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 Arts & Economic Prosperity III - PowerPoint Presentation 
At a time when governments at all levels are making tough budget choices, this study sends an important message: that support for the arts does not come at the expense of economic development. When we increase our investment in the arts, we are not supporting a frill or a luxury. Rather, an industry that supports jobs, generates government revenue, is the cornerstone of tourism and economic development, and drives a creativity-based economy. Nonprofit arts and culture organizations pay their employees, purchase supplies, contract for services, and acquire assets from within their communities. Their audiences generate event-related spending for local merchants such as restaurants, retail stores, hotels, and parking garages. This study sends an important message to community leaders that support for the arts is an investment in economic well-being as well as quality of life. Researchers collected detailed expenditure and attendance data from 6,080 nonprofit arts and culture organizations and 94,478 of their attendees to measure total industry spending. Project economists customized input-output analysis models for each study region to provide specific and reliable economic impact data. The study focused solely on the economic impact of nonprofit arts organizations and their audiences, and excluded spending by individual artists, the for-profit arts and entertainment sector (e.g., Broadway or the motion picture industry), and arts produced by non-arts organizations (schools or community centers). Gross Domestic Product, by comparison, grew at a slightly faster rate of an inflation-adjusted 12.5 percent. Spending by nonprofit arts and culture organizations grew 18.6 percent between 2000 and 2005, from $53.2 billion to $63.1 billion (4 percent increase when adjusted for inflation). Event-related spending by audiences attending a nonprofit arts and culture event increased 28 percent during the same period, from $80.8 billion to $103.1 billion (15 percent when adjusted for inflation). A theater company purchases a gallon of paint from the local hardware store for $20, generating the direct economic impact of the expenditure. The hardware store then uses a portion of the aforementioned $20 to pay the sales clerk’s salary; the sales clerk respends some of the money for groceries; the grocery store uses some of the money to pay its cashier; the cashier then spends some for the utility bill; and so on. The subsequent rounds of spending are the indirect economic impacts. Thus, the initial expenditure by the theater company was followed by four additional rounds of spending (by the hardware store, sales clerk, grocery store, and the cashier). The effect of the theater company’s initial expenditure is the direct economic impact. The subsequent rounds of spending are all of the indirect impacts. The total impact is the sum of the direct and indirect impacts. Note: Interestingly, a dollar “ripples” through each community very differently, which is why each study region has its own customized economic model. Input/output analysis is a highly regarded type of economic analysis that has been the basis for two Nobel Prizes in economics. This form of economic analysis is well suited for this study because it can be customized specifically to each community. Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Jobs describes the total amount of labor employed. Economists measure FTE jobs, not the total number of employees, because it is a more accurate measure that accounts for part-time employment. Resident Household Income (often called Personal Income) includes salaries, wages, and entrepreneurial income paid to local residents. It is the money residents earn and use to pay for food, mortgages, and other living expenses. Revenue to Local and State Government includes revenue from taxes (income, property, or sales) as well as funds from license fees, utility fees, filing fees, and other similar sources. This economic impact study sends a strong signal to communities that when they support the arts, they not only enhance the quality of community life but also invest in their economic well-being. This spending supports 5.7 million full-time jobs right here in the U.S.—an increase of 850,000 jobs since our 2002 study. What’s more, because arts and culture organizations are strongly rooted in their community, these are jobs that necessarily remain local and cannot be shipped overseas. There is a tremendous untapped upside to this industry. (How many industries have a cultural impact AND an economic impact?) Arts organizations pay their employees, purchase supplies, contract for services, and acquire assets within the local community. These actions, in turn, support local jobs, create household income, and generate revenue to the local, state, and federal governments. In 2005, nonprofit arts and culture organizations alone supported 2.6 million full-time equivalent jobs. Of this total, 1.3 million jobs were a result of “direct” expenditures by nonprofit arts organizations, representing 1.01 percent of the U.S. workforce. [1] Compared to the size of other sectors of the U.S. workforce, this figure is significant. Nonprofit arts and culture organizations support more jobs than accountants and auditors, public safety officers, and even lawyers, and just slightly fewer than elementary school teachers. The above chart provides a helpful context for the large number of jobs directly supported by nonprofit arts and culture organizations. It must be noted that the arts and culture jobs represent portions of multiple industry sectors (e.g., musicians, designers, accountants, printers), whereas the comparison groups are single job classifications.
The arts enrich our life, but also inject cash to other businesses. The arts are a business that spurs other business. While the ratio of local to nonlocal attendees is different in every community, the national sample revealed that 39 percent of attendees traveled from outside of the county in which the event took place (nonlocal) and 61 percent were local (reside inside the county). Arts and culture is a product that attracts visitors to a region. As would be expected from a traveler, significantly higher spending can be found in the categories of lodging, meals, retail, and transportation. These data demonstrate that when a community attracts cultural tourists, it stands to harness significant economic rewards. As communities compete for the tourist’s dollar, the arts have proven to be a magnet for travelers and their money. Local businesses are able to grow because travelers extend the length of their trips to attend cultural events. Travel and tourism research shows that cultural travelers spend more ($631 vs. $457), travel longer (5.2 nights vs. 4.1 nights), and are more likely to spend at least $1,000 (18% vs. 12%). Animal Services Public Art Project on the Move to Cedar Grove
The Orange County Arts Commission has purchased two steel dog sculptures from Carrboro artist Mike Roig. These large interactive outdoor sculptures will be temporarily located at various Orange County-owned properties until they are permanently installed at the to-be-constructed Animal Services Center upon its completion. These two dog sculptures (“Sit” and “Stay”) have been initially installed behind the Historic Orange County Courthouse (Margaret Lane side) in Hillsborough. The dog sculptures will remain there from March through August, 2007. “Sit” and “Stay” will travel next to the Northern Human Services Center in Cedar Grove. Mike Roig’s sculptures have won numerous awards and can been seen in many private collections. His public art pieces include commissions and purchases by the City of Raleigh, the Town of Chapel Hill, the Public Gallery of Carrboro, The ArtsCenter (Carrboro), Sandhills Community College (Pinehurst, NC), the City of Charlottesville (VA), and Onandaga Community College (Syracuse, NY), among others. For more information on Mike Roig, please visit www.mikeroig.com. This project hopes to focus attention on public art in Orange County, and also highlight the programs of Orange County Animal Services -- which include operating the County’s shelter where dogs, cats and other animals may be adopted. For more information on Orange County Animal Services, visit www.co.orange.nc.us/animalservices/index.asp or call 919/968-2287. For information on the Orange County Arts Commission, visit www.artsorange.org or call 919/245-2335. Photo by Mike Roig Artwork in County Facilities The artwork selected during our “Purchase of Existing Work” competition has been located in the following Orange County facilities: Ten Lessons the Arts Teach By Elliot Eisner The arts teach children to make good judgments about qualitative relationships. Unlike much of the curriculum in which correct answers and rules prevail, in the arts, it is judgment rather than rules that prevail. The arts teach children that problems can have more than one solution and that questions can have more than one answer. The arts celebrate multiple perspectives. One of their large lessons is that there are many ways to see and interpret the world. The arts teach children that in complex forms of problem solving purposes are seldom fixed, but change with circumstance and opportunity. Learning in the arts requires the ability and a willingness to surrender to the unanticipated possibilities of the work as it unfolds. The arts make vivid the fact that neither words in their literal form nor number exhaust what we can know. The limits of our language do not define the limits of our cognition. The arts teach students that small differences can have large effects. The arts traffic in subtleties. The arts teach students to think through and within a material. All art forms employ some means through which images become real. The arts help children learn to say what cannot be said. When children are invited to disclose what a work of art helps them feel, they must reach into their poetic capacities to find the words that will do the job. The arts enable us to have experience we can have from no other source and through such experience to discover the range and variety of what we are capable of feeling. The arts’ position in the school curriculum symbolizes to the young what adults believe is important. SOURCE: Eisner, E. (2002). The Arts and the Creation of Mind, In Chapter 4, What the Arts Teach and How It Shows. (pp. 70-92). Yale University Press. Available from NAEA Publications. Copyright © 2006 by NAEA: The National Art Education Association. No reproduction permitted without the express written permission of NAEA: The National Art Education Association. All rights reserved. Disaster Preparation for Artists www.craftemergency.org
Disasters can strike at any time and in any place with little or no warning. The time to formulate and implement a disaster response plan for business is now. The following handout was put together with artists in mind. Take your first steps today. The more complete your preparation the more likely your business will recover from a disaster. Secure your Studio – More than one-third of the United States’ population lives in hazard-prone areas. Take steps to reduce physical destruction to your buildings and contents. The following steps can reduce your insurance costs as well.
Communications Plan – Before disaster strikes reach out to those who care about you and let them know where you would evacuate to in the event of a disaster and how they can stay in contact with you.
Insurance – Even with homeowners and business insurance disaster recovery is a major undertaking. Don’t consider insurance an “all or nothing” proposition, at the very least get your basics properly insured.
Protect Critical Information – Insurance policies, legal papers, contact lists, financial records, inventory lists, and photographs of property are some examples of critical information you will need to access after an emergency. Protect the originals and have duplicates at a safe off site location.
Protect Critical Inventory – At any time, your art work may be at a number of locations—galleries, museums, shows, in transit, storage, or in your studio. Beyond insuring the items, take reasonable steps to protect them from damage in the event of a disaster.
Plan for Business Continuity – Even if you have taken measures to protect your business, a disaster can keep you from making and selling your work for an extended period of time,. The following steps can reduce your downtime.
Create a Disaster Supply Kit – The first priority in preparing for disaster is personal safety and the safety of the family, but augment your supplies with basics to meet your business’s emergency needs.
Resources: Much of the information for this handout was compiled from the organizations listed below. Visit their websites or contact them to find more detailed information for implementing your disaster preparation plan. American Red Cross
US Department of Homeland Security
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
National Flood Insurance Program
US Small Business Administration (SBA)
Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS)
In the fall of 2004 a public art selection committee was formed
to develop a public art project in the Southern Human Services
Center (2501 Homestead Road, Chapel Hill), at the request of the
Board of County Commissioners. The committee was composed of art
professionals, community members, representatives of the Orange
County Arts Commission, and representatives from the following
Orange County departments (Manager’s Office, Social Services,
Health, Housing, and Community Development). This committee
determined that the artwork should be family-friendly and of a
calming/soothing nature. The artwork would be sited in a prominent
location inside the building, near the reception area.
This committee met in December, 2004, and again in March and
April, 2005. A statewide call for qualifications with a March 15,
2005 deadline was distributed to North Carolina artists by direct
mail and posted electronically by email and via various listservs
and websites. Artists living in Orange County, NC were encouraged to
apply. Artists were asked to submit a letter of interest, relevant
experience/current resume, up to fifteen (15) images of their work,
annotated image list, and references. Thirty-nine (39) responses
were received from North Carolina artists. The artist selection
committee reviewed the submissions and selected three (3) finalists
to interview. Three (3) weeks of public comment were received. The
selection committee then recommended artist Sarah Craige (Efland,
NC) to the full Orange County Arts Commission for approval. Sarah’s
proposal was a carved, glazed ceramic mural integrated into the
architectural setting.
Sarah Craige’s concept statement about the piece follows:
“Tree of Life” is a mural that celebrated life, designed for the
Southern Human Services Center. The central image of a strong, vital
tree is an international symbol for life and growth, family,
knowledge, and hope. The tiles are all hand-made terra cotta clay.
They are carved and painted with many layers of colors, blazed and
fired repeatedly until the rich vibrant colors are achieved. The
mural will fill the large architectural niche in the central
reception area of the facility. The poetic landscape celebrates and
honors all those who visit the Center, from all cultures and for
every generation.”
On June 7, 2005, the Board of County Commissioners approved Sarah
Craige for the Southern Human Services Center Public Art Project.
Sarah has excellent credentials and several years of relevant public
art experience and was suggested primarily for her artistic merit
and her ability to work successfully in the public art arena.
Since that time, Sarah has been working on this project, which is
near completion. The artwork will be installed in the Southern Human
Services Center during the summer of 2006. The photos of this
project, by Sheldon T. Becker, were taken in the artist’s studio.
Fifty (50) eligible applications were received by the March 31,
2006 deadline from artists living in or having a studio in Orange
County. Artists submitted images of already-existing original visual
art for purchase by Orange County and for display in county-owned
buildings. The selection committee, comprised of three Arts
Commission board members, met on April 11 and May 4. Their
recommendations were presented to the full Arts Commission on May 8,
2006 and to the Board of County Commissioners on June 13, 2006.
Six (6) works of art by the following five (5) artists were
selected for purchase:
“Summer Serenade” by Cathy Kiffney of Chapel Hill (21” x
28” x 1”) – hand-built ceramic triptych
Cathy Kiffney’s Artist Statement: “This work is from a
series of triptychs The Secret Garden, an ongoing narrative in clay,
telling a story of the beauty and mystery of an idyllic natural
world. The title Summer Serenade refers to a hopeful notion of
harmony among species.”
“Before Eve” by Alice Levinson of Hillsborough (43” x 28”)
- batik fabric, machine pieced, appliquéd, and embroidered
Alice Levinson’s Artist Statement: “This work embodies the
timeless feminine archetype, generation energy, and creativity. A
figure can be found embedded in her lush garden. There are subtle
suggestions of movement and growth.”
”Sinter Method: Rivers and Clouds #2 and #3” by Mario
Marzan of Chapel Hill (48” x 24” each) – acrylic & graphite
on wood panel
Mario Marzan’s Artist Statement: “My work is a reflection
of growing up in the central highlands of Puerto Rico. Memories
flood my thoughts ad greatly impact my recent work. I create
sequences of drawings that fabricate a world where memories are
topographically stored and distorted to their limits of collapse.
This manipulation enables me to create a visual fiction, calling
into question experiences of displacement, and the dilemma of my
cultural dualism, from uprooted islander, to citizen of the U.S.
mainland.”
“Box Elder” by Jennifer Miller of Durham (Orange County)
(22.25” x 13.5”) – watercolor
Jennifer Miller’s Artist Statement: “Along the Eno River,
trees cling to the banks through floods and droughts with their
roots exposed and intertwined, communities of survivor trees –
sycamore, red maple, ironwood, ash, beech, and box elder. This box
elder, still bare from winter, was painted with watercolor on the
river near Hillsborough in 2004, one in a series of Eno River tree
portraits.”
“Riptide” by Martha Petty of Chapel Hill (50.5” x 60”) –
oil on paper mounted on canvas
Martha Petty’s Artist Statement: “This painting is one
from a series of 30 in which I sought to develop a vocabulary of
landscape elements that I could employ to address life’s
uncertainties. I used bright, sometimes jarring, colors; winding
paths; and water-like grounds created through the use of loose,
flowing brushstrokes to heighten the paintings’ emotional ambiguity.
In all of these paintings, my goal has been to encourage reflection,
rather than to communicate any particular message.”
HomegrownHandmade is an exciting project based on an
alliance of arts + agriculture, which have harmonized for a long
time in North Carolina. There's always music at harvest festivals,
food at craft fairs, and everything in between. The result is a
unique series of fascinating agri-Cultural trails. Using
journalism’s classic “5 W’s” model, here is the story of the
HomegrownHandmade project.
Who What When Where Why Increasingly, the growth segment of the tourism industry is the
cultural and heritage tourist who seeks arts-related experiences. In
North Carolina, where arts and agriculture have partnered at Harvest
Days, Music Festivals and Farm Fairs, the reward of tourism has yet
to impact many of our vibrant rural communities, but the promise is
there. The agribusiness operator is limited only by his or her
creativity. Agri-Cultural Tourism is seen as a means of income,
employment generation, and diversification of local economies.
For more information:
The North Carolina Museum of Art has selected the Orange County
Arts Commission for its pARTnership program this fall. This series,
initiated several years ago, was organized specifically for arts
councils and commissions across the state as a means to implement
art projects relating to the Museum's collection or exhibition.
Carrboro textile artist Marguerite Jay (“Peg”) Gignoux will
involve families in the creation of a work of art during an
artist-in-residence program at the NC Museum of Art in Raleigh. Peg
will also involve senior citizens at the Central Orange Senior
Center in Hillsborough in the further creation of this fabric
artwork. The Orange County Department on Aging will serve as the
Arts Commission’s programming partner for this public art project.
The Arts Commission plans to locate the finished artwork inside a
highly visible recreational facility, serving the central Orange
County community.
Participants from both sites will be invited to the opening
reception when this intergenerational work of art is installed, so
they can meet each other and view their combined creation.
HERITAGE TOURISM DEFINED: North Carolina’s natural scenic beauty, rich history and unique
cultural attractions have always been the core of the state’s
tourism industry. It is because of the growing popularity of
heritage tourism that so many of the state’s destinations and
attractions have embraced this trend and support industry efforts to
capitalize on North Carolina’s natural, historic and cultural
resources.
A GROWING SEGMENT OF THE TRAVEL MARKET: Two significant travel trends will dominate the tourism market in
the next decade: The combination of these two trends is being fueled by technology
through the proliferation of online services and tools, making it
easier for the traveler to choose destinations and customize
itineraries based on their interests. Catering to the needs of these
types of travelers will make the tourism industry more profitable in
North Carolina.
HERITAGE TOURISM TRAVELER PROFILE:
The power of heritage tourism as a mechanism for economic
development in North Carolina can be attributed to the
characteristics of cultural travelers. Cultural travelers stay
longer and spend more: Top Ten States Visited by Historic/Cultural Travelers: 1. California, 2. Texas, 3. New York, 4. Florida, 5. Pennsylvania, 6. Virginia, 7. Illinois, 8. Tennessee, 9. North Carolina, 10. Georgia.
-reprinted from Update NC with permission from the NC
Division of Tourism, Film and Sport Development
A recent study by Americans for the Arts, "Creative
Industries: Business and Employment in the Arts," showed the
arts to be a formidable industry, with 4.3 percent of U.S.
businesses involved in the production or distribution of the arts.
The study is based on data obtained from the well?known business
information firm Dun & Bradstreet (D & B). It is the first
national study that encompasses both the nonprofit and for?profit
arts industry.
Analysis, however, suggests that the nonprofit sector is
underrepresented in the D & B database. So Americans for the
Arts asks your help to make sure that your own organization is
listed and properly coded, AND that all nonprofit arts organizations
and artists have a D & B number. It's free and it's easy. Just
go to www.americansforthearts.org/services/research/ri_article.asp?id=1525
and follow the instructions.
Leading non-profit arts groups in the state average 13 full time
jobs per organization. That number can double with part time and
seasonal workers. Full time salaries alone generate an estimated $32
million in federal and state taxes.
The study looks exclusively at the non-profit arts world.
Additional data from the for-profit sector will add billions of
dollars to complete the picture of the full economic impact of the
creative industry in North Carolina. For instance, more than 6,100
craft artists in the state generate $538 million in revenue.
The most comprehensive economic impact study of the nonprofit
arts industry ever conducted in North Carolina, the Appalachian
State University study estimated activity of 2,468 nonprofit arts
organizations in North Carolina. The authors of the study are Dinesh
K. Dave and Michael R. Evans.
The following are highlights of what research discovered about
the non-profit arts segment of the creative industry in North
Carolina
ESTIMATING ECONOMIC IMPACTS The study places the direct economic impact of non-profit arts
organizations in the state at $394,675,913. When using the very
conservative multiplier factor of 1.5, and adding an estimate of the
worth of volunteers' time of $131,034,421, the total economic impact
estimate of the non-profit arts industry comes to $723,048,290.
Additional data from the for-profit sector, artists, education, the
film industry, the informal arts, and festivals will add billions of
dollars to complete the picture of the economic impact of the
creative industry in North Carolina. For instance, more than 6,100
craft artists in the state generate $538 million in revenue.
JOBS, JOBS, JOBS! STATE/FEDERAL PAYROLL TAXES - $32 MILLION ARTS LEAD ECONOMIC CHAIN REACTION $24 MATCHES EACH $1 INVESTED VOLUNTEERS ADD VALUE Cultural volunteerism is up 13 percent over a four-year period.
North Carolina cultural volunteers donate between one day and two
weeks annually. Valued by the Independent Sector at $16.04 per hour,
the financial support of this work is an impressive $131,034,421.
CULTURAL ACTIVITY MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER A TOP 10 CULTURAL DESTINATION CULTURAL TOURISM ON RISE Non-Profit Arts Impact
(Photo by Seth Tice-Lewis) “Repetition and chance, pattern and improvisation; these are our
constant companions. Available in every studio and urging an idea
forward, reminding us who we are and where we’ve been. It is every
artist’s privilege to harness the stripe, circle, corner and stroke
into textures that provoke and reflect our lives. Textures dance,
build, contort and confide. They talk to us in wood, metal, clay,
paper, fabric and paint. They are hammered, stitched, combed,
pounded, lacquered and pierced into meaning. Looked at together, we
find community.” These are the words of Carrboro fiber artist, Marguerite Jay
Gignoux, the curator for the Orange County Arts Commission’s
EXCERPTS public art project. As a gift to the county during the
Orange County 250th Anniversary Celebration, this original work of
art will be installed in the stairway of the Orange County
Government Services Center in Hillsborough. Seven Orange County
artists were selected to participate in this collaborative project
which will yield a large mixed media work created from many textures
representing many disciplines. Participating artists are Joseph F. Gargasz of Hillsborough
(sculpture), Gordon Clarke Jameson of Hillsborough (painting and
handmade paper), Linda Mezzetti of Chapel Hill (textured painting),
Linda Passman of Chapel Hill (mixed media painting), Beth Sale of
Chapel Hill (painting and printmaking), Susan Simone of Chapel Hill
(documentary photography), and Jan-Ru Wan of Chapel Hill (fiber
installation). Chapel Hill artist Brian Plaster created several
metal accents for the piece. The artists created a pair of textural studies representing their
particular art discipline rendered from their points of view. To
ensure visual harmony in the overall composition, both submissions
relate to one another through obvious repetition of mark, pattern
and/or shape. Artists worked in a neutral palette of whites, creams
and grays in at least one of the studies. These textural studies
vary in size and shape. According to Gignoux, “The EXCERPTS project is a celebration of
community through the lens of a charming piece of North Carolina
history. At the center of the project is an old document – a North
Carolina almanac cover dating from 1795. Each participating artist
responded to the old almanac and its curious text through their
particular vocabulary of texture, symbol, and color. The collective
created a wide range of paintings, digital images, collages and
sculptural works that I released from their original frames and
combined into a large stitched wall installation.” The following words are reflections on this project (including
artist statements) from some of the participating artists: “The empty cast forms of scissors, a sickle, and other hand tools
of trade evoke mental images of a past North Carolina history and in
particular that of Orange County. These fossil-like forms pay homage
to the textile, mining and farming communities around Hillsborough
and the greater Orange community. The casts are reminiscent of
fossils encrusted in oxidized materials, not to be forgotten…By
re-orchestrating forms and negative spaces I attempt to develop a
new dialog exploring recognition and glorification of man made
objects or natural design. The viewer must be made aware that all
spaces occupied and not are relative to an object’s soul or
existence. Once these spaces are altered new perceptions about a
form may be revealed.” - Joseph Gargasz “For me the most interesting aspect of working on this project is
how the creative process was exemplified throughout. What began as a
basic concept has developed into a sophisticated and cohesive work
of art. I was one of the many voices contributing to EXCERPTS and in
the end I think we sang well…In my own work there is a
“conversation” that takes place as the piece evolves. It is an
interplay between creator and creation that ultimately results in
the finished work. The journey on the way to the finished work is
the point -- then suddenly one arrives at the end. The end, the new
work of art, is a great moment as well as another beginning.” -
Gordon Jameson “I was very excited to be selected to participate in this project
for the 250th anniversary of Orange County. Although I’m a native of
Canada I’ve lived in Orange County since June 1990. I find this area
stimulating and culturally rich. In preparing for this project I
looked into the history of the county and was inspired by the human
toil and hard work that went into the building of this strong
community. Although the style is abstract, the shapes, lines and
heavy texture I used in my paintings were inspired by Orange
County’s rich historical and geographical features such as the Old
Well on UNC campus, the court house spire in Hillsborough, and the
Eno River, just to name a few. It has been great to collaborate with
other North Carolina artists in celebrating this county’s
anniversary… My painting is greatly influenced by my travels. In my
paintings I draw on these past experiences, recalling how the skies
differ from the cool crisp north to the still warm south. I spend a
lot of time observing how light reflects off different things around
us. In my paintings I try to create an image that evokes a feeling
and a memory. I also want a painting to be so inviting that you want
to touch it and feel the textures under your fingertips. I enjoy
using everyday objects such as laundry lint, rope sand and fruit and
onion sacks to build texture on the canvas. I feel that people can
relate to these familiar everyday objects and are pleasantly
surprised to see them transformed into intriguing paintings which
merit some close examination rather than a quick glance.” - Linda
Mezzetti "It was thrilling to be selected as one of the artists to work on
the EXCERPTS project. I had never worked on this sort of
collaboration and it seemed like the perfect metaphor for the theme
of the work - a history of life in Orange County. Working with six
other artists really sparked my creativity. As artists, we each
discussed our own individual medium, style and the unifying theme.
The concept of cooperation of the county's residents and their
accomplishments inspired us all. Since I usually work with figures I
wanted to express my vision of the county's past by showing the
energy of the people who helped build Orange County. I drew images
over the embroidered replica of the 1795 Almanac that all the
painters involved in the project shared as a background. Letters
from the old text emerged and then merged with hands, people and
tools. My three sections are a small part of the fabric that is
EXCERPTS and the celebration of the 250th anniversary of Orange
County." - Linda Passman “I make quilt-like patterns with creatures waiting in them. The
creatures are waiting to be discovered. They’ve always existed, but
somehow, we are not consciously aware of them. I am excited about my
quilt-like pattern pieces becoming part of a larger quilt. Just as
an individual in a community, they are now involved with something
greater… I seek to describe a world of precious perfection. Utopia
can be a reality, whether it is existing in a parallel universe, or
for a future generation. My artwork references my personal version
of Utopia by using bright colors, bold figures, and freely drawn
lines. These techniques are employed in order to create a playful
childlike innocent atmosphere where hardships and worries have no
home.” - Beth Sale “Handcraft and early mechanization bleed together in these
images. The background is formed by rotation and melding of an
archival image of the first cotton mill in the county laid over a
page from an 18th century almanac shared by all of the artists. The
drifting tools are also retrospective, historical, looking back to
slowly crafted construction and days when we had to have time to do
things by hand… Film is very literal. I like to take photographs of
people and places simply, directly, with a 35 mm. camera. I want to
show feelings, struggles, and emotions. I am also open to metaphor.
Scanning images into the computer and combining them frees me to
create an inter-play of ideas through visual images. I am a
documentary photographer who craves the impact of poetry.” - Susan
Simone “For this particular work, inspired by the collaboration idea
with various wonderful artists and medium, I printed various images
of hands -- tools in making or building which imply how we build up
this rich community. Then I weave and overlay them into a final
section; such as my role as an artist continually building, and
stitching my thoughts, passion, and love into my work…Most of the
works I have done deal with mixed materials, repetition, body and
form. The profusion of materials questions the physical and
psychological relationships between the mechanical and organic, the
gigantic and the miniature. The multiplicity of small images,
details, and objects that make up the whole reveal the individual
and the universal simultaneously. That repetition of form and
notion, the discrepancy between materials is wedded alchemically to
produce a new harmony.” - Jan-Ru Wan An opening reception will be held at the site from 5:30-7:00 pm
on Tuesday, September 9, 2003 (Orange County’s anniversary
date). Individuals and businesses can sponsor a piece of this large
mixed media work as a gift to Orange County for the county’s 250th
anniversary. A plaque listing the sponsors and artists will be
installed with the artwork. If you are interested in contributing
financially to this public art project, please contact the Orange
County Arts Commission by August 19, 2003. (The EXCERPTS
contributions flyer in PDF format can be downloaded at
www.artsorange.org/newsletter.htm#excerpts.) For more information, please visit our web site
(www.artsorange.org), call the Orange County Arts Commission office
at 919/245-2335, or e-mail us at arts@co.orange.nc.us. |
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A new study from the John Walker College of
Business at Appalachian State University (ASU) reveals that North
Carolina's nonprofit arts industry is just the ticket for powerful
economic impact - $723 million annually and nearly 7,000 full-time
jobs.
