GREENSBORO - Action Greensboro is excited to announce its first two Spark micro-grant recipients. This June, Action Greensboro announced the creation of the Spark Fund, aimed to support unexpected, fun and exciting projects in downtown Greensboro with an effort to create buzz and community involvement.
"Action Greensboro was thrilled to receive twenty-five Spark Fund proposals. Our staff and Operating Group were faced with making some tough decisions during the selection process as we received outstanding proposed ideas and projects." said Cecelia Thompson, Executive Director of Action Greensboro. "However, the two selected projects very much exemplified the creative spirit and ability to showcase of a long-term impact on Downtown Greensboro."
5K micro-grants will be made to the following projects:
Pop Up Denim Museum: Evan Morrison, of Gate City Dry Goods and Hudson Hill, and Zeke Vantreese, of Home State Apparel, will design, curate, and build a pop-up Denim museum that highlights Greensboro's incredible history as a driving force in textiles especially denim and flannel. Funds will be used to assemble vintage samples of denim, large historical photographs, design and build displays, procure printed materials to distribute, signage, and advertising. The museum will launch concurrently with the National Folk Festival and will be located in downtown Greensboro.
"I am thrilled that we will be able to showcase Greensboro's textile history during the National Folk Festival." said Evan Morrison of Hudson Hill. "It has been a vision of mine to have a denim museum here, to educate, celebrate, and respect the numerous businesses and employees in this area where textiles were once king. Zeke and I have talked about how just about everyone owns a pair of jeans, but not everyone knows our history as the denim capital of the world, among many other titles in textile and garment production, so this is our chance to build that footprint and permanently brand Greensboro a textile Mecca."
Light. Art. Activate: Octoberlight Designs and Greenhill will partner to bring excitement, energy and creative place-making to the corner of Davie Street and Friendly Avenue by utilizing projection technology. Using three window panels in the gallery at Greenhill, Octoberlight will install projection equipment and translucent window film to be used as a projection surface. The windows will become activated with energy from the projections of moving images from exhibitions, scenes from Greensboro, short videos and text. The projections will relate to Greenhill and the Greensboro Cultural Center. The installation will be in place by September 10th.
"Scott Stephens, of Octoberlight Designs, and I could not be more pleased to be a recipient of a SPARK grant.," said Laura Way, Executive Director of GreenHill. "Our project is about place-making: We want to activate the corner of Davie and Friendly Avenue-using light and projections to give Greenhill and the Greensboro Cultural Center a sense of destination. Right now people pass by and don't know what happens in our space or the building-this will help us make our mark and get people's attention. The projections will be on Greenhill's front windows, and will be vibrant, bold, creative, and highly visible to pedestrian traffic on Davie, heading East on Friendly and throughout Center City Park, as well as to those at the traffic light at Davie and Friendly."
The next deadline for the first Spark Fund micro-grant is January 13, 2016. The application is available online at actiongreensboro.org.
Action Greensboro was established in 2001 by local foundations to work with the business community, local government, and the community at large to develop and expand the economic and community environment of Greensboro. The Greensboro Partnership serves as the principal economic and community development organization in Greensboro, North Carolina.
For more information about Action Greensboro, call (336) 379-0821 or visit www.actiongreensboro.org.
- a press release
"GREENSBORO, N.C. (June 21, 2016) synerG and Action Greensboro seek emerging artist or artist teams to design, fabricate and install a signature public art piece in Greensboro. The objective of this RFP is to obtain an artist or artist team able to provide a creative, fun, funky and innovative public art piece to be installed in Greensboro by October 12, 2016.
