African American Cultural Festival Partners With Artsplosure On Community Mural

Raleigh, NC – The African American Cultural Festival of Raleigh and Wake County (AACF) is promoting community engagement by turning empty city walls into huge public canvasses.

Artsplosure is partnering with AACF, CVS, and The Raleigh Building to create a celebratory mural on the existing plywood boards at CVS on Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh. As one of the locations affected at the height of the country’s demands for social justice, our mission is to transform this storefront into a beautiful, collective thought space for courageous conversations.

The community mural will be painted together with local artist Trey Ansley, AACF, Artsplosure, and the help of volunteers from the greater Raleigh community.

“Within my work, I try to consistently bridge the old to the new. Color, numbers, and patterns are a large part of my process,” said Trey, who will outline the mural across four plywood-covered CVS windows on Hargett Street. On Saturday, September 5, community members will have the opportunity to help with the mural’s completion.

Community members are welcome to sign up for a 30-minute volunteer time slot here from 10 am – 4 pm. Masks are required and social distancing will be enforced. Supplies will be provided.

About Artsplosure

Artsplosure is an independent nonprofit organization that presents arts festivals in Raleigh, including its namesake spring festival since 1980 and First Night Raleigh since 1991.  Its mission is to produce quality events that make the works of the most imaginative and celebrated artists accessible to the public, all in an effort to enrich our community and inspire greater love for the visual and performing arts.  

Artsplosure is funded in part by the City of Raleigh based on the recommendations of the Raleigh Arts Commission and is also supported by N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

For more information visit www.artsplosure.org.