The Daily Tar Heel
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893.
Friday, March 29, 2024 Newsletters Latest print issue

We keep you informed.

Help us keep going. Donate Today.
The Daily Tar Heel

Exhibit adds sculptures to rejuvenate town

Tom Grubb, from Washington, N.C., was selected to showcase his sculpture titled “Chapel Hill Voyager,” located at the Chapel Hill Public Library Sculpture Trail.

Tom Grubb, from Washington, N.C., was selected to showcase his sculpture titled “Chapel Hill Voyager,” located at the Chapel Hill Public Library Sculpture Trail.

From Chapel Hill Public Library to the Chapel Hill Fire Station, Sculpture Visions is bringing elaborate art to town for yet another year.

Chapel Hill Public Arts Coordinator Steve Wright, who helps curate the public art exhibit, said he believes the annual project is a great addition to the town.   

“I think it says that Chapel Hill is a community that values art and design, and I think that’s very appealing and can help attract residents and future residents and visitors,” he said.

“I think overall it helps define Chapel Hill.” 

Mike Roig, a local Carrboro artist, has showcased multiple pieces of work in exhibits part of Sculpture Visions. This year he has two sculptures on display that are both extensions from last year. As a returning artist, Roig said he believes the exhibit provides great publicity for his work.  

“It’s a good opportunity for me to get my sculpture out in front of the public. When you’re making sculptures of that scale, that’s part of your goal,” Roig said. Roig's “Beautiful Whirlwind” is on display in front of Fire Station #1 on the corner of Martin Luther King Boulevard.  

Sculpture Visions aims draws attention to art as well as to the environment in which it is presented. The outdoor venues allow people to see the art without going into a gallery.

“Public sculpture is a nice way to introduce art into your community in a way that’s outside of a gallery — that’s out in the real world where people conduct their business every day,” Roig said.

Sculpture Visions isn’t just for local artists — the program attracts sculptures from across the state. Tom Grubb, an artist from Washington, North Carolina was selected to showcase his piece titled “Chapel Hill Voyager” at the Chapel Hill Public Library Sculpture Trail. In discussing the nature of outdoor displays, Grubb said the aging process that comes with exposure to weather symbolizes something greater for his art.

“I like the way you put  (the sculptures) up and they’re green, and then they age and they go away — sort of paralleling mankind on earth," he said.

Wright said he enjoys spending time trying to understand the different sculptures and exploring the mysteries they hold. 

“The more time you spend with any of these pieces, you discover really great aspects of them,” he said. “I think the more time and looking you do at any of these pieces the more you begin to appreciate them. So, I like them all for different reasons.”

Grubb agreed that having art on display around a town enhances the lives of Chapel Hill visitors and residents and adds culture to common places.

“I think art enriches the soul," Grubb said. 

"When you drive into an area and you see pieces of art up, immediately you have a different feeling about the people who live there and what their priorities are.”

arts@dailytarheel.com

To get the day's news and headlines in your inbox each morning, sign up for our email newsletters.