Each month, ArtsGreensboro brings you stories about artists, arts
organizations, and individuals whose lives are infused with creativity.
Joinus in celebrating our vibrant city.
I have exhibited at the African American Atelier, the Delta Arts Center and Wilbur Steele Hall Gallery at Bennett College and I was featured among 51 quilters in the 2015 international quilt exhibit, “Conscience of the Human Spirit: The Life of Nelson Mandela”. My works have also been displayed at the North Carolina Folk Festival’s Marketplace for the past five years.
ARTIST IN FOCUS
BY ANDRENA COLEMAN, FABRIC ARTIST
While my academic training is far from art (degrees in Economics and Public Health), I have always been intrigued with visual arts.
My creativity began at an early age making doll clothes and eventually clothing my sisters as well as myself. I remember the days of watching my great-grandmother sitting at a quilting frame tirelessly creating a work of art from any scraps she could find. As a self-taught quilter, I create fabric art in a similar way with expressions of spirituality, purpose and empowerment, using
primarily African fabrics. My diverse creations all include one-of-a-kind bed coverings, wall hangings, apparel, dolls, and reupholstered furniture. Each piece is designed to be thought
provoking and inspirational.
My most recent exhibit, Sojourns, featured quilts depicting the words and wisdom of writer, James Mayes. I am the owner and designer of Drena’s Dream Quintessential Quilts. To learn more about me, please visit drenasquilts.com.
ARTS HAPPENING
BY CHERYL STEWART, PTI AIRPORT PUBLIC ART CONSULTANT
PTI exhibits over 30 paintings and small 3D objects as well as up to six new outdoor sculptures of art loaned to the facility each year. In addition, five long-term temporary installations and five permanently installed works of art plus a display case highlighting the work of artists from GreenHill.
All PTI artists are from North Carolina. Airport Marketing Manager, Stephanie Freeman and I began working in 2013 with a public art committee made up of community members and artists to create an environment at the airport that reflects the culture and spirit of the Triad and North Carolina. “The art in the airport is part of a larger, long-term effort to modernize the look of the airport and to create an optimal experience for passengers and other
visitors,” said Kevin Baker, Executive Director of PTI.
“The Airport Authority has committed itself to creating an airport that people will not only want to use, but one they will highly recommend to others.”
The Piedmont Triad Airport Authority’s Public Art Program goal is to capture and convey the diversity, creativity and history of the region through public art and to give travelers a true sense of our communities’ uniqueness and identity in a creative way.
Keep a look out for the next “Call to Artists” coming out in early February 2020. You will find the information posted on the ArtsGreensboro website and newsletter!
AG MAKING IT WORK
By: LAURA WAY, PRESIDENT & CEO OF ARTSGREENSBORO
A part of ArtsGreensboro’s core mission is to provide support to artists and arts organizations in the community. The ways we do this are myriad, the way we most directly serve our community, and the organizations and artists who provide meaningful art experiences for our citizens.
We’ve distributed grants since 1962 and we’ll continue to do so into the new decade. During our transition in grants managers in December from Chip Berry to Darlene McClinton, I was able to get intimately involved in the call for applications, coordinating the external review panels, and helping to manage the entire process in collaboration with Darlene. It was an incredible experience for me as I got to see the work of ArtsGreensboro up close. We convened two panels: one to review Mission Support grant applications and a second to evaluate the Short-Cycle Project Support grant applications. Each panel consisted of members with specific expertise in theater, music, visual arts, literature, and other cross disciplines such as grants and arts administration, education, community building, and community engagement.
The panels met in January to review the grant applications. Each panel member reviewed all applications within their assigned grant category and came into the meeting with a strong understanding of the organizations or projects proposed. Darlene and I were present but did not participate in the scoring of grants, we provided background and technical assistance. Sitting in each of the panel meetings was so interesting- each of our panelists took their job very seriously, and there was a robust conversation around each application. I was proud of all the applicants and the panels.
The outcome of these panel meetings was a recommendation for grants to seven mission support
applicants and 11 organizations to receive short-cycle project support. In total, since July 1, 2019, ArtsGreensboro funded $250,000 in new Mission Support grants, up 9% from the prior year, supported 23 organizations for project grants, made 15 grants to regional artists, and 12 teachers for Teacher Art Grants. The total investment in grants is $324,00. None of this would be possible without support from the North Carolina Arts Council, foundations and corporations, and individuals who support the annual ArtsFund.
To learn more about our grant programs, visit our Grants webpage..
MY ART STORY
BY CATENA BERGEVIN, DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR OF ARTSGREENSBORO
Moving to Greensboro was an experience all its own. Starting a new job, in a new city, not to mention finding an apartment
that would allow our dog Julio and cat Daniel. But somehow it all came together, and my husband Anthony and I were
delighted to settle into a beautiful downtown loft just upstairs from a new coffee shop, Union Coffee. Wake me up!
As I settled into my morning routine of walking Julio down to the neighborhood park, I often passed a gentleman playing
the trumpet. Sometimes I would see him surrounded by paintings of all shapes and sizes, bold in color and texture. One day
to my surprise I ran into him at Union Coffee. His name was Bill Walsh and I was delighted to find out that he was from my
mother’s hometown, Philadelphia. Both being art lovers and Italian-Americans, we chatted for hours about Center City
Philly, Picasso, Modigliani and Rothko, and how our families called tomato sauce “gravy”. That day started a friendship that
I truly cherish. Bill was not only a musician and painter, but a philosopher. During one of our discussions I remarked that
taking photos just doesn’t capture the feeling you have about a place. Bill immediately offered the solution, “Well that is
what poetry is for.” Bravo!
Bill’s paintings are fluid and gestural, but it’s his drawings that truly inspire me. Vintage cars poised at sharp angles across
the page, portraits of famous people, and not so famous people. A quick line that captures the moment, backgrounds and
foregrounds that merge into one another. I have become a collector and even commissioned a few to give as gifts. I’m
honored to be hosting Bill for a Tiny Exhibition of his work in the ArtsGreensboro office lobby, opening February 7th. Perhaps
others will be moved by his work, and his view of the world, and bring a little art into their life from unexpected places.
ArtsGreensboro is dedicated to elevating the arts by creating awareness and promoting the vibrancy of our city; amplifying the impact the arts have in building strong and thriving communities for all citizens; and supporting arts organizations, artists, and teachers through grants, shared services, and technical assistance. For more information visit artsgreensboro.org
Ways to Give:
Text ARTSGSO to 44-321
Give online at artsgreensboro.org/support/donate
Mail a check to: ArtsGreensboro PO Box 877 Greensboro NC 27402
Call our office at 336-373-7523 (M-F 9am-5pm)
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