Local galleries are the mainstay of the Triangle’s diverse and thriving art scene. But for those of us who want to support local artists but can’t afford to decorate our homes with wall-to-wall multi-hundred-dollar art, navigating the scene can be complicated.
You can find new pieces created by local artists at monthly art walks throughout the Triangle. The least expensive pieces are generally prints of larger paintings or photographs, which start at around $20. Of course, what counts as cheap varies, but we’re capping the higher end of the price range at $150.
DURHAM COUNTY
The Carrack Modern Art (111 W. Parrish St., 704-213-6666, thecarrack.org), located at the top of a creaking wooden staircase, premieres a new show every two weeks with prints for sale. Some artists hail from beyond the Triangle, and the Carrack organizes an annual sale, opening its inviting gallery space to local artists for the night, commission-free.
Pleiades Gallery (109 E. Chapel Hill St., 919-797-2706, pleiadesartdurham.com) also focuses on community artists. On exhibit is Glow, which includes Saba Barnard’s colorful series of portraits of American Muslim women; it runs until March 9. Coincidentally, an exhibit about architecture and place, Dwell opens March 11.
In keeping with the Scrap Exchange‘s mission of reusing old materials and creating new items from found objects, Jeanette Brossart’s ABC’s of Reuse show is on display until March 15 in its Green Gallery (923 Franklin St., 919-688-6960, scrapexchange.org). The show is full of mosaics made from remnants of broken glass and ceramics from the store’s Smashfest event, held every year on Black Friday. Other inexpensive and unconventional art can be found in the Scrap Exchange store.
If you love photography, visit Through This Lens (303 E. Chapel Hill St., 919-687-0250, throughthislens.com), which often features local artists as well as global work. Eleanor Mills’ Five Mona Lisas, Four Enigmas and Some Juicy Surfaces, is up through March 15. The gallery is planning a photography show paired with local poets.
INDY photographers have also shown at the gallery. See a photo in the INDY you like? Buy it through our website, indyweek.com.
WAKE COUNTY
Rebus Works, (302-2 Kinsey St., 919-754-8452, rebusworks.us) a frame shop and gallery space, showcases works of local artists, including an array of strikingly colorful steel birds that are part of “FLOW,” a piece created by Bill Hickman, on sale for about $40 each. Rebus Works also hosts a monthly Saturday market, where local craftspeople and artists sell their works and are joined by food trucks, farmers and musicians.
Artspace, (201 E. Davie St., 919-821-2787, artspacenc.org) 311 West martin Street (919-436-6987, 311galleriesandstudios.org)and 300 blake street (blakestreetshops.com) house individual artists’ studios, with prints and other works on sale at the front of the shops. Prices range from artist to artist, with many inexpensive originals and prints for sale.
The Visual Art Exchange (309 W. Martin St., 919-828-7834, visualartexchange.org) encourages emerging artists. The gallery will display a multi-artist show Move, featuring diverse interpretations of motion, beginning March 7. Pieces are expected to start at $25.
The Cary Gallery of Artists (200 S. Academy St., 919-462-2035, carygalleryofartists.org) is a locally owned cooperative that features jewelry, ceramics, paintings and fiber art, with an emphasis on affordability.
Head up to the Cotton Company, a converted former cotton mill in downtown Wake Forest (306 S. White St., 919-570-0087, thecottoncompany.net), which sells work by artists and craftspeople. The town’s Art After Hours, takes place every second Friday, and showcases local artists’ works.
ORANGE COUNTY
Woman Craft, which has been around since the ’70s, opened its new location at 370 E. Main St., in Carrboro in January (919-929-3300, womancraftgifts.com). The shop sells works by North Carolina women artists, with some prints going for as little as $10 and original paintings starting at $25. The store has a wide selection of wall hangings, paintings and ceramics, and many of the artists run the shop’s front desk. There are some Triangle-specific pieces available, like Barb Spang’s small paintings of Franklin Street institutions, the UNC Bell Tower, and other local landmarks.
The ArtsCenter (300-G E. Main St., Carrboro, 919-929-2787, artscenterlive.org) has become an educational force for the arts in the Triangle. Beginning March 14, its gallery will be filled with the work of students who have taken fine arts classes at the center. Open Eye Café, (101 S. Greensboro St., Carrboro, openeyecafe.com) and Looking Glass Café (601 W. Main St., Carrboro, 919-967-9398, lookingglasscafe.us) also showcase a wide variety of inexpensive work.
Daylight, a nonprofit in Hillsborough (121 W. Margaret Lane, 917-740-0460, daylightbooks.org) that publishes art and photography books, also hosts art exhibits, film screenings and other cultural events.
This article appeared in print with the headline “Art of living”
