By Kennedy Carruthers
Carrboro Commons Writer

Whether it’s a concert, a poetry reading or an open gallery, Carrboro abounds with a creative flair. This is why author and frequent Carrboro visitor John Villani named it as one of America’s best art towns in his most recent book.

Villani, communications director for the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, N.M., and a former art critic with The Arizona Republic newspaper, recognized Carrboro in his book, “The 100 Best Art Towns in America: A Guide to Galleries, Museums, Festivals, Lodging and Dining.”

John Wilner, an arts advocate and executive director of the Arts Center in Carrboro, stands beside one of the gallery exhibits featuring the paintings and drawings by students enrolled in the center’s art classes. Wilner says that the center makes a special effort to reach out to the diverse communities within Carrboro.
Staff photo by Kennedy Carruthers

The book, published in 2005 by Countryman Press, highlights communities in which support for the arts is evident in their culture, according to the book review by the publisher.

For Doreen Ross, this honor came as no surprise. Ross, a Chapel Hill resident, has been going to Carrboro’s The ArtsCenter to take jewelry-making classes for more than 10 years now. “It’s really nice to have the ArtsCenter here that suits so many people’s outlets,” Ross said.

In addition to town-sponsored art events, the ArtsCenter, located at 300-G E. Main St., makes Carrboro an amicable place for artists to live, museums and galleries to thrive, and nearby residents, like Ross, to express their creative side.

“I think it’s the walkability of Carrboro,” Villani said of his rationale for including the town in his book.

“If you combine a friendly retail environment with friendly visitors from Carrboro and Chapel Hill, it makes for an ideal place for gallery owners to set up shop,” he said.

Villani initially came to Carrboro more than 20 years ago when his mother, Lolita Villani, moved to town. During his visits, he observed the beginning of a creative evolution.

“I noticed that Carrboro started to pick up momentum in its number of galleries and art spaces,” he said.

Villani credits the culture of Santa Fe for his growing appreciation for the arts.
“Being surrounded by artists on a day-to-day basis, I am very curious as to what artists are trying to say in their work.”

That curiosity is what drove Villani to travel to hundreds of artistic places, and what inspired him to write a book about his discoveries.
The ArtsCenter is one venue in Carrboro that Villani includes as a must-see.

“I’ve always enjoyed their exhibitions,” he said. “They go out of their way to serve artists of Carrboro and Chapel Hill.”

“It’s got this multi-dimensional, multi-disciplinary aspect of serving the community, giving artists a forum to find the right audience. … A place like the Arts Center is a key component to any art town, and Carrboro has a great one.”

John Wilner, executive director of the ArtsCenter, makes it his job to provide a variety of creative opportunities to the community.

Wilner said he considers the arts, and by extension, the ArtsCenter, a driving force of economic and social sustainability for Carrboro. Because of that, maintaining a strong art scene is important.

To do so, the ArtsCenter offers art classes for adults and children, theatrical performances, concerts, gallery exhibits and art camps for children.

Town-sponsored events like “open mic” nights, music, film and poetry festivals, and Friday “Art Walks” are ways that the town government encourages the arts, said Alderman Lydia Lavelle.

Lavelle, like Wilner, believes the arts are a strong component of Carrboro.

“It’s not just great for our citizens, our town and our culture, but it also shows the town who we are,” she said.

Wilner said that the arts not only improve the town, but provide long-term economic benefits.

“Because we make it such an attractive place to live, it brings a lot of people here. We are challenged, because if we want to maintain that distinction, we must serve the artists who live here,” he said. “We must think creatively to find a solution so that artists will stay.”

“The main goal is to create a community as a destination for arts, sparking tourism, and as a result, serving local artists in the Carrboro community.”