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Floraffiti Public Art Project Comes to Downtown Raleigh


PRESS RELEASE  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Bob Hagh
Director of Communications
Downtown Raleigh Alliance
919-821-6977
bobhagh@downtownraleigh.org

Floraffiti Public Art Project Comes to Downtown Raleigh

RALEIGH, NC (Wednesday, May 2) –The Downtown Raleigh Alliance (DRA) is partnering with artist Carter Hubbard to bring the public art and beautification project Floraffiti to downtown Raleigh this spring and summer.

Floraffiti is a placemaking, community engagement and public art project in which large-scale words are planted with clover in downtown mulch beds. Floraffiti began in 2013 in Chapel Hill and Carrboro and has since become an annual installation. Downtown Raleigh planting will take place on May 3, 4 and 5 (please see times and locations below) with volunteers including downtown residents and employees planting alongside the artist Carter Hubbard. Words will be revealed in late May/early June.

“Floraffiti provides a sense of place and belonging - from the visitor discovering the city for the first time to residents rediscovering what is special in their own ‘back yard’ with fresh, new eyes,” said Hubbard. “Anyone can connect to the words in their own way and at their own pace. Floraffiti brings people together, providing opportunities for conversation, reflection, and creativity.”

The words for Floraffiti are taken from and inspired by the City of Raleigh’s and the Downtown Raleigh Alliance’s Downtown Plan. The words can speak to anyone but specifically speak to the current and future Downtown Raleigh. In 2015, the City of Raleigh and the Downtown Raleigh Alliance partnered to create a 10-year plan for Downtown Raleigh, building upon the successes and providing a map for guiding growth and development in downtown. The plan seeks to improve park spaces, provide more transportation options, maintain authenticity and character, create a robust retail environment, improve affordable housing options, and establish stronger partnerships for downtown’s future. Many of these initiatives are underway or planned.

Planting times, downtown locations, and words are:

Thursday, May 3

9 am – 11 am: North Carolina State Capitol Lawn (North Side along W Edenton Street): Innovate, Create, Explore, Active

2 pm – 4 pm: Saint Saviour’s (616 Tucker Street): Bloom, Thrive

Friday, May 4

10 am – 12 pm: Duke Energy for the Performing Arts (2 E South Street): Connect, Discover, Amplify

2 pm – 4 pm: Nash Square (S Dawson Street side): Grow, Relax, Play, Walk, Breathe, Pause

Saturday, May 5

9 am – 11 am: Duncan Parnell (201 Glenwood Avenue): Inspire

To learn more about Floraffiti, visit https://downtownraleigh.org/floraffiti/. Thank you to our sponsors:

Master Gardener Sponsor: Citrix

Green Thumb Sponsor: UNC Rex Healthcare

Sunshine and Water Sponsors: Glennon Enterprises, LLC, Hampton Inn and Suites, Pendo, The Dillon Apartments, Sheraton Raleigh Hotel, and visitRaleigh.com

Partners: City of Raleigh, Logan’s Garden Shop, and Raleigh Arts

 

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About Downtown Raleigh Alliance (DRA):

The Downtown Raleigh Alliance (DRA) is an economic development, marketing, and place management organization that leads efforts to build a downtown that is safe, accessible, creative, and vibrant. The DRA facilitates this mission through its primary initiatives, including: safety and hospitality ambassador patrols, economic development and storefront business attraction, community-building events such as First Friday and Market on Market, promotional and branding initiatives, advocacy, and real estate market research and analysis.