RELEASE: March 13, 2006
CONTACT: Public Affairs
(919) 807-6963, 8078-6962
Community College System celebrates creativity
RALEIGH: You don’t have to enter the Caswell Building to experience the creative community college works on display this year. One piece from the 2006 Community College Art Exhibit stands in the front yard of the Caswell Building, home of the North Carolina Community College System Office on Jones Street. David Sinkiewicz, a welding student at Alamance Community College, created the piece entitled “Horseless Rider,” a large painted steel sculpture that catches the imagination.
Art, and the talented individuals who create it, will be celebrated at a reception at the Caswell Building, on Thursday, March 16. The reception begins at 4:00 p.m. and ends at 6:00 p.m. Many of the artists whose work is displayed throughout the building (and in the yard) will be on hand to share the stories behind their creativity and meet their fellow artists.
This is the most representative collection in the nine years of the exhibit. There are pieces from more community colleges than ever before. Fifty five of the fifty eight colleges in the System are represented in the selections. The artists include students, faculty, staff, and alumni. It is an eclectic exhibit that includes three digital stories from students at Catwaba Valley Community College, a generous collection of photography and paintings, Raku-fired stoneware, pottery, and mixed media. Exquisite stained glass pieces adorn the lobby windows. Intricate quilts hang on the walls on several floors.
The exhibit is the brainchild of System President Martin Lancaster, a former chair of the North Carolina Arts Council. His goals are to create a more pleasing work environment and to showcase community college talent. Each year, Lancaster extends an invitation to the artists in the community college family to submit their work for possible display at the System Office. The response was impressive. More than a thousand pieces were submitted for consideration.
Chancy Kapp, Assistant to the President for External Affairs, cataloged the submissions to enable Lancaster to choose the pieces for display. Kapp and Peggy Beach, Special Events Coordinator and Writer, had the daunting task of organizing the return of the 2005 exhibit and the collection of the new pieces. Finally, Lancaster spent a weekend as curator, personally placing the 130-plus pieces where he wants them displayed.
“I am pleased to see the level of participation,” said Lancaster. “There is so much talent across the state and we are proud to provide this showcase.”
It’s not just Caswell Building employees and visitors who benefit from the showcase. Many pieces are purchased during the year and claimed at the end of the exhibit year. For several years, the Department of Insurance has selected pieces from the previous collection to display for a year. This year, they have selected 46 pieces. Also, for the first time, the North Carolina Museum of Art will show some of the photographs from previous exhibits. Nineteen selections will be displayed for three months, beginning March 28.
The public is welcome to view the art during Caswell Building business hours.
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David Sinkiewicz, Alamance “Three Bags Full” Lelia C. Brigham,
Community College, (left) Vance-Granville Community College
and President Martin Lancaster
stand beside “Horesless Rider”
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“Pine Needle and Raffia Bowl” Lynn Stiller “Lady in Red” Stephanie Foy,
Pamlico Community College Catawba Valley Community College
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