Chapel Hill, NC; Thursday, May 24, 2010: Franklin Street will have a tasty, new look next week after locally-owned and nationally-recognized dessert café Sugarland officially unveils their new mosaic entryway on Thursday, June 3 at 12:30 PM. Sugarland, located at 140 E. Franklin Street, was awarded a grant through Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership's Façade Incentive Grant Program. The grant helped to fund the desert-themed artwork created by local artist and Sugarland regular, Erick Davis. The entry way art is comprised of ceramic and mirrored tiles that feature a wedding cake topped by the Old Well, several signature cupcakes & gelato, and the distinctive Sugarland name; all encased in a sea of Carolina Blue tiles.

 

"Erick approached us with his idea and a flyer for the grant program," said Sugarland owner Katrina Ryan. "We thought that with having The Food Network coming it was a good opportunity to spruce up the building." Recent national exposure for Sugarland includes the May issue of Southern Living magazine and a feature in the new Food Network series "Kid In A Candy Store," airing  in July. 

 

The Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership created the grant program to assist downtown businesses with facade renovations and to encourage quality design work that will preserve the architectural character that is unique to downtown Chapel Hill. Other recent projects include design work for Amber Alley and new awnings for Classic Fashions and Inihaw Restaurant.

 

Sugarland's unique tiled entryway is another addition to the emerging arts scene that is being fostered in downtown Chapel Hill; which includes the FRANK Arts Collective, Toots & Magoo Annex Gallery, the Painted Wall Project to restore Michael Brown's murals, the Student Artery, and the expanding programming at the Ackland Art Museum.