DETAILS ABOUT PIANO PARKING IN CHARLOTTE 10/1-10/31

What:                  
Piano Parking, a Temporary Public Art Exhibition in Uptown Charlotte
When:                 
Oct. 1-31, 2014
Locations:          
-7th Street Public Market, 224 7 St.
-The 525 North Tryon Building, 525 N. Tryon St.
-Carolina Theatre Pocket Park, corner of 6th & Tryon Streets (Alberni)
-Hearst T. plaza, 214 N. Tryon St. (Alberni)
-Levine Avenue of the Arts plaza, 500 block S. Tryon St.
T-he Green, 400 block S. Tryon St.

Programming:  
Thursday, Oct. 2 – Friday, Oct. 3,  11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. both days                               
Performers include: Chad Lawson, piano; Toni Tupponce, jazz vocalist; Ethan Uslan, piano; and performers from Opera Carolina

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Oct. 2, 2014) – Throughout October, six salvaged and artistically refurbished pianos will grace six outdoor areas in Uptown Charlotte as part of “Piano Parking,” a temporary public art exhibition that will take art to the people and provide musical experiences in unexpected places. Charlotte Center City Partners and the Arts & Science Council have partnered to bring the concept to Uptown streets.

Three local visual artists – Tina Alberni, Sharon Dowell and Rosalia Torres-Weiner – were commissioned by the Arts & Science Council to create the artistic panels attached to pianos reclaimed and placed by Charlotte Center City Partners. While there will be limited scheduled programming, the hope is that passersby will engage with and play the pianos, and that the instruments will spur impromptu musical performances.

“Uptown Charlotte is prime for more gritty, pop-up, experiential art, which we saw during last month’s PARK(ing) Day activities,” said Robert Krumbine, Chief Creative Officer and Senior Vice President of Events at Charlotte Center City Partners. “We are thrilled that the Arts & Science Council helped us bring this program to our streets.”

Piano Parking is akin to the “Play Me, I’m Yours” public art project that began in 2008 and has seen more than 1,300 pianos installed in 45 cities across the globe, including New York, London and Paris. The Uptown Charlotte street pianos will be available to anyone and everyone to play throughout the month.

The public is invited to share videos, photos and stories about their encounters with the pianos on social media by using the hashtag #PianoParkingCLT.

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