In order to build a base of support for public art, under my leadership and project management, the Main Street Design Committee and DBDA implemented initiatives furthering community education and exposure to what is happening in forward thinking art. 

 

To make art feel more accessible and reach a broad base, we started by developing an all volunteer community art installation with the participation of over 700 middle school art students and members of a high school organization.  The result was the Eco Blooms flower bottle art installation above which also beautified and drew attention to a newly leased public parking area in downtown Belmont.

 

Building on the success of this past partnership, in 2021 an art installation created by Belmont students from elementary, middle and high school art classes, was constructed.

​

Further initiatives, designed to reach a variety of demographics, were as follows:  

 

• Art Lecture on Public Art leveraged a panel including a newsworthy artist and partnered with a local gallery and national visitor’s attraction.

​

• Box Art Wrap Initiative involved community input both in person and via social media surveys for winner selection and expanded overall participation and exposure as the Call to Artists was promoted via various platforms including social media where residents were tagging and sharing the contest with friends.

​

• Community participation mural event at the Mill St parking lot where, as a part of an annual festival, the community could grab a spray can of paint, and with the guidance of the artist, help to complete a segment of a mural, building off of the Eco Blooms installation that had been created and installed in 2018 in that same lot. 

​

• Trains on Main activity for middle school children, where very small 3D models of train engines, artistically painted by an area artist to reflect subject matter pertaining to Belmont history, were slowly rolled out to be discovered by children who were encouraged to find them all and learn about history through art exposure. A scavenger hunt tour on the Belmont Go app supports the activity.

​

• Moonlight on Main, featuring International artist Luke Jerram's 23' Museum of the Moon, transformed downtown Belmont for three weekends in late Sept/early Oct 2021with diverse programming involving arts, music and light, and with added educational components of science, technology and history.  The DBDA partnered and collaborated with a multitude of Gaston County organizations to make this a unique, inclusive and educational experience with something for everyone.

​