What used to be empty walls at the Haymount Truck Stop are now showcasing vibrant, inspiring, and intriguing pieces of art made by local creatives. Every second Sunday, a new participant brings their work and hangs it on the walls. The pieces are there to be enjoyed, but are often also available for sale.
Doug Ray, the Operations Manager at the truck stop, says the program began about 5 months ago, and has had a steady flow of interest, both from artists and observers, ever since.
“You never know what is going to pique someone’s interest, people really enjoy seeing all of it,” he shared. “If it's got a hook on it, I’ll hang it.”
Ray initially contacted artists by doing his own research to find locals who might want to participate, turning to Google as a resource. Then he connected with the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County, which has become a wealth of information and resources, connecting him with an almost limitless network of local artists.
“Instead of me Googling and looking for things, it's much easier to be tied into a scene that hosts artists regularly,” he said of the Arts Council. “It’s worked out really well so far.”
Artists keep 100% of the proceeds from their sales, and a recent artist-of-the-month sold 5 pieces of work as a direct result of Second Sundays. Ray says he thinks the trade is fair: his walls don’t look boring, and artists get visibility and potentially, business.
“I need the artists to brighten up my space. And so to me, it's like a fair trade,” he explained. “The walls look naked without something hanging up.”
He said pieces are displayed along with a QR code so that buyers can reimburse the artist using digital payment options and bring their favorite piece home with them immediately.
Through June 8, visitors can see art by Melanie Scrudder on display. Scrudder is a Fayetteville artist who “uses vibrant color, layered emotion, and expressive brushwork to explore themes of joy, resilience, and introspection,” according to a Haymount Truck Stop Facebook post. The June-July artist-of-the-month is John Scrudder, Melanie’s husband.
“I'm looking forward to seeing John's work,” Ray said, “I mean, it's mind-blowing. He’ll draw a single bird or something like that, and then the shape is filled with a maze that you can actually try to solve.”
According to Ray, they’ll continue to feature a new artist each month and even consider repeat artists. In addition to depending on the Arts Council for new artists, Ray said local creatives can contact him directly if they want to discuss the possibility of displaying their art.
“This is something we definitely want to keep going and we're looking for new stuff all the time,” he shared.
The art remains on display for informal viewing by regular customers all month long, and Ray is excited about the impact it’s having on their space and the art community.
“It changes up the space and I really enjoy that,” he said. “I want to thank the Arts Council for agreeing to work with us on this and share their artist contact information, it's been really helpful.”

(Photo courtesy of Doug Ray, Haymount Truck Stop)