Celebrating 100 Years with Art

The Island Arts Council marks Carolina Beach’s centennial with public projects

By Judy Royal  »  Photos by Madeline Gray

Incorporated in 1925, Carolina Beach is celebrating its centennial this year with a variety of events and programs. One organization is taking the lead to ensure the arts are front and center in the festivities.

Among the Island Arts Council’s recent endeavors is Afloat: The Buoy Project, a participatory art installation featuring painted buoys hanging in a designated section of the town’s marina. The buoys are adorned with various patterns and inspirational words designed by participants.

Led by Lauren Stumberg, a public art curator and facilitator with more than a decade of experience painting murals and designing public projects, Afloat launched in February and has received an enthusiastic response from the community. A series of workshops held over several months—offering an artist facilitator to help participants with their buoys—quickly sold out, and all do-it-yourself kits have been purchased as well. The remaining opportunities to experience the project are May 17 during CB100 MuralFest and May 24 at the Carolina Beach Market, both at Lake Park. On those dates, people may purchase small buoys and paint them on-site.

“It’s been really successful, and I’m really grateful to the Island Arts Council for encouraging me to go for it and supporting me through it,” Stumberg said. “I’m just really encouraged by the excitement about the project, and I hope I can bring more projects like it.”

Afloat, which received a grant from the New Hanover Arts Council Community Endowment, plans to have a total of 300 buoys installed by the end of June. Stumberg said she envisioned the project as a way for people to create something together while also showcasing individuality. The buoys have included stripes, words, beach scenes, symbolism and more, she added.

“It’s interesting to see how people approach it,” Stumberg said. “I think once people had the vision, they really bought into the idea. It’s all about being part of a thing that’s a little bit bigger.”

The installation is intended to symbolize the strength and resilience of the community when facing challenges, especially in the wake of last fall’s torrential rains.

“It seemed fitting with last year’s flooding, the idea of keeping each other afloat,” Stumberg said.

Also for the town’s centennial, the Island Arts Council has launched Venus Flytrap on Parade, featuring eight Venus flytrap statues painted by regional artists. The statues will be on display from April through September throughout Pleasure Island, home to Carolina Beach and Kure Beach.

“While other towns have cows and pelicans, our statues are as unique as the Venus flytrap plants are to our island,” said Christine Higgins, co-chair of the Island Arts Council. “The statue was designed by several members of the Island Arts Council, and the artists selected to paint them are from our region. Their designs reflect the love and respect for our community.”

Two statues are already on display at Carolina Beach Town Hall and Hurricane Alley’s, with installation celebrations planned for May 2 at The Windstar Hotel and June 2 at Carolina Beach Elementary School.

In addition to the centennial projects, the Island Arts Council offers pop-up art shows and galleries, monthly Poetry Thursday readings, and the annual Art in the Yard sale—scheduled this year for Sept. 20–21. Plans are also in the works for art therapy workshops for cancer patients and their families, as well as a mosaic project for veterans to complete together.

Formed in 2011, the Island Arts Council has nearly 80 members and fosters the growth of arts events, public art, local art-based organizations and artists to increase awareness and appreciation of arts and cultural programs on Pleasure Island. The group’s goals are to facilitate economic and community development through the arts.

“It was a vision that the island would become a destination for the arts,” Higgins said. “It’s taken a while, but it’s pretty amazing now. Arts and culture are among the top five reasons why people select a place to move to or visit, so we’re feeling that we’re contributing to community and economic development through the arts.”

For more information about the Island Arts Council’s programs and events, visit IslandArtsCouncil.net or email  info@IslandArtsCouncil.net.