Downtown Durham, Inc. Art About

Art About Square

About

Art About provides grants to individuals and organizations who will bring temporary, creative, free of charge experiences to downtown Durham public spaces during the Third Friday Durham art walk, occurring every third Friday from 6-9 pm. Art About projects are interactive, educational, and playful. Think: sidewalk chalk workshop, “bang on a can” drum circle, pop-up free dinner party, life-size building blocks, silent discos.

2019-2020 Projects

DDI is pleased to announce the selected artists and schedule for Art About 2019-2020.

Public space activations will take place during various Third Fridays through April 2020. Follow #ddiartabout for the latest details.

headshot_MYRA WEISE_by Jillian Clark_Jan 2019

Myra Weise

Continuing to Tell

October 18, 2019
Description

Downtown Durham is home to more than a couple dozen murals vibrantly gracing building facades and alleyways. During the October’s Third Friday Durham, join a prodigious, Durham-based, artspreneurial women for an uplifting performance event inspired by the Durham Civil Rights History Mural Project. Organized by Myra Weise (founder/director of Proxemic Media), Continuing to Tell, a performance event brings together visual artist Cynelsa, cellist Shana Tucker and choreographer Kristin Taylor / KT Collective, creating another opportunity for Durham to keep art, community and civil rights as a lifestyle. The original mural - conceived and painted by Brenda Miller Holmes and a team of Durham artists 2013-2015 - depicts captivating vignettes of Durham Civil Rights leaders, historical moments and beautifully powerful visions of persistence. This performance event will be a moment to bring these stories to life through visual art, music and dance. Arrive early to grab a piece of chalk and assist in the creation of a ground mural extending from the original, and then stick around to experience the unfolding of an exquisite live music and dance performance by Tucker and KT Collective.

Continuing to Tell, a performance event is sponsored by Downtown Durham, Inc.’s Art About, and presented in association with the North Carolina Dance Festival.

5-7 p.m. Color-in a ground mural that extends from the original mural

7 – 7:45 p.m. Live music & dance concert inspired by the history & themes of the original mural

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Raven Gibbs and Kimberly Palmer

Groove Therapy

April 17, 2020
Description

Mindfulness Movement partners with licensed therapists to provide a unique dance class that promotes emotional, social, cognitive and physical integration to women of color for the purpose of improving health and fitness while tackling the issue of self-care and mental health. We will present a one and a half hour dance class for the public in the middle of CCB Plaza that incorporates mindfulness training and yoga practices to tackle the issue of mental health and overall physical health. Dancing releases endorphins and improves overall health. We are excited to get all of Durham moving!

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LA Chesson

Hydrochromic Mural

June 19, 2020
Description

This project will bring hidden gems to the growing city by creating hydrochromic/ hydrothermal murals. When the sun is out, the city is alive and thriving. I would like to maintain the positive energy of the city by encouraging people to step out on rainy days and enjoy wonderful works of art.

2019 Selection Committee

 

  • Margaret DeMott

    Durham Arts Council

  • Jesse Huddleston

    Nasher Teen

  • Renee Leverty

    Pleaides Arts

  • Nicole Oxendine

    Empower Dance Studio

  • Katie Seitz

    Durham Arts Guild

  • Rukea Womack

    City of Durham

Apply

The 2019 application period is now closed. Please sign up below to be notified of future calls for proposals.

Sponsorship

Are you or your organization interested in co-sponsoring an Art About project? Contact us at [email protected] to discuss opportunities.

Sign-up

Sign-up for updates here.