Creativity in Community
BY KYLE MARIE McMAHON
Before the old Cary High School building was renovated to become the Cary Arts Center in 2011—before most of the public art we enjoy in Downtown Cary Park and elsewhere in Cary had been installed, and before The Cary Theater was established, offering art movies and local film festivals—the Cary Gallery of Artists was already busy establishing a vital arts presence in downtown Cary.
As Chip Freund, current president of the Cary Gallery of Artists, puts it, “The world without art is ‘eh.’” The municipalities of Western Wake agree. They have invested in the arts over the past decade, opening art centers and installing public artwork and murals, because people here believe that an emphasis on local art adds personality, beauty and cultural layers to our communities. The Cary Gallery of Artists has helped pave the way for these newer ventures.
Founded in 2005, the Cary Gallery of Artists began as a way for local artists to share and promote their work. It has grown into an average membership of 24 artists—a number limited only by the amount of display space.
Membership provides not only a means for sales, but also a sense of place. “Being a member at an established gallery provides a sense of validation and legitimacy for an artist. The Cary Gallery of Artists also provides a supportive and nurturing arts community. The comradery and artist development is of tremendous value,” says Fruend, who joined the gallery in 2021, invited member and painter Sonia Kane, and was elected president this past July. All members serve on the committee, but the board of directors serves a two-year term.
As part of their membership, artists work shifts at the gallery, so visitors have opportunities to discuss the art with a knowledgeable person—perhaps even the artist of that particular work. The gallery space is open six days a week, and the types of art are as varied as the artists themselves, from jewelry and ceramics to photography and painting. Often the fear when visiting a gallery is the price of the art, but the space also offers smaller pieces at lower prices, enabling more visitors to take pieces home. Founding member and pastel artist Diana Coidan says, “To enlighten people with art is something exciting to artists. For someone to have your piece on their wall—or neck—is an honor.”
The Cary Gallery of Artists holds events throughout the year to showcase other local artists and share what they do with the community. Several times a year, artists offer demonstrations in front of the gallery space that are free and open to the public. In conjunction with the Cary Art Loop held on the last Friday of each month, the gallery hosts an evening artist reception and opens a new Featured Artist exhibition for the month.
In January, local high school artists are invited to display their work in the gallery, and each spring the gallery holds the Small Treasures juried exhibition. “Visual artists create works to be seen and experienced. Creating and experiencing creative works is part of what makes us human,” Freund says. “Galleries enable those creative encounters and show the younger generation that being an artist is a viable career.”
The gallery’s prime space in Ashworth Village means they get many drop-in visitors who happen to pass by while shopping or dining. But Freund thinks most visitors come from out of town, and he encourages local residents to stop by and take in the inspiring work of the talented local artists.
Next year marks the 20th anniversary of the Cary Gallery of Artists. With Cary’s vibrant arts community—boasting two other art galleries and several exhibition spaces in downtown alone— Fruend is optimistic about the gallery’s future. “We have a wonderful group of caring and talented artists in Cary’s vibrant and growing downtown. I look forward to the new artwork in the gallery each month, and to the bright future that lies ahead,” he says.
To learn more, you can go to carygalleryofartists.org—but you will experience the gallery best by visiting it in person at 200 S. Academy Street in Cary.
Check out stories from around the Western Wake at 5westmag.com.
