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We Are Cary - 150 Years Later is a community art project celebrating the people of Cary.

In January and February 2020, the project team began work with the Cary’s Public Art Teen Docents to collect photographs of the eyes of the people of Cary and photos that would tell the stories behind their eyes. In March, everything changed. The priorities became keeping our community safe and providing a means for creative expression.

The project became the story of all the people who contributed to the We Are Cary - 150 Years Later Project: the community members who donated t-shirts and made t-shirt rope to help us make over 300 masks to give away, the kids who wrote “Happy Birthday, Cary” messages at our Downtown Cary Farmers Market booth, the selfie-takers who shared their masked portraits, the families who shared stories of being welcomed to Cary in recent years, and the folks who told us about being here for decades. Though 2020 forced the project to change shape, our inspiration remained the same: the people of Cary are what make it special.

Project Team: Jan-Ru Wan (Lead Artist), Megan Bostic, Samantha Pell and Tiff Wei 

Thank you to all of our amazing project participants! 

Special thanks to: Cary’s Public Art/Exhibition Staff, Cary’s Public Art Teen Docents, Patrick Fitzgerald, Shaun Kurian, Matt Jones, Jeffrey Krauss, Cary Downtown Farmers Market, Green Level High School Visual Art Students and Slater Mapp

Learn more about the Cary150 Celebration and don’t forget to spread the word! 

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Project Team meets in November 2019 with samples for installation.

Project Team meets in November 2019 with samples for installation.

Collage of eyes submitted by Cary Teen Docents.

Collage of eyes submitted by Cary Teen Docents.

Workshop with Cary Teen Docents - January 2020.

Workshop with Cary Teen Docents - January 2020.

Meeting online to discuss project shifts due to COVID-19.

Meeting online to discuss project shifts due to COVID-19.

Sewing “We Are Cary” masks to give out to the community.

Sewing “We Are Cary” masks to give out to the community.

T-shirts collected from the community to make t-shirt ropes for mask ties.

T-shirts collected from the community to make t-shirt ropes for mask ties.

Project member holding up masks to delivery to community members.

Project member holding up masks to delivery to community members.

A personalized “We Are Cary” mask from a Green Level High School art student.

A personalized “We Are Cary” mask from a Green Level High School art student.

Bucket holding masks at the Downtown Cary Farmers Market. Sign reads, “Free Masks”

Bucket holding masks at the Downtown Cary Farmers Market. Sign reads, “Free Masks”

Screenshot of a Zoom interview with community member Marla Dorrell.

Screenshot of a Zoom interview with community member Marla Dorrell.

Young girl braiding t-shirt rope at the Cary Downtown Famers Market booth.

Young girl braiding t-shirt rope at the Cary Downtown Famers Market booth.

A message from a young child that reads “Happy Birthday, Cary”.

A message from a young child that reads “Happy Birthday, Cary”.

Samples for project installation - the eyes of Cary.

Samples for project installation - the eyes of Cary.

Testing installation ideas in the Cary Art Center gallery - January 2020.

Testing installation ideas in the Cary Art Center gallery - January 2020.

Meeting online to discuss project shifts due to COVID-19.

Meeting online to discuss project shifts due to COVID-19.

Screenshot of social post asking for old t-shirt donations.

Screenshot of social post asking for old t-shirt donations.

Stacks and rows of “We Are Cary” masks, ready to be bagged and distributed.

Stacks and rows of “We Are Cary” masks, ready to be bagged and distributed.

Community-member submitted “We Are Cary” mask that reads “Home Sweet Home” in stitching.

Community-member submitted “We Are Cary” mask that reads “Home Sweet Home” in stitching.

A message from a young child that reads, “Cary is Kind.”

A message from a young child that reads, “Cary is Kind.”