Levine Museum is excited to host Looking Forward/Looking Back, an exhibit of the public art to be integrated into the first phase of the CityLYNX Gold Line streetcar project. The exhibit of collages by artist Nancy O’Neil is on display now through March 30, 2015.
Please meet artist Nancy O'Neil
What inspired you to work on such a massive project?
I wasn't afraid to take this on because I had experience with large projects —in 2000 I did a huge glass curtain wall for the Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center. And I had one prior experience with windscreens a couple of years ago in Salt Lake City. Check out my website, www.nancyoneil.com.
My work is very much about place, so a transit job with lots of stations is great for me. Each station has its own story to tell. I get to find out about all the different neighborhoods —history, culture, natural features, etc. And I get to use old maps, which I love. This kind of project provides me with a lot of good material for my collages. It’s the kind of work I like best.
I especially like making unexpected connections and weaving things together. I have respect for the past, how it affects us, and propels us into the future.
What feelings, thoughts, emotions do you want your artwork to invoke on Charlotte’s riders?
Some of the panels are more emotionally powerful than others but I think every station has something for people to think about. We will have to wait and see.
How was it working with many individuals and their passion for Charlotte’s history?
Everyone I worked with was extremely knowledgable and people were very generous with their time. All of the archives people really went the extra mile for me, and I am grateful.
What challenges did you face creating the artwork?
At times I wished I lived closer —there was an awful lot of research to do long distance!
What can riders expect?
I think people will like the colors and the overall designs. People tend to spend a lot of time looking at the photos and many people are intrigued by the maps and like to study them closely. Based on my recent experience with a series of windscreens I installed in Denver, lots of people will want to know more about what they are looking at. Once these windscreens are in place I will photograph them and put a complete Key to all of the imagery and sources on my website so that people can learn more.
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What do you think of the new CityLYNX line and the artwork that will be incorporated? Tell us below and share with your friends.
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Out of the Shadows: Undocumented and Unafraid is a participatory art project, conceived and orchestrated by artist Annabel Manning. Immigrant youth from Charlotte and the Triangle area of North Carolina collaborated with Manning to create portraits, which were then digitally altered to portray the youth's visible and invisible status simultaneously. Compelling and personal, the pieces featured in the exhibit demonstrate how art can be a deliberative and imaginative forum for exploring complex issues about immigrant labor, education, and legal status.
Please meet artist and activist, Annabel Manning
What impact do you hope “Out of the Shadows” will have on the public?
I hope that the artwork in Out of the Shadows: Undocumented and Unafraid will show the public how it feels to be in this state of being invisible and without rights.
I am also interested in the complicity that all the documented (myself included) should feel for the predicament of the undocumented because we are partially responsible for it. I believe all U.S. citizens are complicit because we are benefiting from the work and culture of the Latinos and because, directly or indirectly, we help to make or keep them invisible. My hope is that the public will develop a sense of responsibility for this issue and fight for the rights that the undocumented youth deserve.
How has this Movement changed you?
The visibility in the general public in North Carolina that the student youth have attained thus far has inspired me to expand this project. The goal is to provide even more Latino undocumented youth (and their families) with art tools that allow them to express themselves visually and to engage the public in discussions or confrontations about the youth’s specific dreams and demands for immigration reform.
How did you choose the medium for your artwork?
The show includes photographs, sunprints, monoprints, and a digital installation (with camera, mirror and projection) – all reflecting the youth’s experiences of feeling invisible in their communities, outside their families and friends, separating them into two selves: how they see themselves versus how others see them. This theme emerged from my discussions with them and then we adopted the mediums to capture it in multiple ways.
What does activism mean to you?
To be able to create participatory art activities with communities like Immigrant Youth Forum (IYF) and United 4 the Dream (U4TD) to engage the public in discussions or confrontations about the youth’s dreams, fears, and demands regarding civil rights, education, labor, and citizenship.
Out of the Shadows: Undocumented and Unafraid is on display now through June 29, 2014.
Tell us below what does activism mean to you.
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