Cyclists and art-lovers alike will soon be taking to the streets of Uptown to distribute their expressive, artistic propaganda to an unsuspecting public for ... free.
It's all thanks to Papergirl, an organization founded by Aisha Rominger in Berlin, Germany in 2006. It was formed as a response to laws that equated putting up posters in public with illegal graffiti. Since its initial rise, Papergirl has spread around the world, infiltrating the art scenes of cities such as San Francisco, Vancouver, Barcelona, Leeds, Mexico City, Cape Town and, of course, Charlotte.
As per the case of the original incarnation, Papergirl-Charlotte (started in 2010) operates by calling for locals and passionate artists around the country to submit artwork. The pieces are collected, displayed in a gallery, and then distributed as rolled-up packages via a troop of bicyclists that deliver to random folks in the streets.
Papergirl allows for anyone to submit any kind of art (writings, paintings, sketches, textiles, etc.) to showcase in a gallery, without an elite selection process. And, despite the name, volunteers and artists don't need to be female either. Like the city's recent busking surge, Papergirl is another exciting way of delivering art and culture to the public.
Papergirl-Charlotte artwork will be on display from June 7-8 at Pura Vida Worldly Art in NoDa.