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Downtown Hillsborough’s Last Fridays Art Walk: September preview

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The art exhibited at the Margret Lane Gallery during a previous Last Friday's Art Walk. Photo courtesy Mary Knox.

On the last Friday of every month, except December, downtown Hillsborough puts on a Last Fridays Art Walk to showcase local artists, musicians and exhibits. The September art walk will take place on Sept. 27 from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. 

The Last Fridays Art Walk is a way for local artists to share their exhibitions and sell their pieces. The event features several art organizations, many of which are well-established and have participated for years, said Torey Mishoe, executive director of Hillsborough Arts Council.

“Everybody is responsible for their own exhibitions,” Mishoe said. “It’s a lot of fun; it’s kind of like a big block party." 

These include the exhibits by Margaret Lane Gallery, Yonder: Southern Cocktails and Brew and the mayor of Hillsborough himself, Tom Stevens, who has a gallery downtown. 

Margaret Lane Gallery presents a new exhibit at the art walk each month. For September, Margaret Lane Gallery is presenting an exhibit called “Art for the Soul.” Mary Knox, co-owner of Margaret Lane Gallery, said the gallery will feature pieces created through a variety of mediums, including oils, photography, acrylics, collage, stained glass, jewelry and more. 

"One thing that you’ll find in common across all of those pieces is that there is a word or a phrase that’s embedded within the overall image,” Knox said.

Knox said she believes that the Last Fridays Art Walk provides artists and art lovers alike with opportunities to interact.

“It’s interesting to know the background of an artist," Knox said. "It builds the story and makes art more interesting and more valuable.” 

In addition to physical art venues, the September walk will feature live music. The Hillsborough Orange County Chamber of Commerce is featuring local 9-year-old musician Finn Phoenix. He has been playing ukulele and guitar live since June 2019. The September Last Fridays Art Walk will be Phoenix’s first time performing at the event. 

Phoenix’s upcoming performance will include covers of many songs by the Okee Dokee Brothers and an original song called “Life at Lindley.” 

“It’s a song about when I was a third-grader at Lindley Elementary School,” Phoenix said.

While the Hillsborough Last Fridays Art Walk runs from January through November, September is the last month of the short season, which runs from April through the end of this month. Some venues only signed up to participate during the short season, Mishoe said, which coincides with the Last Fridays' concert series downtown.

Mishoe said The Last Fridays Art Walk anticipates a good turnout for September because the concert and art walk occur simultaneously.

With the potential for a large turnout, Knox said local artists will have a way to connect with more community members. The Last Fridays Art Walk will also bring together a variety of venues, with new exhibits  being shown to the public each month.

“It’s just that it's art, that’s the overarching theme, in whatever format that takes,” Mishoe said.

arts@dailytarheel.com

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