High Design in Chapel Hill

CHAPEL HILL ~ I try to visit several art museums and galleries every year. It's a chance to slow down, be still and reboot, creatively. I always wrap up these excursions with a visit to their accompanying gift shop. To be honest, it's often the highlight of my trip. One of my favorite shops is here, on the corner of Franklin and Columbia streets in the heart of Chapel Hill (UNC)—the Ackland Museum Store, an offshoot of (obviously) the Ackland Art Museum. 

The store is bright and airy. The walls, ceiling and shelving are all white—a blank canvas if you will—allowing the products to shine. Natural light streams in from two walls of windows. The store showcases the talent of local, national and international artisans and crafters.

A great range of products are sold here: wooden bowls and gift wrap to checkerboards and winter hats; plates, paper, prints and pottery; cups and cards; stationery and stoneware. And if that's still not enough, check out their everyday objects like tape dispensers and water bottles, which are all taken to a new (higher) level of design. Just because something is functional, doesn't mean it can't be beautiful! 

Some of the products here are whimsical. There are stuffed animals throughout the store, each with their own personality. Picture books, for both kids and adults, line cubby shelves; intricate painted deer heads (made from cardboard) emerge from walls; and delicate paper lanterns and slow moving mobiles hang from above. 

The curators of the store do a wonderful job seeking out unusual products made with impeccable craftsmanship. In a day and age where it seems everything is mass-produced, it is nice to be reminded of the talented artisans that live among us. The prices are reasonable as well. Everything in here gets high marks from me. I love this place! Go check it out.

For more information on the Ackland Museum Store, click here.

PHOTOS BY KELLEY ALBERT

Pisgah Covered Bridge

ASHEBORO ~ The Pisgah Covered Bridge is one of only two covered bridges still standing in North Carolina. I drove quite a ways, down several country roads, following the signs for this historic landmark. And there it was, standing humbly in the middle of nowhere—on the outskirts of a forest, below a two-lane road, above a babbling creek, the likes of which we all played in as kids. It's within a tiny park with walking trails and a few picnic tables. There's room for 10 or so cars to park. A neighborhood dog walked around freely, checking out the day's visitors. I wasn't sure whether or not it was happy to see me.

I found out later that this bridge was built for $40 in 1911. It was washed away in 2003 by a flood, but volunteers were able to retrieve 90% of the original structure, and rebuilt it. 

I took a few photos (pretending to be Robert Kincaid in Bridges of Madison County, on assignment for National Geographic). I took shots from every angle and made my way back and forth through the 54-foot long bridge. On my way back through, I looked up to admire the woodwork and found something hanging from the rafters. (You can barely see it in the photo). I guess I have yet to embrace the country girl in me, because I distinctly remember asking myself, I wonder how a kid got his rubber snake up there? AND THEN IT MOVED! How soon I had I forgotten that I was, in fact, in the middle of the woods in North Carolina. The largest snakes we'd see in CT were garter snakes and those were nothing to write home about. This certainly was NO python : ) but the idea it could have dropped down on me, gives me the heebie jeebies just thinking about it.
I wouldn't necessarily make a special trip to see this bridge, but if you're near the Asheboro Zoo, and you have half an hour to kill, check it out. If you'd like to find out more about the bridge online (sans snake, of course), click here.