The FENCE, the largest annual outdoor public art photography exhibition in the world, is now in the Bull City and residents are invited to join the City of Durham at an opening ceremony next month. 

The City’s Public Art Committee, Office of Economic and Workforce Development and General  Services Department are welcoming The FENCE: Durham with an opening ceremony on Monday, September 11 at 4 p.m. on the Orange Street Mall, which is located between East Chapel Hill Street and West Parrish Street in downtown Durham. The installation will encompass the block surrounding the City’s Chapel Hill Street Parking Garage, beginning on West Chapel Hill Street to North Mangum Street to West Parrish Street to Orange Street to Alley 26.

Mayor William V. “Bill” Bell will give opening remarks along with other speakers who will share the importance and relevance of public art to increasing quality of life as well as creating and maintaining a community’s sense of place. Attendees will then be given guided tours of the works    appearing on The FENCE and provided with refreshments. Several of the featured  artists will also be present to answer questions and share insights about their bodies of work printed on The FENCE.

“We could not be more excited to welcome The FENCE to Durham. This outdoor public art exhibition brings a world-class collection of emotion and thought-provoking art to heart of downtown Durham, showcasing both regional and international artists,” said Chris Ogden, chair of the City’s Public Art Committee. “The FENCE has truly been a community endeavor. We’re grateful to our local photography organizations who spread news of this terrific opportunity,  all the photographers who shared their work through our submission call, our dedicated jury members who    contributed their time and expertise, our volunteers enabling the use of the installation to springboard other related programming, and our wonderful partners in Brooklyn and throughout the  Triangle who helped us share this work to an ever-growing audience.”

Almost 250 photographs from a diverse roster of 50 photographers hailing from around the globe, including 10 local Triangle-based artists, are represented on the Durham installation this year. Each artist submitted a series of three-to-five images comprising a body of work  relating to one-of-seven thematic categories: Creatures, Food, Home, Nature, People, Play and Streets. Each   series is supported by printed artist statements and biographies, allowing viewers to experience a series of museum-like shows at their leisure. More than 4 million  people will view The FENCE    exhibitions in Brooklyn, Boston, Atlanta, Houston, Santa Fe, Durham, and Denver. The FENCE: Durham will be on display through November 2017, while  a variety of related programming will also occur in downtown Durham during that time, including Centerfest, Third Friday Durham and the Click! Photography Festival.