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Where Art Thou? - Artsplosure May 19th & 20th 

You whip up animated PowerPoint decks with your eyes closed. And you've got mad skills at Photoshopping profile pics. But if presented with construction paper, glue, and scissors, you're at a total loss.  Put your art supplies back in the drawer and head out for some real art by real artists at Artsplosures annual art festival this coming Saturday and Sunday, May 19th and 20th.

Artsplosures spring arts festival will be held in downtown Raleigh.  As one of the Southeast premier arts festivals, the event attracts up to 80,000 people over the course of the weekend.  Highlighting fine art and live music since 1980, this year's event will be no exception.

The festival showcases the talent of more than 160 juried visual artists and crafters.  The market features the work of North Carolinian artists, as well as those outside the Tar Heel state.  Artwork by fine artists and crafters exhibiting in 11 different categories will be available for purchase, including painting, photography, pottery, jewelry, and more.  The booths will line Blount, Martin, and Hargett Streets near Moore Square and City Market.  The art festival opens Saturday, May 19 from 11am to 7pm and Sunday, May 20 from 10am to 5pm.

Artsplosure highlights live music headlining this year's event will be Grupo Fantasma, a 10-piece Latin band from Austin, Texas.  The Grammy award winning group's eclectic sound has been featured at Bonnarro, South By Southwest, and the Montreal Jazz Festival, as well as in movies and television.  The band will perform on the Main Stage Saturday night.  There will be more than a dozen other musical performances on two stages in Moore Square.

This year's festival will include a special "first of its kind" component entitled, The Impressionist Garden. Displayed in a temporary garden setting on downtown Raleigh's City Plaza, the installation will feature eight life-size painted bronze sculptures by artist Seward Johnson.  These sculptures draw inspiration from the Impressionist paintings of Renoir, Manet, Monet, and Caillebotte.  Festival attendees can touch, explore and interact with these iconic images in a way that would never be possible in a museum.  This exciting installation is an unprecedented collaboration between Artsplosure and various nurseries and landscapers who are part of the NC Nursery and Landscape Association. After the festival, the eight sculptures will be temporarily placed in downtown Raleigh, where residents and visitors can continue to enjoy them.

The Artsplosure spring arts festival is free to the public and is held rain or shine. For more information about this year's festival, go to Website.

So instead of your own creations with glue, paper, scissors, hit the streets for Artsplosure 'cause these babies will go faster than you can say JavaScript.

To Bee or Not to Bee     

Kits and Dogs - Raleigh City Museum May Events

No, this is not some Amelia Hair-Art exhibit or some Off The Wall sculpture.  Rather, this is an opportunity to explore Raleigh's architectural history from a different vantage point - from Kit Homes to Canines.  See below for some interesting events at the Raleigh City Museum, May 18th and 26th.

Made to Order: Kit Homes in Raleigh Opening May 18th!

 

A drive through Raleigh's downtown neighborhoods reveals a variety of architectural styles-from cozy bungalows to stately Colonial Revivals. Several of these homes were built by architects or speculative developers, but a number of them are actually kit homes! As a part of its 50th anniversary celebration, the Raleigh City Museum and the City of Raleigh Historic Development Commission will welcome kit home authority Rosemary Thornton for a series of events on May 18 and 19 to showcase the Capital City's own treasure trove of these architectural gems.

 

During the first half of the 20th century, Sears, Roebuck & Co. and a handful of other companies sold build-it-yourself homes via catalogs to customers across the nation. Raleigh was not immune to the craze and has more surviving kit homes per capita than almost anywhere in the Southeast. More than 40 kit homes still exist in such neighborhoods as Boylan Heights, Cameron Park, Five Points, Mordecai Place and Glenwood-Brooklyn.

 

Co-curated by the museum and the Raleigh Historic Development Commission, "Made to Order: Kit Homes in Raleigh" will show current photos of 17 kit homes still occupied in Raleigh along with the catalog pages that advertised them.  The exhibit will also explain the architectural styles popularized through kit homes and tell the story of companies that sold houses through the mail. The exhibit opens with a reception at 6 p.m. Friday, May 18 and runs through September.  Then on Saturday, May 19, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 pm at the Rialto Theater (1620 Glenwood Avenue) join Rosemary Thornton, author of the books "The Houses that Sears Built" and "Finding the Houses that Sears Built", to learn more about the homes. Also on Saturday, May 19, Ms. Thornton will hold a book signing at the Third Place coffee shop, 1811 Glenwood Avenue.

  

 

Capital Canines Walking Tour - May 26

 

On Saturday, May 26th, bring your four-legged friends to the Raleigh City Museum. Staff will be leading a walking tour of downtown Raleigh with stops in parks and neighborhoods along the way to explore with your dog! Join them as they explore from Moore to Nash Squares, with stops at the Executive Mansion, State Capitol building, and more!  Cost: $10.00 per dog; Time: 2pm - 4pm.

 

 

3rd Annual BrickMagic LEGO Festival -  May 19 and 20th, 10am to 5pm Saturday, and 10am to 4pm Sunday at the Hilton North Raleigh.   Come help Certified Professional LEGO builder Dan Parker construct a giant LEGO Death Star.  See a huge hall full of custom LEGO creations by over 150 builders from around the world.  Participate in free workshops on everything from building techniques to Mindstorms.  Play with over 20,000 loose LEGO bricks, see LEGO movies, and more!

Spaceship Building Contest: Click Here to register in one of three age groups and bring your own spaceship design in for judging the night before BrickMagic opens, for a chance to win great prizes.

Star Wars Characters and Charity Auction: Meet your favorite characters from a galaxy far, far away, who'll be there in full uniform to pose for pictures with fans, and to help us auction several custom Star Wars LEGO creations, with proceeds going to Make-A-Wish Eastern North Carolina.

Tickets: $12 adults, $8 kids (age 4-16) and Seniors (get a $1 discount when you order online). Hilton North Raleigh/Midtown, 3415 Wake Forest Road, Raleigh, NC 27609. Phone: 919-449-0344.

Hunt & Gather on Bernard Street holds a Save After Six Shopping Night this Thursday May 17th.  On the third Thursday of each month you will find great markdowns, refreshments, and friendly faces at Hunt & Gather, 1910 Bernard Street, Raleigh 27608.  

Kenna Custom Painting, Inc.  is available to tackle your residential painting needs.  With their great crews that perform very professional jobs on residential homes, you won't believe how quiet and unobtrusive they are.  So if you have that "itch" to freshen up your home, interior or exterior before springtime, contact them now.  Call 919-855-0082 or Email: kennapaint@bellsouth.net.  Website. 

Join My Blog Simply-Refined:  I am an Interior Designer that can inspire and help you with your designs and decorating needs.  Call  Zaytoun Interiors if you're finally ready to decorate or re-decorate your home or office.  What's your style?  If you're not sure, I can help you tap into your inner self and find what makes you want to come home.  Website, Email, Phone: 305-793-8510. 

Price Reduced $599,000: 2748 St. Mary's St. Raleigh, 27609. Ideal Location! Walk to great schools, greenway and North Hills! Renovated in 1995. New paint/ refinished floors. DR w/FP, LR/Sunroom & large FR. Large White Kitchen w/granite & subway tile backsplash. 5 bedrooms. Private quaint backyard -wooden play equip, greenhouse, climbing trees, Covered Carport, & 1car garage, 2 decks, fully landscaped.  Contact: Jill Rekuc, Olde Raleigh Real Estate at 919-389-0555.  Website. 

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