The Variable is working with two area arts organizations to bring awareness to artists and designers in our community, thanks to a $10,000 grant from the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.

Through the project, local artists will be commissioned to create original works for installation on an exterior wall of The Variable’s office, located on the corner of Reynolda Road and Canal Street. The organizations working with The Variable are the SEED Collective and Piedmont Craftsmen .

“Our goal with Positive Giant is to spotlight the incredible local talent here in Winston-Salem and promote the city’s reputation as a unique artist community,” said David Jones, senior art director of The Variable. “With this public art project, people who may never visit a gallery or museum will be exposed to the work of local artists as a part of their everyday lives.

“Each work will be viewable 24 hours a day just across the street from Hanes Park, a place that draws people from all walks of life,” Jones said.

Selection of works to be a part of Positive Giant will be competitive, and each piece will be reproduced on outdoor vinyl. New artwork will be installed several times a year, funded in part by the repurposing and recycling of the vinyl of the previous installment into limited-edition prints, t-shirts, and other merchandise.

“The great thing about this project is that the featured artwork will live on far longer than the time it’s installed,” said Andy Tennille, a member of the SEED Collective. “We hope that this kind of self-sustaining public art initiative will lead to more innovative collaborations of this kind in Winston-Salem and beyond.”

In addition to the merchandising aspect of the project, Positive Giant will be promoted through a blog-style interactive website that encourages participation and includes feature stories, videos and commentary on the featured artists as well as other artists and craftsmen within the local arts community. For more information, visit www.PositiveGiant.com.