by Erica Rothman and Kate Flory

Your neighbor dreams about quitting her job tomorrow and sailing around the world. The man at the cash register has a recurring dream of seeing his grandmother again. Your older sister’s dreaming about getting into college.

Maybe you dream about growing wings to fly, or about a society that’s better about recycling.

Or perhaps it’s deeper — maybe you dream about some inner turmoil you are hoping to resolve. Everyone has dreams, but we are rarely asked to publicly express them. That is, of course, unless you live in Chapel Hill or Carrboro.

Which is why we were delighted to choose dreams as the theme of the Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission’s 2005 Community Art Project. It’s an exhibition in which anybody who lives, works or plays in Chapel Hill or Carrboro has the chance to submit a work of art that expresses a dream — whatever that dream may be.

The commission sponsored its first Community Art Project of self-portraits last year. The response was overwhelming: in the number of submissions (totaling more then 350), the positive reactions to the portraits themselves, and to the idea of a community art project.

Participants were delighted to be a part of such a dynamic exhibition, and many people who didn’t submit a portrait urged us to give them another chance to create a piece this year. The commission was thrilled and decided to make this an annual event.

A committee of 15 fabulous volunteers from Chapel Hill and Carrboro, including commission members and non-members, selected this year’s theme and has been working tirelessly for the last several months to bring the dream project to life.

While individual pieces will be integral to this project, the real public artwork will be the exhibition itself, and the “walls” of the exhibition will be spread all over town. It is the goal of the commission to have as many people as possible participate in the project. This exhibition is for people of any age, any artistic ability and any background. We hope that the artists in our community will participate, but we also hope that those people who would never consider themselves artists will try their hand at expressing their dream.

As with last year’s Community Art Project, people will be greeted with surprise, insight and beauty as they come upon the artwork in this exhibition, which will hang in the town halls of Chapel Hill and Carrboro as well as libraries, coffee shops, community centers and local galleries during April and May. You may sit down to eat your lunch and find yourself looking into someone’s dream.

There are many reasons to participate:

• It may be a chance to pick up paints that you haven’t used in the past decade, or dust off the camera that’s been collecting dust at the top of your closet.
• You may want to be part of this “snapshot” of your community at this time and place.
• It may be an assignment for a class.
• Perhaps you welcome a chance to be involved in your very first exhibition.
• Or it could be an opportunity to look deep inside and connect with your dreams in a brand new way.

Whatever the reason — we’ll take it!

All submissions must be able to hang on the wall and should be no larger than 24-by-36 inches. Any medium is acceptable. Artwork must be framed and/or ready to hang and should be delivered from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 18 or 19 to The Chapel Hill Museum, 523 E. Franklin St. (corner of Franklin and Boundary streets).

For a copy of the entry form or more information please visit www.communityartproject.org, or contact the CHPAC by calling 919.968.2888, ext. 377 or e-mail info@chapelhillarts.org.

This exhibition is open to everyone.

Erica Rothman is chair of the Community Art Project and a member of the Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission Board. Kate Flory is executive director of the Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission.