The Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission is showing selected artwork from the Town of Chapel Hill Permanent Collection at The Chapel Hill Public Library through August 2008. It is the first time the Commission has shown these pieces from the Permanent Collection.

Among the featured works of art is a Salvador Dali Divine Comedy print, an acrylic and collage work by Chapel Hill native Leonard Victor Hugo, the Old Well and Old South etchings by Don Swann, and other pieces in a variety of media. Some of the artworks’ titles and authors remain unknown. The Commission is seeking information from visitors to the show who may have additional details regarding these works.

“We are delighted to be able to share these works with the Chapel Hill community for the first time,” said Scott Radway, chair of the Commission’s Exhibitions Committee responsible for coordinating the show. “These are some of the best works from the collection, and each piece has a story to tell or to be interpreted. We are equally fortunate to be able to care for and display these pieces for the Town.”

The paintings, drawings and etchings from the Permanent Collection now on display in The Chapel Hill Public Library have been hung in the entry hallway on the upper level and in the corridors that lead to the meeting areas on the lower level.

The entire Permanent Collection, which totals more than 50 works in a variety of media, has been assembled through commissions and private gifts to the Town. The Commission is the steward of this growing collection of indoor and outdoor art. With a commitment to the collection’s long-term maintenance, conservation and preservation, the Commission evaluates the condition of each artwork in the collection and recommends the care of each piece.

Included in the Permanent Collection are paintings on display in various Town Hall offices, as well as public art created for the Town via the Percent for Art program, also administered by the Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission. The Percent for Art works can be seen at Chapel Hill Firehouse #5 (steel and aluminum sculpture), Hargraves Community Center (murals), Inter-Faith Council Community Shelter (broken-tile mosaics), and the Transit Administration Building and Town Operations Center (stone, cast bronze, granite, and marble works), as well as on Franklin Street (steel benches). Additional Percent for Art projects are currently underway, as well.

About the Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission

Established in 1992 by a resolution of the Chapel Hill Town Council, the Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission advises the Council on art-related matters, working with Town staff to administer the Town’s Percent for Art program. The Commission’s own programming initiatives increase public access to the arts, provide opportunities for local artists to display their work and promote public understanding and awareness of the arts. Volunteer board members of the Commission are appointed by the Town Council to serve as advisors and supporters of public art.

Related Links

1. http://www.chapelhillarts.org/