In early May, a vibrant truck appeared outside UNCG’s Gatewood Studio Arts Building. Adorned on its sides read slogans such as “Project One Art” and “Reach In, Bring Out,” with abstract recreations of the famous Greensboro skyline.
This former U-Haul, now the “UNCG Art Truck,” appeared again on June 5, as a part of Greensboro’s monthly “First Friday” celebration downtown. It was filled with art for the public to view.
What makes the UNCG Art Truck such an impactful idea is that it brings together the community and university students. This takes the traditional gallery form, and mobilizes it for the community.
The UNCG Art Truck is an art piece itself: open to interpretation, conversation and formulating ideas amongst each other. The truck’s conception, as explained by Art Department Head Lawrence Jenkens, comes from a suggestion by faculty member Mariam Stephan, who wanted to put a garden shed on a trailer and use it for art shows. Akin to any creative process, the initial idea metamorphosed into its current purpose: transporting art beyond the campus and into the community.
Through the work of a UNCG “think tank” class led by Chris Thomas, Travis Hicks and Stoel Burrowes, the UNCG Art Truck is packed with symbols representative of the Triad community. The truck’s exterior, designed by UNCG Art professor Amy Purcell’s independent study students, stimulates the mind. Jenkens explains that the art is actually drawn from a map. There’s literally more in this art than meets the eyes.
Reposted from Campus Weekly