Last Saturday’s 4th annual Bynum Bridge Fest brought hundreds out to the walking bridge spanning the Haw River to enjoy and purchase art.
The event was created by Craig and Amanda Greiner, who manage PhilARThropy, a volunteer-driven social organization that aims to make the art space more inclusive and art more accessible to those on economic fringes. The two created the event as an homage to French promenade open-air art galleries. The event’s goal is to support local artists and provide space for them to show their work and to raise money for the Friends of the Lower Haw River, a group that works to conserve and enhance the Lower Haw River region. The event also raised awareness and supports for arts education by support Arts Giving Back. The event hosts an Academic Art Exhibition open to both students and teachers for a chance to win an grant for their institution.
Since its inception, the event has been able to provide more than $750 in academic art awards to local students and art programs, plant more than 1,200 trees through the Arbor Day Foundation, improve the wildlife habitat of the lower Haw River with the installation of multiple bird nesting boxes, and promote conservation and wildlife education through the install of wildlife viewing cameras in the Lower Haw River State Natural Area.
The backdrop of Bynum Bridge seemed aprpos as over the years, it has become a sort of “free expression” bridge drawing impromptu artists. This year’s event brought over 40 artists together, spanning an array of mediums including pottery, jewelry, paintings, and photography. For example, Karen Fullerton Dillard used to work as an illustrator of children’s magazines. From that career, she used her creative talents to create folk art using found random pieces. Another highlight were botanical prints created by artist Anna Crawford.