CCAC plans ‘Town of Colors’ events

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

The Charles City Arts Center is planning two events next week to coincide with the community’s “Town of Colors” public art project.

On Thursday, July 22, the CCAC will hold an open house meet-and-greet event for the artists at the Arts Center. The event will be two hours long, with the first hour (5-6 p.m.) for people who donated $200 or more to the project, and the second hour (6-7 p.m.) open to the public.

On Friday, July 23, the CCAC will sponsor a viewing, with a discussion, as the artists are painting. The public is welcome to that event, which will feature VIP seating for donors who contributed $100 or more to the project. The time of that event is yet to be announced.

The Town of Colors project will feature two murals, to be painted on the sides of businesses on Main Street, First Citizens Bank and Snap Fitness. The prospective murals have the themes “Floral Explosion” and “Bodies in Motion.”

The Town of Colors Committee is hoping the murals will be the start of a large-scale public art project that keeps the Town of Colors theme expanding.

The artists selected for the murals are Gaia and Erik Burke. Gaia has been named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 in Art and Style list, has been a Fulbright beneficiary, and has work on display on six continents. Erik Burke has worked throughout the United States as well as South America, Asia and Europe.

Burke will be working on the First Citizens wall, and Gaia will be working on the Snap Fitness wall. The artists will also be collaborating with each other. Some of the elements of each theme will be on both walls.

“The artists have known each other for some time and are looking forward to working together,” said CCAC director Emily Kiewel. “I think it’s been about 10 years since the last time they’ve worked together.”

Kiewel said that Burke be arriving on July 17 and will begin working right away, while Gaia is painting in the Netherlands right now and will arrive on July 20 or July 21. The murals are expected be completed by the end of July.

Although the committee picked experienced artists with some degree of fame for the first two murals, the goal is to include local and regional artists for future murals. The project will be funded entirely through donations and grants. The first murals have a budget of about $10,000 each, with no cost to the two businesses.

The committee has received a city hotel-motel tax grant and a Cultural and Entertainment District grant. It has also applied for an AARP grant that, if received, could pay for a third mural.

A fundraising letter was sent out last month urging donations and promising VIP perks for various levels of giving, such as VIP seating at the artists night and the special meet-and-greet at the CCAC.

If people would like to support the project there is a link on the CCAC website, charlescityarts.org, where they can donate. They can also mail a check to the CCAC at 301 N. Jackson St. Any size donation is accepted. Links to the artists’ personal websites are also on the CCAC web page.

If someone would like to have a building included in Town of Colors, they are asked to contact the CCAC.

The Town of Colors Committee consists of Charles City Mayor Dean Andrews, Kiewel, Charles City Arts Council President Linda Wolff, Charles City Development Director Mark Wicks, middle school teacher and City Council member Phoebe Pittman and high school vocal music teacher and director Derek Sturtevant.