Home ‘Opening Doors: The Art of Inclusion’ unveils 20 downtown art doors
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‘Opening Doors: The Art of Inclusion’ unveils 20 downtown art doors

Crystal Graham

opening doors art hburg Following months of work by artists and their collaborators, 20 ordinary household doors have been transformed into works of art, ready for you to visit in Downtown Harrisonburg.

The official rollout of Opening Doors: The Art of Inclusion took place on Saturday, as part of the Best.Weekend.Ever. event sponsored by Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance.

Opening Doors is a collaboration between The Arc of Harrisonburg and Rockingham and Arts Council of the Valley.

“As we kick off the public art phase of the Opening Doors project, we invite everyone to enjoy self-guided tours of these 20 art doors,” said ACV Executive Director Jenny Burden. “We hope to see lots of people posting selfies with the doors and sharing at #openingdoorsharrisonsburg.”

Doors are positioned from the City of Harrisonburg’s Public Safety Building at 101 N. Main St. to the Duke Hall Gallery of Fine Art on the JMU campus (820 S. Main St.).

Rack cards with a map of door locations are available at the Hardesty-Higgins House Visitor Center and Court Square Theater.

“This project is focused on the theme of bringing people together,” said Heather Denman, executive director of The Arc. “The whole idea of Opening Doors: The Art of Inclusion is to highlight and celebrate inclusion, acceptance, unity, diversity and belonging.”

Project artists are:

  • Pat Augsburger
  • Rosie Clark
  • David Cowardin
  • Elliott Downs
  • Tamara Grant and Brooke Imber with Harrisonburg City Public Schools elementary students
  • Jeffrey D. Guinn
  • Jerry Holsopple
  • Michael Hough
  • Sydney Hunter with Alex Hazard
  • Kathleen Mitchell Johnston
  • Lana Lambert
  • Emily Leary
  • Maria McIntyre
  • Christopher Michael
  • Justin Poole
  • Emily Quesenberry with Turner Ashby Applied Art Class
  • Laura Thompson
  • Alexandra Thompson
  • Herb Weaver
  • Delaney Westwood with Gemma Amendola (on behalf of OASIS Fine Art & Craft)

The art doors will be displayed through September 2023, with a variety of activities planned to encourage interaction. While a fall 2023 event will conclude the project, it is anticipated that many of the 20 doors created will remain publicly exhibited well beyond that time.

For more information on Opening Doors: The Art of Inclusion, visit openingdoorsharrisonburg.com.

Crystal Graham

Crystal Graham

Crystal Abbe Graham is the regional editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1999 graduate of Virginia Tech, she has worked for nearly 25 years as a reporter and editor for several Virginia publications, written a book, and garnered more than a dozen Virginia Press Association awards for writing and graphic design. She was the co-host of "Viewpoints," a weekly TV news show, and co-host of Virginia Tonight, a nightly TV news show. Her work on "Virginia Tonight" earned her a national Telly award for excellence in television.