Wilmington, NC – On Thursday, June 1, The Harrelson Center celebrated the dedication of a 12 X 8 wall mural created by Wine and Design artist Michelle Burke and comprised of 162 individual 8×10 paintings done by the community at the 2017 Azalea Festival Street Fair. The mural of Wilmington landmarks is displayed permanently in the Harrelson Center lobby and visible from the courtyard on the second floor.
The Harrelson Center welcomed more than 60 people at the Mural Dedication, including Wine and Design owners Tom and Kathleen Barber and their team of artists, Azalea Festival 2017 President Jean Lawler and Board members, Azalea Festival Executive Director Alison Baringer and Street Fair Coordinator, Meg Tadlock, County Commissioner Rob Zapple, Harrelson Center Board, Partners and Friends. Dedication festivities included live canvas paintings by Wine and Design artists, guitarist Perry Smith, and blessing from Christina Turner from Wrightsville United Methodist Church.
“We are grateful for this beautiful and meaningful gift to The Harrelson Center Non-profit Campus. We celebrate Wine and Design, The Azalea Festival, The Harrelson Center and our Partners, which are all vital to this community. We invite everyone to come see the mural when visiting downtown. Bring your lunch to our courtyard and enjoy the beauty,” stated Harrelson Center Executive Director, Meade Van Pelt.
“We chose the Harrelson Center as the perfect place to install the beautiful mural because the Harrelson Center provides a place of collaboration for organizations that serve people in need. At the Azalea Festival Street Fair, the public came together to create the mural and it is installed in its rightful place,” stated Tom Barber, owner of Wine and Design and donor of the mural.
ABOUT THE HARRELSON CENTER FOR NON-PROFITS
The Jo Ann Carter Harrelson Center is a nonprofit campus centrally located in downtown Wilmington that provides non-profit organizations with office and meeting space, and services to promote financial stability while they focus on their humanitarian mission work. Services to support Partners include well below-market rental rates, paid utilities, parking and security, networking and educational opportunities, marketing and promotions, and volunteer recruitment. Currently, The Harrelson Center has 12 on-campus partners and 3 off-campus associate partners and has capital campaign to renovate 27,000 square feet of additional space on campus to support the unique needs of the non-profit community and those we serve. The Center raises program funding through donations, grants, and rentals.
The Harrelson Center also runs The Help Hub direct services program on campus Tuesday-Thursday. Program assists with emergency needs, such as shelter, transportation, utility and medical bills. The Help Hub receives program funding by donations from local churches, organizations, and donors and connects clients with Harrelson Center partners and additional community resources.
For a full list of partners and more details about the Harrelson Center, visit www.HarrelsonCenter.org.
