‘Boards Across CB’ installation showcases local creative talent
Within the Carolina Beach Marriott, the dozens of boards are on display showing various forms of mediums, colors, themes and designs.
CAROLINA BEACH, NC (WWAY) — 55 local artists were given the chance to display their work across 59 surfboards on Monday during the ‘Boards Across CB’ event.
The community donated 70 boards for use, and the artists chose how they wanted to design and decorate them. The boards were displayed for 3 months in local businesses and are available for the public to view for 2 days before they are auctioned off.
Within the Carolina Beach Marriott, the dozens of boards are on display showing various forms of mediums, colors, themes and designs.
The public had access until 6 p.m. Monday night and on Tuesday from 2:00 to 8:00 p.m. to view the pieces for free.
Also on Monday night, a VIP Artist Meet and Greet event was held where the community could interact with 30 out of the 55 artists behind the boards.
President and Founder of the Carolina Beach Mural project Maureen Lewis says they chose this art form over outdoor murals due to the winter weather.
“We were thinking, what else could we do in our town to bring art to our community? And I heard about this project from my old home town, and so we decided we would see how it goes.”
The decorated boards are up for auction, with 50% of the proceeds going directly to the artist, and the other 50% will help fund more murals in Carolina Beach for 2023.
Lewis added that the ages of the artists ranged from 13 years old to 70 years old. Some of the artists got client commissions to create these pieces, which is a win for both the local artist and the community.
One of the participating artists, Felice Kite, was amazed at the variety of talent displayed across the different boards.
“It’s amazing how many different types of boards that artists came up with to paint, which really again just shows how much creativity we have here.”
Kite created a board inspired by the local tiki bar, which is her favorite island spot that she says is iconic to Carolina Beach.
“I feel like the island has really embraced the artists…and it just feels like it’s been rolling on more and more… it’s amazing how much talent we have on this island.”
Another participating artist, Zanda Lowman, who created “Hitchin’ a Ride”, gathered inspiration from several places in the area.
“I went to see the Carolina Surf Dog and that inspired me.”
Lowman reached out to local business owners and the owners of Good Hops Brewing provided her with reference photos of their dog Prada, who loves water.
She then used reference photos of a seagull that she took, to ‘hitch a ride’ on top of Prada’s head.
Inspired by the recent turtle hatch, Lowman reached out to Fort Fisher Aquarium and used Journey as her reference turtle for the board.
The CB Mural Project says they are proud to support local artists and help them gain recognition with a broader audience.
The auction for the boards ends Tuesday, February 7th at 7:30 p.m.
