FRANK premieres textile art based on Chapel Hill scenes

A picture might be worth a thousand words, but the memories of Chapel Hill are woven into Elaine O’Neil’s textile art.

“My inspiration is the sense of place,” she said. “The emotional connections we have are with special places where life happens.”

O’Neil’s art exhibit, “CH, NC 27514,” premieres today at FRANK Gallery and runs through Oct. 4.

The exhibit, a collection of hand-sewn textile designs, centers on her experiences in Chapel Hill. Although she is originally from Maine, O’Neil considers Chapel Hill her new hometown.

“CH, NC 27514,” the largest exhibit to date for the FRANK Gallery founding artist, not only features contemporary Chapel Hill landmarks, but also popular locations from the past — places that O’Neil believes UNC students from the past four decades would recognize.

Luna Lee Ray, FRANK Gallery’s curator, said visitors have enjoyed O’Neil’s past artwork.

“I can’t tell you how many people have come in, and they’ve seen a scene from the University or a scene from Franklin Street, and they stop because they’re entranced as if they saw a photograph they recognized,” she said. “It’s so much better than a photograph because it’s got all of her color and artistic interpretation.”

O’Neil’s art will be joined by work from four other artists: Peg Bachenheimer, Gordon Jameson, Noah Riedel and Eric Knoche.

Jameson, who founded FRANK Gallery with O’Neil and six other artists, said that despite differing styles, each artist highlights the work done in the gallery and out in the community.

“Our engagement with what’s happening outside the gallery is about as important as what’s happening in it,” Jameson said.

O’Neil said that community engagement is a key element of her artwork.

Over the past six years, O’Neil has created the annual “Luv This Place” calendar, which features photographs of O’Neil’s textile depictions of various North Carolina locales. Each year, a percentage of the calendar’s proceeds goes directly to the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center at the North Carolina Cancer Hospital. The calendar has raised more than $23,000 for cancer research so far.

O’Neil also illustrated the book “Goodnight Carolina,” which was inspired by the unique experiences she had raising her children in Chapel Hill.

Lauren Baker, a senior, recognized O’Neil’s artwork from various places in Chapel Hill like Bull’s Head Bookshop and at Johnny T-shirt.

“The pictures are very homey and nostalgic,” she said. “(‘Goodnight Carolina’) is the type of story that — if I’d grown up here — I’d imagine my parents reading to me as a kid.”

O’Neil said she hopes to evoke the same nostalgia and connection to Chapel Hill for all who view her exhibit at FRANK over the next month.

“Each person who lives in Chapel Hill adds to the flavor and fabric of life here,” O’Neil said.

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