Inspire Public Art for Charlotte Mecklenburg Main Library at One of Two Workshops
What does Charlotte mean to you?
Your feedback at one of two upcoming Public Art Community Engagement events in April will inspire the public artwork created for Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s Main Library renovation.
The Community Engagement workshops take place:
- 6-7 p.m. Wednesday, April 5, 2023, at ImaginOn (300 E. 7th St., Charlotte, NC 28202)
- 6-7 p.m. Thursday, April 6, 2023, at West Boulevard Library (2157 West Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28208)
The workshops will be led by national artist Tiff Massey, commissioned by ASC to create the public artwork for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Main Branch renovation.
Massey, a visionary creative who expresses herself through large-scale and wearable sculptures, music and performance, will share her concept design for the public artwork she will create for Mecklenburg County. Participants will take part in a design workshop that encourages them to visually respond to the question of what Charlotte means to them. These responses will inform the artist’s final design for public art.
Advance registration is requested for these sessions. Refreshments available at both workshops.
Massey is a 2021 United States Artists Fellow, as well as a 2015 Kresge Arts in Detroit Fellowship awardee and a two-time John S. and James L. Knight Foundation’s Knight Arts Challenge winner. She holds a MFA in metalsmithing from Cranbrook Academy of Art and creates work inspired by African standards of economic vitality.
Influenced by the iconic material culture of 1980s hip-hop, Massey uses contemporary observances of class and race through the lens of an African Diaspora, combined with inspiration drawn from her experience in Detroit.
“How does the context and placement of an object influence an individual’s perception of self?” Massey said in her artist statement. “The work first seduces the viewer, creating a desire to take, touch, and activate.”
She will create an impactful artwork that responds to the parameters, aesthetics and themes of the new Main Library, which will be located at the existing Main Library location in Uptown Charlotte. You can learn more about the plans for the new Main Library here.
Funding for the public art is in accordance with Mecklenburg County’s Public Art Ordinance, which allocates one percent of the total construction budgets for eligible capital projects for public art. ASC manages the public art programs for the county and the City of Charlotte.
The public artwork for the Library is anticipated to be completed in 2025.