National Arts Program exhibit at Block Gallery

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Since 1984, Raleigh has maintained a two-floor gallery space inside City Hall that showcases original art by artists in our region. The Block Gallery was dedicated in 2006 to honor Miriam Preston Block, a former Raleigh City Council member and community leader.

For the last two years I have served as the Block Gallery coordinator, curating exhibitions and developing programing for the space. One of the great pleasures of my job is to see people who wouldn’t otherwise experience art in their daily lives stop and engage with the art in the gallery. The many wonderful conversations I have had with City staff, citizens and artists about the art on view have broadened my understanding of our rich and diverse community and the ways that visual art functions within it.

Every year, the Block Gallery takes its civic mission one step further by hosting the annual National Arts Program (NAP) exhibit. In 1982, The program was conceived by Leonard E. B. Andrews, an art collector, publisher, business executive and journalist, “to provide an uninhibited opportunity for employees and their family members to participate in a professional visual arts exhibition.”

There are currently 83 venues across the US which host an NAP exhibit. The exhibition at the Block Gallery is sponsored by the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County and the City of Raleigh Arts Commission, in collaboration with The National Arts Program Foundation of Malvern, Pennsylvania.

This year we have over 110 works of art by Wake County and City of Raleigh employees and their families. The talent and enthusiasm of our participants never ceases to amaze me! We will celebrate with an opening reception Thursday, Dec. 4 from 5 to 7 p.m. Prizes are awarded in five categories: Youth, Teen, Amateur, Intermediate and Professional. Winners will be announced at 5:30 followed by live music by Wayne Schindler.

This exhibition is a source of pride for me, the participants and for our community. As I prepare to leave the Block Gallery for a new position at Artspace, the NAP exhibit serves as a reminder of the important role art plays in our daily lives and how fortunate we are to have a municipal gallery space in our Capital City.