What do a bright orange construction barrier, a raised concrete manhole cover, and a 30-foot expanse of brick wall have in common?
They are all canvases for the Apex Public Art Committee. And if you didn’t know that Apex had a public art committee, you’re in for a treat! I talked with committee chair Tom Colwell about how this group of dedicated art enthusiasts came together, where they have already left their mark around town, and what exciting plans are in store for our public spaces.
Part of the Master Plan
In June 2016, the Town of Apex incorporated public art into its long-term plans with these words: “The Apex Town Council recognizes the value and importance of Public Art in the community and is committed to the development of a Public Art Master Plan to ensure that future Public Art opportunities and projects are well integrated into the Town’s planning process, support economic development, create visual interest, engage the community and enhance the character of Apex.”
At the time, Colwell, an avid sports fan, was part of the Apex Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources (PRCR) Commission. He also loves the arts. He recalled, “We’d done a great amount of work for sports and active lifestyles, but we were a little light on cultural resources. I had this thought about bringing the arts to Apex in the form of public art.”
Colwell and PRCR Director John Brown collected input from the town council, the general public and the art community and welcomed artists and non-artists alike to form the Apex Public Art Committee. Since its inception, the group has enjoyed the varied ideas and points of view that come from “people who are interested in serving their community, people who have an appreciation and an interest in art.”
In 2017, the committee adopted the policies that would guide them. This included everything from committee logistics and methods for collecting public input, to the selection of artists and guidelines for determining what constitutes Public Art in Apex. They considered funding channels and brainstormed potential locations for permanent and temporary pieces as well as the different forms that public art might take.
Splashes of Color
Salem Street shoppers, do you remember the delightful holiday window paintings on display in downtown Apex for the last few years? That was courtesy of a partnership between the Apex Public Art Committee and area high schools. (At press time, Colwell said that the committee was still uncertain about their holiday window painting plans for December 2020 due to COVID. The best way to know for sure is to grab a mask and head downtown to see what’s there and visit our Salem Street shop owners along the way.)
Of course, when you meander down Salem Street these days, you can’t miss those orange barriers restricting downtown parking and protecting outdoor diners from through-traffic. But over the summer did you notice the banners adorning some of those barriers? They were painted by the Apex Public Art Committee. “We had some materials available from…when there was scaffolding downtown,” Colwell explained. “Sean Durham had done a banner to dress up the scaffolding a little bit. We said, ‘Let’s do something fun, throw a little splash of color, and make something interesting.’ A few of us got together led by committee member Jane Wolfgang and we did them ourselves. [An] advantage of having artists on the committee, is that they can help even an amateur like me, under heavy instruction, have some fun with it. It was a good time and the town helped by putting them out there for us.”
Elsewhere around town, you’ll see colorful additions by the private sector to The Wake Zone Coffee House and Grow Preschool, and if you’re hitting the Beaver Creek Greenway for fresh air, check out the manhole covers. Coordinated by Sean Durham, one of the committee’s artists, the manhole painting project was meant to be a community-wide painting event with committee members providing guidance and assistance. With social distancing, the project was scaled down to very small groups or just the committee members themselves. “It’s been a hybrid, but a fun project,” Colwell said. “Hopefully, [the painted manholes] give people something a little more fun to look at.”
High Visibility Pieces with Apex in Mind
Trajectory
Apex’s first permanent piece of public art was “Trajectory,” installed at the Town Hall Campus in September 2019. The sculpture was done by Virginia artist Dan Kuehl. According to Colwell, while the piece is now in its permanent home, the idea began a little differently.
“Our original concept was to do something downtown where we’d have, in essence, a frame so people could take photos with it or through it and have a backdrop of the town. It was pretty open-ended. We only got a couple of submissions and we really liked this concept that Dan came up with. We brought it to the Council, and they wanted to move it to the town campus. That changed the idea of the original concept, but it works there as well. It’s really cool. The paint that [Dan] used…when you see it from different angles, the colors change. Sometimes it’s blue, it’s purple, it’s black—especially on a sunny day when you get different angles. There are reflective mirrors on the inside. It’s a pretty interesting piece.”
Destination Becomes Home
The most recent addition to the Apex Public Art landscape is “Destination Becomes Home,” the mural painted on the Apex Public Works building, on the side facing a high-traffic section of Highway 55. I learned from Colwell that that particular location wasn’t the committee’s first choice. Several sites downtown were rejected due to planned renovations, historic status, private ownership, and other challenges. The committee looked at the Public Works building after the location was suggested by the town planning department and decided it was the perfect canvas, but the scene had to be visibly bold.
“Represent the vibrant nature of the community” was the broad theme that garnered about 20 submissions. Among them was a concept by Max Dowdle, a professional and classically trained artist who, with his wife, bought their first house and started their family right here in Apex. Dowdle, born in Greensboro, said, “I spent many years living in different areas along the East Coast, always with an eye to move back to North Carolina. When the opportunity presented itself, Apex became our home for four years. The combination of small-town charm with proximity to larger cities was very attractive, and for these reasons Apex will always hold a special place in my heart.”
Dowdle’s concept was just what Colwell and the rest of the Public Art Committee were looking for and the Apex community agreed. The mural idea was posted online for public input for about a month and, Colwell said, “[The input] was all very constructive. Everyone was appreciative of being able to provide input. We gave all of that to Max, as well as input from our committee and the town and others we asked directly. He made some adjustments, but the spirit of the original image remained the same, and I love it. I hope others do, too.”
In fact, Colwell could not emphasize enough how wonderful the artist was to work with. “He was very open to input, very flexible, and it was a tough location. That’s not an easy place to paint a mural. He had to have a lift because the ground slopes away. He did a terrific job.”
The finished mural is 33 feet wide by 17 feet tall and Dowdle, an experienced muralist, described the project as, “an exceedingly challenging, yet fun, job due to the tricky location on a slope, and the unique, rough texture of the wall.” To see how the project unfolded, visit Town of Apex Government on Facebook and look under Videos.
Dowdle’s affinity for Apex is evident in his interpretation of the theme, and gratitude is due to him, as well as to the Apex Public Art Committee, the Town of Apex, and the United Arts Council of Wake County who partnered on this project.
Destination Becomes Home
Apex is the kind of place one visits and instantly knows it is special. From the people, to the history, to the flora and fauna of nature, to the topography itself, Apex has a special kind of small-town allure all its own. Wherever we put down roots, that place becomes a part of us. This mural enshrines those feelings in bold, eye-catching colors, encapsulating in dynamic imagery the emotions one experiences when a destination becomes a home.
To get in touch with Max Dowdle and see more of his artwork, visit ROARPAINT.com and MaxDowdle.com, and follow him on Instagram (@maxdowdle).
Coming Soon
When asked about future plans of the Apex Public Art Committee, Colwell was excited to share details about their upcoming sculpture show. “The idea,” he said, “is to have seven to ten pieces located between the Town Hall Campus, Hunter Street Park, and Downtown Apex. It’s like an art walk/sculpture show where people can take a nice walk outside and see some new and different and interesting pieces of artwork that’ll be in the community for a temporary period of time. All of the items will be on loan and available for sale, but they will only stay for about 11 months. In April, in the span of a couple of days, we’ll have art and information on the artists and the artwork itself so people can, at their leisure, walk around and learn about the art and make the route connecting those three public areas. The following March, [the pieces] will all vanish. If people enjoy it, we’ll do it again, but we’ll wait to see what the feedback is.”
Colwell said that the committee is working on having an app available for people to use along the art walk, and folks can vote for their favorite piece. After a specified voting period, the committee will give the winning artist a People’s Choice Award.
Also new is an option for real estate developers to offer a piece of art as an amenity when planning their projects. Colwell explained, “In the past, it was a bench or something like that, but it’s nice to have a public art option and developers like that. We help by giving them a list of artists in the area and they pick from that list. We’d love to do more of that, so it’s not always the town, it’s not always the committee, it’s more things happening organically.”
A Collaborative Effort
Looking back on the progress they have made in a short time, Colwell said, “It’s been an interesting journey trying to get something going, and lots of people helped make it happen. It’s been a collaborative effort. Renee Anderson from the Halle sits on our committee as the liaison to the town. John Brown has been a terrific supporter of the program and has helped us navigate working with the town. We’ve had great support from Assistant Town Manager Shawn Purvis and from the Town Council. It’s been a learning process but we’re getting traction and making things happen.”
Currently joining Colwell and town liaison Renee Anderson on the all-volunteer committee are vice-chair Bethany Bryant and members Jane Wolfgang, Ewan Pritchard, Anissa Ortiz, Sean Durham, and Lafayette Trawick. When I asked Colwell about the committee’s message to Apex readers, he responded with these simple goals: “To enhance the community and enliven and complement the beauty of Apex and the historic nature of the town. To bring in a new element, a splash of fun and color, and create interest from the community. We want more people involved in the arts…[and to] get input from people, see what they’d like, and get their ideas. Great ideas can come from anyplace.”
Speaking to business owners and entrepreneurs, Colwell added, “Any business that would like to co-sponsor the sculpture show, or a mural, or if they don’t know how to get started with art, reach out to us. We have contacts with artists, and ideas that have been floated around, if you want someone to consult with.”
Learn more about public art in Apex by visiting the Town of Apex website (https://apexnc.org/1322/Public-Art-Committee), and following the committee on Instagram (@apexpublicart) and Facebook (Apex Public Art Committee). Or, reach out to them at publicartcommittee@apexnc.org. They love hearing comments and ideas from Apex residents!
