Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013
Q-Art Code Project offers behind-the-scenes look at public art
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closeVisitors to a dozen sculptures and other works of art around the city soon will be able to get the inside scoop on each with just the touch of a button on their smartphones.
At each site, visitors will be able to scan a “quick response” code, more commonly known as a QR code, which will lead them to additional information about each work of art, including maps, photos and videos.
The Raleigh Arts Commission and the Advanced Media Lab at N.C. State partnered to produce the “Q-Art Code Project,” which explores artwork including the convention center’s Shimmer Wall, the Sir Walter Raleigh statue and the acorn that sits in Moore Square between its New Year’s Eve appearances.
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Want to go? First Friday, from 6 to 9 p.m., is a monthly art event in downtown Raleigh. Galleries stay open late, and many restaurants offer special deals. To learn more, go online to FirstFridayRaleigh.com.
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More First Friday 311 West Martin Street Galleries and Studios, 311 W. Martin St., Nature Culture, paintings by Julie Cardillo Adam Cave Fine Art, 115 1/2 E. Hargett St., Paintings and monoprints by David Dunlop Artspace, 201 E. Davie St., Strange Chemistry, a sculpture series by Margaux Crump and Looking Back III, a show of former regional emerging artists-in-residence Blake Street Shops & Studios, 300 Blake St., Contemporary Musings, photography by Bill Cole, paintings by Ellen Gamble and Marwen El Hicheri CAM Raleigh, 409 W. Martin St., Launch of the Q-Art Code Project Designbox, 307 W. Martin St., The Lookout, amusement park designs by Becky Joye Litmus Gallery, 312 W. Cabarrus St., RECOLLECTIONS, mixed media by Brenda Brokke and Leatha Koefler Local Color Gallery, 22 Glenwood Ave., Paint-Tastic!, paintings by Shawnda Rossi and Tarrah Huff Nature Art Gallery of the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, 11 W. Jones St., Nature in Focus, photography by Lori Kincaid Nicole’s Studio and Art Gallery, 719 N. Person St., North Carolina scenes from contemporary impressionists John Poon and Jean Grunewald Roundabout Art Collective, 305 Oberlin Road, Uncommon Pottery: Irish and Amish Influences, pottery by Cheryl L. Weisz Tipping Paint Gallery, 428 S. McDowell St., What’s the Story?, oil paintings by n. lee ball Visual Art Exchange, 309 W. Martin St., Pop!, a juried art show that incorporates themes or ideas from popular culture
“It’s one thing to go to a site. It’s another thing to get the background,” said Kim Curry-Evans, the public art coordinator at the commission.
A launch reception for the project will be held during this month’s First Friday at CAM Raleigh, 409 W. Martin St., from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. General admission to the museum is $5.
Undergraduate and graduate students at the Advanced Media Lab made the videos for the project, and many feature interviews with the artists about the creation of their work and the meaning behind it. Others look at the role the art plays in Raleigh’s culture today.
Pat FitzGerald, an N.C. State associate professor of art and design who helps run the lab, said that the project aims to make the public more comfortable with art and contribute to their understanding of it.
“We thought, wouldn’t it be great if they could just come across the art and ask questions?”
When visitors visit the Shimmer Wall and scan the code, they’ll be able to hear artist Thomas Sayre explaining his vision of the wall and the city, over a video that depicts scenes from around Raleigh. They also will be able to find a short biography of Sayre and more information about the wall’s design.
At the Sir Walter Raleigh statue on the other side of the convention center, the code will take them to a video that delves into the tradition of dressing up the statue. At The Acorn, they can find out what artist David Benson and residents think the acorn means.
Those who are interested in the project also can access it by going directly to www.q-artcode.org, the website that houses all of the content.
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