Discover Summer: Feeling Artsy
June 26 — July 2
Welcome to Week 2 of Discover Summer! This week we are celebrating all the ways you can engage with art in our state! North Carolina has a rich history of artists and our wonderful institutions provide ample inspiration. Here are 7 ways to engage with art in our state, and to create your own! Don’t forget to share your creations and experiences with us on social media using the hashtag #DiscoverSummerNC!
- FAULT LINES: ART AND THE ENVIRONMENT, NC MUSEUM OF ART
The North Carolina Museum of Art’s extensive galleries and grounds offer many ways to enjoy a summer day, whether you’re trying to escape the heat or embrace it. The West Building of the Museum is now closed through October 7, 2022 to complete an exciting reinstallation of the People’s Collection, however, now is a great time enjoy free exhibitions on view in East Building.
In particular, visitors have free access to the current exhibit Fault Lines: Art and the Environment through July 17. Fault Lines invites you to explore humanity’s relationship to the environment through an immersive, multimedia exhibition and outdoor sculpture installations in the Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park. Through video, photography, sculpture, and mixed-media works, 14 contemporary artists focus on current concerns and offer new perspectives. They address urgent environmental issues, consequences of inaction, and opportunities for sustainable environmental stewardship and restoration.
2. WEAVE WITH PAPER
This is a wonderful activity to get familiar with weaving. Great for teenagers and young adults, it’s an excellent way to finally use up that leftover construction paper! It’s also a first step toward more complicated weaving projects. Get inspired by artists like Emma Taylor and Eva Wolfe, both of whom are master basket weavers from North Carolina.
3. DIVERSITY: WS/FCS VISUAL ART TEACHERS, SECCA
The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) in Winston-Salem is a vibrant center for art, music and culture with particular focus on spotlighting regional working artists. Take a moment this summer to celebrate the creative work of talented local visual art teachers at the current exhibit Diversity: WS/FCS Visual Art Teachers. This special exhibition celebrating the vision, talent, and dedication of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools’ remarkable visual art teachers features over 50 works by 25 elementary, middle, and high school educators. This show highlights the diverse worldviews present in local schools and underscores the artistic contributions teachers make beyond the classroom.
4. EXPERIMENT WITH COLOR MIXING
Primary colors are one of the basic elements of painting and many other forms of art. You can use this color wheel activity to get started and this color mixing is sure to get kids excited! Because this teaches basic principles of color we recommend starting here and then moving onto more complicated projects like watercoloring!
5. MAKE A COLLAGE
Many of us had “collage day” in elementary art classes. The rounded scissors, old copies of “National Geographic” and a whole lot of glue (the white pasty kind) were definitely involved. Well, turns out this is a fantastic activity for adults, too! Check out this tutorial to refresh yourself on the basics. Many renowned artists have worked in this medium including the amazing North Carolina native Minnie Evans. A surrealist artist, she used collage among many other forms to portray her visions. Get inspired and get started!
6. DESIGN & BUILD A CARDBOARD CHAIR
Did you know that High Point, NC is one of the nation’s leading producers of furniture? It’s true! As a whole, North Carolina has a long, rich tradition of carving and furniture making. For budding makers and artists who are looking for more of a challenge, this is for you! This activity takes some time but the materials are readily available. Keep practicing and you may never have to buy furniture again!
7. NORTH CAROLINA MURAL TRAIL
Mural art never fails to impress with its scale. With so many larger-than-life music artists from North Carolina, the mural has emerged as fitting tribute to these trailblazers known around the world. In your summer travels, make sure to include stops on the North Carolina Musicians Mural Trail to see these remarkable works of art that can only be truly appreciated in person. John Coltrane, Earl Scruggs, Roberta Flack, Don Gibson and more…honored by and in the places that shaped their work.
If you’re feeling inspired and ambitious, you can paint your own mural! Murals can can be painted on most surfaces. Your backyard fence, or even the side of your garage! This is a wonderful activity to involve your neighborhood or friends and can include all skill levels. Remember the color mixing activity? A group mural could be a great way for kids to practice what they’ve learned. The principles of collage come into play here as well. Get tips on mural painting here. Happy painting!
