The art in Chatham County has always been unique. People who come to visit may notice the wall art that is on the back or sides of buildings, art hanging in stores, and the overall creative vibe of the community. An example of the murals on buildings is the Circle City Books & Music, which portrays books across the side of its location on Hillsboro Street in downtown Pittsboro.
Art can be represented in many forms. It may be seen in clothes, hair, make-up–even piercings and tattoos. At Northwood, you can see the different types of art — from the art that people wear to the art that people make. Walking around Northwood, you can see the different personalities of the students, portrayed through their clothing and appearance. You may often see art students with pieces that they have completed on the walls outside the cafeteria. In the media center and hallways, there are tons of portraits and paintings on display. Lots of students can also be seen in the auditorium practicing theater, and heard in the chorus room singing.
Across the community, there are small hints of art that have been mixed into the culture for decades. When you walk into shops like Screaming for Vintage and Circle City Books & Music, you can see the history mixed in with the old-town aesthetic. S&T’s has the old-timey soda shop feel, complete with vintage soda shop items and jukebox music.
“The art in Pittsboro is interesting,” junior Armani Perez said. “I think it’s cool that the art has been around for generations and is still here today.”
A community’s artistic style can also be shown through the products that local vendors sell. Circle City Books & Music has a lot of diversity with the book genres and music on its shelves, including vinyls and cassettes, as well as older items that can be somewhat rare. Screaming for Vintage sells funky but classic vintage clothing and items, such as bags, jewelry, and furniture. You can tell when you walk in that each piece has its own story.
“I really like the art here,” sophomore Cavory Granger said. “It makes [Pittsboro] more
pleasing to the eye.”
Granger has lived in Pittsboro for her whole life and often visits the shops in downtown Pittsboro. Due to many brick-and-mortar businesses being around for generations in Chatham, there is still plenty of art around from the past. Businesses have found a way to represent in their own style, meaning that they find ways to mix in a more modern aesthetic with the original design of the building.
In the past, there have been many small projects that involve the whole community, including people painting rocks with motivational words on them and placing them around the community for others to find. When people found the rocks, they would post them on social media with tags to show how the community mixes art into everyday places and objects. For participants, the Pittsboro kindness rock was a way to promote kindness and community so everyone would feel appreciated.
Chatham County also shows art by having events such as First Sunday, which is on the first Sunday of every month, and gives a chance for small businesses to sell and share their products.
The overall artistic style of Chatham is a mix of history, funk, and community. It has a style that draws many in, and will continue to do so into the future. Pittsboro will continue to grow as more people come to Chatham and are drawn to the old, quiet aesthetic that makes up the town.
