Chicamacomico Shakes Exhibit to open on April 5

Two new exhibitions and live music will kick off First Friday festivities at Dare Arts in downtown Manteo on Friday, April 5.

Dare Arts and the Chicamacomico Historical Association have collaborated to host the Chicamacomico Shakes Exhibit, which will open in the Courtroom Gallery at 6 pm on First Friday.

Featuring over 100 cedar shakes from the 1911 Cookhouse at Chicamacomico that have been transformed into works of art by local artists, the Chicamacomico Shakes Exhibit is a celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Lifesaving Service on the North Carolina Coast.

“I was delighted to participate in the Chicamacomico Shakes Exhibit,” said artist David Roberts. “I have a love of history and preserving it in any way possible. In my paintings I try to show the amazing history of the buildings and the men who risked their lives to save others.  I was struck by the details of the buildings at that time. It was a perfect match for me to paint some shakes because of my love of historical places.”

Each shake will be available to purchase at the exhibit for $150, and the proceeds will be split between Dare Arts and the Chicamacomico Historical Association to further their missions’ work in the community.

“Chicamacomico and Dare Arts have a history of collaborating even though our missions seem quite different,” said Chicamacomico Historical Association Executive Director John Griffin. “The shakes exhibit exemplifies how restoration and art can be merged to our mutual benefit. The funds we realize from this project will be used as Chicamacomico’s match with other funding partners, like the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau, to restore our 1874 Life-Saving Station to its original Gilded Age architecture and colors. Of the seven stations built along our North Carolina Coast in 1874 and the very first to be fully operational, we celebrate a legacy of life-saving that is 150 years old at Chicamacomico.”

Owen Lauber’s woodwork exhibit, which will include a handmade selection of furniture and homewares, will also open at 6pm on Friday, April 5 in Dare Arts’ Vault Gallery.

“Many of my pieces are made from locally downed trees on Roanoke Island,” said artist Owen Lauber. “I craft my pieces with the knowledge and appreciation that they will become part of a home and part of someone’s life.”

After the opening receptions, both of the exhibits will be on display for viewing during normal gallery hours from April 6 through April 27.

Dare Arts will have eight-piece band Just Playing Dixieland playing jazz outside in The Courtyard during First Friday too.

All First Friday events, including the art receptions, are free and open to the public.

The First Friday Manteo Stroll featuring specials, sales, and more inside restaurants and shops downtown will also be happening.

For more information about the exhibits or First Friday, visit DareArts.org or call Dare Arts at (252) 473-5558.