Artful Collaborators

Many hands: A black-and-white drawing of the Virgin of Guadalupe becomes a vibrant mural.

 

Peter Paul Geoffrion

On several occasions over the past year, staff members and students from the Center for Documentary Studies have joined with Durham residents to decorate murals that will be displayed throughout the city.

The murals depict past and present "champions" of Southwest Durham, including local civil-rights legend Pauli Murray. The murals are part of the center's Face Up documentary arts project, which is aimed not just at creating art but also at bringing together the community. Artist Brett Cook, a visiting professor at CDS who leads the project, has referred to the murals as "the debris of collaboration."

A collection of images, documents, and artifacts that have inspired and come out of the project are on display at the center's Kreps and Lyndhurst galleries through October. The exhibition includes videos, a community quilt, and one of the community-created murals.