As the workshop progressed, more and more young men started speaking up, offering their thoughts and reactions, and asking questions. In the beginning, it was unclear how these young men would react to these vulnerable exercises. Emanuel led discussion-based exercises that encouraged the students to get to know each other more deeply. The workshop featured a film he made with Joie Lou Shakur tackling topics of vulnerability, masculinity, and patriarchy.ДЄs the students filed into Gerrard Hall, they were paired so that they were sitting face to face with their partner. Our second guest was Emanuel Brown who led a workshop entitled New Mas(k)ulinities. More importantly, they saw how his life was transformed by the arts and perhaps how their lives can be impacted by the arts as well. And of course, his puppets are always a delight to watch.ДЄs Jeghetto walked around with his puppet, Blue the dog, students were enthralled by the mechanics and the artistry behind something as seemingly simple as a tail wag. Since becoming involved in puppetry, he has used his puppets as a way to tackle issues from the history of racism in America to helping children with special needs. During his presentation, students learned that he had delved into hip hop, art, poetry, and was even a barber before making his way to the puppetry industry. Our first guest in July was Tarish Pipkins, more famously known as Jeghetto. As part of their experience, Arts Everywhere offered different presentations/workshops to show them how art can be life-changing. Start Strong brings incoming underrepresented men, first-generation students, Carolina Covenant Scholars, and select student-athletes to the University. While all this was happening at Studio 109, we were also partnering with UNC Start Strong, a program run through Carolina Mxle Scholars. So it like refined and I kind of got to grow and observe what I really am intoвЂќ. Artist-in-residence, Paul Estrada (local art teacher at Chapel Hill High School), said this about his experience with the open studio hours, вЂњProbably my best takeaway was having to talk to four to ten people a day about what I do. For the artists, it also provided them an opportunity, not only to connect with people but to understand themselves better.

The open studio space gave people an opportunity (if they felt bold enough to walk in) to explore and become more informed. Most of the average passersby probably donвЂ™t know too much about what goes into creating an art installation or exhibit.

Their creation turned out to be some combination of an alien and unicorn (according to them), and one of our artists-in-residence deemed the piece worthy enough to hang up on the wall for the evening. Perhaps inspired by the artwork around them, the two young children asked for some paper and pencils and began creating their own piece of art. On one of the open studio nights, a family walked in, grabbed some snacks, and started looking around.

Sure, there were couches at the front to hang out and pretty good AC, so that could have been a draw, but it was amazing to watch visitors come in and explore the open studio. With the studio located on Franklin Street, as people walk by to go to lunch or grab coffee, they might see our sign outside of Studio 109 inviting them to come in. These topics ranged from a kudzu cooking class, paper mache animals, the process of grieving, and paint and resin. In addition, each artist facilitated two workshops on subjects of their choice. In return, the artists-in-residence held open studio hours which allowed visitors to come in and observe the artists at work. Partnered with the Town of Chapel HillвЂ™s Division of Community Arts & Culture, The Chapel Hill Downtown Partners, and the Orange County Arts Commission, we selected four local artists ( Charlie Dupee, Paul Estrada, Ayla Gizlice, and Heather Lewis) who were each given a stipend and access to the studio space for the summer. Studio 109 was a project that was dreamed up as an answer to the vacant storefront in downtown Chapel Hill. For us at Arts Everywhere, the heat didnвЂ™t slow us down as we took the town and campus by storm with projects like Studio 109 and partnerships with Start Strong and Project Uplift. While things in Chapel Hill slow down over the summer as thousands of students escape to summer vacations and activities, there were still plenty of exciting events on and around campus. The heatwave that we felt in July was complemented by a wave of invigorating creative opportunities and ventures. вЂњCreativity takes courageвЂќ ~Henri Matisse

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