the pendulum
STYLE
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5. 2011 II PAGE 13
Not your average museum:
Former thrift store provides creative opportunities
^g]lye Colemsn
Reporter
Elsewhere Collaborative is
said to be a living museum,
a space in which visitors are
invited to create, explore and
collaborate.
“We like to say that
when you enter the space,
you activate the museum,”
said Christopher Kennedy,
Elsewhere’s education
curator.
Located in downtown
Greensboro, Elsewhere
provides a unique opportunity
for creativity and curiosity.
The walls are packed with
shelves of fabric, books and
action figures, items collected
by Sylvia Gray, the former
owner who used the three-
story space as a thrift store.
After she passed away in 1997,
her grandson gathered with
several artists to transform
the space into a location
for ongoing, collaborative
projects.
According to Kennedy,
Elsewhere is all about “mixing
things together and using our
collective knowledge.” The
museum’s various initiatives,
such as employing artists in
residency, internships and
school programs, reflect the
staff’s goal to serve as an
outlet for the creativity of
others.
Having visited Elsewhere
with a group of friends, junior
Ellie Erickson described the
museum as eclectic. She said
she was curious from the
moment she stepped inside.
“1 was immediately
interested in learning more,”
she said. “Everyone inside
seemed to be very artistic.”
Visitors are able to interact
with the space itself. The
confess-a-torium, an enclosed
booth with journals and
pens, is the spot for visitors
to confess their sins or read
the sins of others, written in a
Post Secret-like fashion.
Every nook and cranny of
the space is meant for visitor
interaction.
Not only is one invited to
create and explore, visitors
are also encouraged to read
one of the hundreds of books
lining the shelves.
“1 like how all the books
are color-coordinated,”
Erickson said. “It almost feels
like it’s artwork.”
The museum recently
received a city grant to place
solar panels on the roof of
the building, and according
to Kennedy, the staff hopes to
set up a solar charging station
outside of the museum, which
will allow individuals to
charge electronic devices as
they learn about solar energy.
At 8 p.m. Each Friday,
Elsewhere hosts various
events, from dinner parties
and open houses to sidewalk
lectures and performances,
large windows opening out
to the sidewalk to create a
small stage. The museum
programs for
groups and
with
all the
Kennedy
also features
individuals,
schools.
“We work
major universities,”
said.
They provide tours and
workshops, and accept
interns from colleges across
the country.
Samm Rohrborn, an Elon
senior from New Hampshire,
served as an operations intern
at Elsewhere last summer as
one of 20 interns the museum
hosted this year. After
working at the front desk,
helping with public relations
efforts and translating many
advertising materials from
English to Spanish, she says a
visit to the museum is a great
idea for any student.
“Elsewhere is a place
where you can completely
immerse yourself and relax
in a creative and playful
environment,” Rohrborn said.
“It is encouraged for visitors
to make their own sculptures
or design art projects."
The artist-in-residency
program is an important
facet of the museum. Artists
from all over the country
and various parts of the
world come to Elsewhere to
participate in what Kennedy
calls an “experiential
residency.” The artists stay
for five to six weeks, creating
projects and pieces that use
Elsewhere as a platform.
“A lot of students at Elon
often forget how to play,”
Rohrborn said. “Many are not
in touch with their creativity.”
MOLLY CAREY j Staff Photcjgrapher
Artists-in-residence create works from the thrift store finds that pack the downtown Greensboro building.
MOLLY CAREY | Staff Photographer
The confess-a-torium is one of the
many ways visitors can interact with
the art at Elsewhere Collaborative.
MOLLY CAREY | Staff Photographer
Elsewhere offers internships and school programs to match its mission of creativity and obtaining knowledge.
Plaid festival celebrates Alamance’s patterned ties
MERISSA BUTZ I Staff Photographer
”
Citwheted foot warmers wer* mpde by,90-year-old, Rut^ Pope, who cfoehets as a (to y.
Merissa Blitz
Staff Photographer
The endless row of plaid flags adorning
the quaint, country residences caught the
eye of passers-by this past Saturday.
On Oct. 1, the 5th Annual Plaid Day
Festival was held on the baseball field behind
Alamance Lutheran Church in the village of
Alamance.
Plaid Day celebrates the fact that Alamance
was the home of the E.M. Holt Mill, which was
the first place to manufacture plaid products
south of the Potomac River.
Activities for children were set up in a
row, including a moon bounce guarded by a
purple dragon and a dodgeball bounce filled
with chaotic squeals of excitement.
Big Time Party performed a variety of
music from Motown to disco to classic rock
while festiv^l-gpers listened in. Some ,even
line danced to the sound of the band.
Local vendors and crafters had booths set
up in the area between the moon bounces
and the musical performance.
Naydine Sharpe makes jewelry made from
potatoes as a hobby and sold it at the festival.
Sharp said she got the idea for potato jewelry
from a friend and decided to try making
some of her own.
Kathleen Horner, a senior at Southern
Alamance High School, was raising money for
Kopper Top, a local nonprofit organization
benefitting people through animal therapy,
by selling homemade dog treats. The
fundraiser was a part of Horner’s senior
project. During her project, she volunteered
with Kopper Top and took some of the
animals to visit a senior citizen’s home.
The majority of the people who attended
the festival donned plaid, showing their
spifit in,celebration of Plaid Day. ^ , i,