Things are adding up this fall. When you visit downtown Fayetteville, there are a few numbers to keep in mind.
At 301 Hay Street, on Nov. 6, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., the Arts Council premieres 2-4-6, a new exhibition built on a simple formula: two words, four artists, six songs. The idea brings together community and collaboration. 2-4-6 grew out of the Arts Council’s Local Artist Spotlight program, and it presents four regional artists in one shared gallery. Each artist has access to ¼ of the full space and is tasked with self-curating a mini-gallery installation. Each artist incorporates two words as an overarching, guiding theme for visitors to understand. There are six songs to listen to while visitors take in each space.
The words alone tell you how different the four installations feel. Justin Chaplin’s interdisciplinary work takes viewers on a journey through Struggle to Healing. Hannah Corcoran’s work presents Lost and Found, abstract collisions of land, horizon and sky. Timothy French sets Dance beside Partner and invites visitors into a physical relationship with the work itself. Tiffany Ragin’s large, bold work explores Seek and Surrender. You’ll walk through four artists’ honest questions about being human, each with its own soundtrack. The playlist will play in the gallery, and a QR code lets you carry it out the door with you. 2-4-6 remains open to the public until Dec. 20.
Now step outside, because the same fall brings another
number: 10.
The Arts Council’s annual public art program, ArtScape, is now in its 10th year of inviting national artists to engage with our city streets. To celebrate, 10 new sculptures are being installed this month, and they’ll stay for just over 15 months, so these pieces become part of our daily routine. See a piece on your walk to the library, on your lunch break downtown, or on a stroll around the newly renovated Market House.
Joe Coates’s Open Hand, made from steel, greets visitors at the Arts Center, welcoming all to our gallery. Over by the courthouse, look for Virginia, Jonathan Chandler’s tribute to his grandmother: a hand-forged steel dogwood with her favorite mockingbird perched on a branch.
Jim Gallucci’s When the Circus Came to Town brings all the moving parts of a circus to Hay Street - look for that piece near the offices of Cool Spring Downtown District. A full map to all ten pieces is available online at theArtsCouncil.com or at the Arts Center.
Taken together, the 2 projects share 1 idea: art belongs to everyone. The Arts Center gallery is always free. The pieces of public art are free, and always on view. Inside, four artists collaborate in one space. Out there, ten artists collaborate with our streets. All that’s left is you. Show up and become part of the equation.