Town Close to Naming "Artist-in-Residence"

The Town of Clayton is moving closer to naming its first "Artist-in-Residence," a position that will take the lead in helping build the community's reputation as an arts community.

After reviewing several candidates, the Public Art Advisory Board this week recommended art educator Jody Servon of Greensboro, who has already led public art projects in Canada and China as well as in this country.

"Jody approaches art as problem-solving," Suzette Rodriguez of the Advisory Board told the Town Council. "She identifies an idea or issue, then figures out the best way--and most appropriate media--to share it with others. She thinks that involving people is an effective strategy for an innovative public art program."

She said Servon has "all of the things that we were looking for: artistic merit, a proven track record and an ability to engage people in an advocacy for the arts."

The recommendation was warmly received by town officials.  

"She's awesome," said Mayor Jody McLeod. "An Artist-in-Residence is not something that a lot of small towns have, but it expresses our commitment to establishing a reputation for Clayton as an arts community."

Servon is an associate professor and the director of the Catherine J. Smith Gallery at Appalachian State University in Boone. She has a degree in Visual Art from Rutgers and a master's degree in fine art in New Genre from the University of Arizona. She has been awarded several grants and fellowships over the years and her projects include installations, drawings, photographs, sculptures and video.

"This Artist-in-Residency will go a long way toward helping to build a solid footing for the future," Rodriguez told the Council. "Because of your commitment to the public art program, Clayton is becoming known as an arts community."  

The Artist-in-Residence will provide vision for a collaboration of art and space in new town projects, as well as finding ways to bring out more of the beauty that's already here, the Mayor said. But, perhaps the position's greatest responsibility will center on working with residents, organizations and town officials to promote the arts in step with the community's unique values and identity, he said.  

The budget for the position is $15,000.  

Town officials have put more and more effort in recent years into building the town's reputation for the arts. The town's first public art pieces--murals at Town Hall and the Hocutt-Ellington Memorial Library--were unveiled over the last couple of years, and the new Cultural Arts Grant Committee, formed four years ago, has already awarded $76,000 in arts grants to local arts groups.   

Town officials have said they intend to increase spending for the arts as the economy improves.