donate their work.

The University Library Public Art Committee chose to place the artwork in Davis due to the space available and the large audience, Weiss said.

While the Chapel Hill library system has many art pieces, this is only the second exhibit brought to the Davis gallery, said Winifred Metz, cochairwoman of the committee.

“Our goal for the gallery is engagement,” she said. “Engaging and getting folks to think about art and what’s available here on campus.”

The poster art comes from local venues, including Carrboro’s Cat’s Cradle and Franklin Street’s Local 506.

Many of the posters featured are copies of ones seen previously on lampposts. Similar work is featured at the Ackland Museum Store and was seen last January in the Carolina Union Gallery.

The posters are clustered together to highlight the five contributing artists.

“These posters have commonalities which make for a cohesive display,” said Linda Jacobson, keeper of the North Carolina Collection Gallery.

“This is something really new that we’re doing,” Jacobson said. “We’re trying to think of things that are attractive to the campus community as well as the general public.”

Jacobson said that the tones of the poster artwork vary.

“You will note the differences in the artwork, from the more representative and nostalgic to the fanciful and abstract,” she said.

The artists — Matt Hart, Ron Liberti, Jason Lonon, Casey Burns and Chris Williams — have played significant roles in shaping the Chapel Hill music scene.

“To me all the work underscores what is so great about our local arts community,” Weiss said.

He said the posters aren’t just aesthetically pleasing advertisements — they’re also historical documents.

“Because they advertise past shows, the posters remind me of all the great live music I have heard in our area and our musical history,” Weiss said.

At tonight’s opening, all five artists will participate in a panel discussion about their work.

A concert by local band The Kingsbury Manx will follow.

Weiss said he hopes the event will be well-attended.

He said, “I hope students will have a great time and enjoy the music and wonderful artwork on display.”

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