Fayetteville is a community of hellos and goodbyes. With our deep ties to the military, we are adept at wishing our friends well as they travel to the next duty station and welcoming new members for as long as they call Cumberland County “home.” Each summer, the Arts Council of Fayetteville | Cumberland County practices this by removing public art that goes on to its next home and installing new works that will be a part of the community for a year. The Arts Council’s ArtScape is an annual public art series, now in its ninth year, where visitors can view outdoor 3D sculpture all over the city of Fayetteville.
The new pieces installed this summer bring a new, colorful story to Fayetteville. James Futral’s Red Bear now sits proudly outside of the Arts Center, welcoming visitors. Bright silver shines through Hanna Jubran’s Sound of the Elements on Green Street and surrounds City Hall through Jim Gallucci’s Oak Leaf Arch. The multicolored Feather by Kirk Seese looks over Market Square, and the striking Yellow Flower by Loren Costantini cheerfully greets people at the Courthouse. The new ArtScape collection includes interactive pieces as well. Magnify, which sits at the corner of Hay and Ray Streets, allows people to swivel the top of the sculpture to capture sunbeams and reflect a stained-glass effect. Artist Agnes Black hopes that people engage with her piece Through the Heart’s Lens at 201 Hay Street by photographing through the heart-shaped cutout or strumming the guitar strings attached to the sculpture.
Installing the artwork is a challenging puzzle for Arts Council Facilities Manager Chris Walker. Walker has to secure all the pieces so they are safe for the public while placing them throughout the city…