Nothing makes me love UNC more than days when the sky is Carolina blue and everyone is out soaking up the day. There are so many things Chapel Hill has to offer on pretty days, and you can walk to all of them. Of course you can always go to YoPo or have a picnic in the quad, but sometimes it’s nice to shake things up. In hopes of expanding my outdoor experiences — and perhaps yours — I decided to do something different and explore some of Chapel Hill’s art galleries. I’m not an art buff by any means, but there are so many cool, funky shops that I could have spent all day exploring.
My artistic journey started near the corner of Columbiaand East Franklin Street at FRANK art gallery. I had always walked by the colorful window displays on my way to Starbucks, but I’d never taken the time to stop. Inside brick walls are covered with tons different artwork by over 80 North Carolina artists. Barbara Rich, the gallery director, told me that all of the artists are from the Triangle area (Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill), so you get to support your local artists. Some paintings reminded me of a trippy “Alice in Wonderland” scene, others depicted political and religious views of the artists. There was a colorful teapot I would have loved for my apartment, if only it hadn’t been a collector’s item and a thousand dollars out of my price range. Everyone in the gallery was incredibly friendly and the vibe was very relaxed (they even let my friend and me take pictures). I’ll definitely be stopping by more often, but I don’t know if they’ll let me bring in my latte…
After checking out the Franklin Street scene, I wandered a little outside my typical perimeter and into Carrboro. I was walking down Main Street when I stumbled upon Main Street Art Gallery. Main Street was a more traditional gallery but still very cool, with tons of beaded necklaces, furniture, paintings and other odds and ends. Some of the jewelry and random items could be great gifts for friends, but I think I’ll just be looking at the paintings for now and not buying. Still, it was a very cool place, and I like that it was different from the usual shops I go to. The art scene in Carrboro is very laid back, and it doesn’t hurt that there are a bunch of good places to eat if you get hungry gallery-hopping. I’ll definitely be heading back that way the next sunny weekend we have.
After grabbing a snack at Weaver Street market, I made my way back towards campus feeling much more enlightened from my discoveries. Gallery hopping is a fun, free way to spend a pretty day. So grab a friend and get your Picasso on!