Urban Artistry

My early afternoon outing to the community of Siler City, North Carolina finds preparations for the "Person 2 Person Fest" in full swing. It is award winning local artist Roger Person's 80th birthday and the town celebrates. Person has a habit of dabbling paint on his shoes in whimsical extension of his art. Last night town folk honored his life and quirky habit by painting hundreds of shoes with creative arrays of color. Today the shoe artistry adorns shops, trash cans, phone booths, outside eating areas at restaurants, traffic signs and such.

Albeit transitory, the shoes are an enjoyable introduction to the folk and fine art treasures of the artist community in this urban setting. I find numerous galleries in league with the NC Arts Incubator offer studio space and venues for artists. On the street large murals add an air of creativity to aging, brick building facades. Chatham Rabbit is prominent. In the early 1900s Chatham rabbits are a prized source of meat hunted exclusively in the wild. Relegated to lore the lagomorph's allure enjoys revival at the hands and imagination of artists.

© Ilija Lukić 2018

Chatham Rabbit

(Ten-foot mural in Siler City, North Carolina USA)

Bubbles N' Brick

(Sculpture of cut PVC pipe on brick facade in Siler City, North Caroline USA)

Person2Person

(Courtyard Cafe in Siler City, North Carolina USA)