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Education & Outreach
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The Art-in-Transit Advisory Committee and CATS emphasize public education and outreach as an Art-in-Transit program priority. The committee, made up of seven art professionals appointed by the CEO of CATS, in addition to providing program oversight, encourages community education and involvement starting with the artist selection process through the installation and unveiling of public art. Education and outreach leads to understanding, appreciation and long term care of a public art collection. Whenever appropriate and with available resources, Art-in-Transit staff explores, develops and implements educational and outreach initiatives.
There are various ways Art-in-Transit reaches out to engage and educate the public. Widely distributed community newsletters announce plans to select artists for projects and update the community throughout the design, construction and activation of a new venture. Artists are introduced at neighborhood meetings even before they begin designing art for a project to ensure their understanding of place (past, present, and future). Printed and online information is continually updated to track project progress while finished art is documented with postcards, plaques, and introduced through guided tours and presentations. Partnerships with area educational, cultural and historical institutions assist CATS in expanding the communication between artists and stakeholders and community representatives. Partnerships provide further opportunities to engage the public in the artistic process to ensure understanding and appreciation of the art. The Art-in-Transit program maintains working relationships with the Arts and Science Council, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts +Culture, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Charlotte Art League, Levine Museum of the New South, McColl Center for Visual Art, Mint Museum, Spirit Square (Blumenthal Performing Arts Center), The Light Factory, and local colleges and universities.
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North Davidson Construction Fence Mural Project
In the fall of 2009 when McColl Center for Visual Art was holding its annual Community Day at the Center, CATS offered to fund and supply all materials for the creation of a community mural if the Center would provide work space, an artist to facilitate the project and community members to paint 60 four by eight plywood panels needed to surround CATS North Davidson Maintenance Facility construction site. The staff at the Center quickly agreed and provided resident artist Darren Goins to manage the project. CATS' contractor delivered the 60 sheets of plywood to the Center in time for Community Day.
On September 26, 2009, approximately 200 children and adults attended Community Day and worked with artist Darren Goins painting 41 of the 60 panels in spite of rain.
After Community Day, to ensure that the remaining 19 plywood panels were painted, CATS and MCVA agreed to provide support to Darren Goins to complete the construction fence mural. The mural was installed by CATS' contractor, Clancy & Theys on December 4, 2009 and the mural will remain for the duration of construction.
Click on Previous Projects to the left to see more Education and Outreach projects.
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