Meredith Connelly | In The News

THE CHARLOTTE POST | Exhibit honors domestic violence survivors, by survivors

“As a survivor of domestic violence, I was called to organize this exhibition,” Connelly said. “These issues are incredibly prevalent, which became even clearer to me as submissions and survivors' stories courageously graced my inbox. The collective grouping of work in Unbound is a visualization of artists’ healing journeys as they navigate their personal trauma.”…READ MORE

WBTV | UNBOUND, art by survivors of domestic violence opening in April

According to organizers, UNBOUND is a collection of 45+ artists seeking healing from the trauma of sexual assault and domestic violence through art. …WATCH

CORNELIUS TODAY | Survivor artists seek healing from trauma of domestic and sexual assault through art

Artist Meredith Connelly of Cornelius is the curator of the UNBOUND exhibition of more than 50 works from assault survivors at Charlotte Art League.

Connelly has dedicated herself to answering these questions: How do you give voice to …? How do you elicit conversation on …? How do you create understanding about experiences about which few have the strength to speak and even fewer choose to listen?

She’s translated questions into action and has curated a new art exhibit  UNBOUND, running through April 30 at the Charlotte Art League….READ MORE

VOYAGE DENVER | Meredith Connelly’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Meredith Connelly.

Hi Meredith, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I have always been enthralled with nature, the outdoors, and making space. My earliest memory of this intersection was tromping along the edge of the pond in the backyard of my childhood home to create mounds using sticks and dirt in the nearby woods.

Even at this young age, I recall being interested in the small and intricate specimens I discovered outside, the wonder associated with sunlight filtering through the green leaves of a tree canopy, or the feeling of the crumbling earth in my hands. This was and is my foundation and the spirit-centric drive that guides my process.…READ MORE

QUEEN CITY NERVE | Best in the Nest 2022…READ MORE

THE POST AND THE COURIER | In a historic Charleston park, the art is about to mushroom

Meredith Connelly is in the final stretch of making some mushrooms.

In her Charlotte-based studio, the artist is checking the LED lights that will make her thermoplastic sculptures glow. She is attaching stemming to new forms just created. She is coating them all with silicone for optimal outdoor weatherproofing.

From Nov. 5 to Dec. 11, more than 100 of these hand-sculpted, illuminated fungi facsimiles will proliferate Hampton Park. They will radiate from the Rose Pavilion in winsome, luminous formations, wending magically through the park’s landscape and beckoning the city dweller to follow them….READ MORE

HOLY CITY SINNER.COM | Mushrooms, an Illuminated Site-Based Installation will be on Display in Hampton Park

More than 100 illuminated mushrooms will take over an area of Hampton Park from November 5th through December 11th. This art display relaunches Art in the Park, a public art initiative organized by the nonprofit Charleston Parks Conservancy.

North Carolina artist Meredith Connelly, who encases lighting in industrial materials to reveal their organic qualities, has created more than 100 hand-sculpted illuminated mushrooms using heavy-duty thermoplastic….READ MORE

ABC 15 | Charlotte-based artist to bring mushroom illumination to Hampton Park

The Art in the Park program is relaunching this year for the first time since COVID.

This year's installation is created by a Charlotte-based artist- Meredith Connelly.

"I'm really over the moon. This is the first time I've brought work to Charleston. I'm really focused on community and creating accessible art, removing barriers of artistic experiences, so this is just really special to be able to bring it to the park," said Connelly….READ MORE & WATCH THE INTERVIEW

QC NERVE | Creatives Call Out Whitewater Center for Dropping Meredith Connelly from Holiday Project

In 2019, Meredith Connelly’s LIGHTS installation became part of the U.S. National Whitewater Center’s (USNWC) winter programming lineup, and walking through this half-mile trail of illuminated art after a spin around the ice skating rink quickly became an annual tradition for many. 

The Whitewater Center received praise for supporting local arts by hiring Charlotte-based Connelly and her team to design, fabricate and install the program. For its 2022 winter display, however, the establishment has garnered the opposite after announcing an iteration of the temporary, site-specific exhibit that will not include any input or participation from Connelly or her team….READ MORE

CHS TODAY | Illuminated Installation Coming to Charleston, SC

“We’re shedding some light on a whimsical art installation coming to town. Charleston Parks Conservancy is relaunching the Art in the Park program with “Mushrooms,” which will be on display in Hampton Park from Nov. 5-Dec. 11.

Picture this: NC artist Meredith Connelly will install more than 100 hand-sculpted, illuminated mushrooms at the downtown park. These thermoplastic mushrooms range from eight to 12 inches in height.

Art in the Park, a local public arts initiative, has been on hiatus since the pandemic. Head to 30 May Murray Dr. to see the installation and take part in the relaunched program”….READ MORE

LOW COUNTRY BIZ SC | Mushrooms, an illuminated site-based installation coming to Hampton Park

“More than 100 illuminated mushrooms will take over an area of Hampton Park from Nov. 5 through Dec. 11. This art display relaunches Art in the Park, a public art initiative organized by the nonprofit Charleston Parks Conservancy.

North Carolina artist Meredith Connelly, who encases lighting in industrial materials to reveal their organic qualities, has created more than 100 hand-sculpted illuminated mushrooms using heavy-duty thermoplastic. …..READ MORE

WBTV | Not In Repose Art Exhibit takes Inspiration from Current Events

“In response to current events in the news, Connelly felt compelled to create an outlet for artists, including herself, to express their feelings and perspectives on a wide array of challenges and issues taking place in the United States.

It’s called “Not in Repose.” The installation, which features work from 20+ local and national artists, came together in less than two months from inception to its Friday night opening at Goodyear Arts at 301 Camp Road in Charlotte.

Connelly stopped by to tell us more about the exhibit ahead of its grand opening….” WATCH THE INTERVIEW

WFAE | Artists Rage Against the Status Quo

“When Charlotte-based artist Meredith Connelly heard about the Supreme Court reversal of Roe v. Wade in June, she was overcome with a sense of helplessness.

“I just felt a lot of grief and a lot of anger, and I felt that I couldn't be the only one,” Connelly said.

At first, she sat at her kitchen table and read headline after headline in disbelief. Then she snapped into action…..” READ MORE AND LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW

THE BISCUIT | 20+ CLT and National Creatives Express Outrage Through Art 

Charlotte-based multi-disciplinary artist, Meredith Connelly, was outraged by recent rulings by the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS). 

To share and explore her feelings and invite others to do likewise, she’s turned to the world of art. She’s cultivated a diverse group of 20+ local, regional and national artists eager. Theyare united in a desire to express their emotions and thoughts on the current climate in the United States through their artwork. Starting August 26, these works will be on display at Goodyear Arts for three weeks…READ MORE

THE BISCUIT | Editorial: My Art Journey in Charlotte

In this special guest editorial, Charlotte creative Meredith Connelly shares the story her ups and downs and lessons learned building her career as an artist in the Queen City.

“Asking me what it’s like to be a creative in Charlotte caused me to hit rewind and reflect on my journey. I have been a working artist in the Charlotte area for over a decade and have watched the cultural landscape shift and morph as time has passed…Overall, it has been an invigorating experience, but it has also been a long road with speed bumps, detours and a few fender benders. 

When I relocated to the Charlotte area after graduating from college, many galleries had closed as a result of the recession. The arts community was struggling. I had made the decision to leave my creative ecosystem in Wilmington, N.C. to move and find a job in my field, expand my work as an artist and be closer to my now-husband.…” READ MORE

WBTV QC LIFE | New permanent art installation ‘Fairy Ring’ has official public unveiling ceremony

There’s a new permanent art installation called “Fairy Ring” at Atherton Mill.

It had its official public unveiling ceremony Thursday night.

The installation is commissioned by real estate company EDENS and created by Meredith Connelly, who has become known for her illumination work displayed during the LIGHTS exhibitions at the US National Whitewater Center in 2019 and 2020. READ MORE & WATCH

THE AVID PEN | Inside the Fairy Ring with Artist Meredith Connelly

On February 17th artist Meredith Connelly’s permanent installation of ‘Fairy Ring’ will be lit for the first time in Charlotte’s South End. The family-friendly event is a must for art lovers and budding artists alike.

The event which is hosted by EDENS will feature kids’ activities, music, food, and drinks in the communal green space at 2000-2140 South Boulevard. The official lighting will take place at 6:30 pm, and it will truly be an event to remember.

In this interview, Meredith shares about how she redesigned the original installation which is the artist’s first permanent installation, her process, and a reveal of the location for her next installation coming this April….. READ MORE

WCCB | The ‘Fairy Ring’ Is Here To Stay: Artist Meredith Connelly Acquires Her First Permanent Light Display In South End

Your walk through South End is about to get a little brighter thanks to Meredith Connelly’s “Fairy Ring.”

The Fairy Ring is a whimsical soft-lit display of 100 fiberglass fungi arranged in a circle, similar to those found in nature. Connelly’s work embodies natural occurring phenomenons with an interesting twist–lights. The multifaceted artist ventured from The University of Wilmington bringing her vision of the illuminated organisms to the heart of Charlotte. Connelly aims to connect the world to an array of alluring environments that represent the earth’s organic qualities….READ MORE

WBTV QC LIFE | Artist looks for community input on project at Mint Hill park

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QC Life) - A local artist is getting ready to create something everyone can enjoy at a former farm in Mint Hill.

The farm is now Ezell Farms Community Park. You can find it right along Matthews-Mint Hill Road, not far from where it connects with Lebanon Road…. READ MORE & WATCH

INFLUENCING ENTREPRENEURS | Art By Meredith LLC

While filming Season 3 of Influencing Entrepreneurs, artist Meredith Connelly had the opportunity to share her story with Cassmer Ward and his team. Watch the episode now to hear about how Connelly got her start in art, and more about her second business venture, Ash & Ochre, that she co-founded with Katie Causey Miller.

QUEEN CITY NERVE | Meredith Connelly to Create Public Art Piece at New Mint Hill Park

The Arts & Science Council (ASC) announced Wednesday that Cornelius-based artist Meredith Connelly will spearhead the creation of a “significant public artwork” at Ezell Farms Community Park in Mint Hill, a 90-acre county-funded project that will be located on what was once a privately owned farm at Matthews-Mint Hill Road and Mintwood Drive……READ MORE

WRAL.COM | Illuminate Art Walk brings walkable local, international art to downtown Raleigh, Glenwood South

RALEIGH, N.C. — Wind chimes, mushrooms, ornaments and more are lighting up downtown Raleigh this holiday season. The Illuminate Art Walk is shining on Fayetteville Street and Glenwood South until Jan. 7. The art walk features 15 large-scale, interactive art pieces for people to visit. "We really wanted [the art pieces] to be walkable ... so you walk up and down Fayetteville Street. It's a nice way to come out [and] walk downtown," said Downtown Raleigh Alliance President and Chief Executive Bill King…..READ MORE & WATCH THE VIDEO

SHOUTOUT COLORADO | Meet Meredith Connelly, Visual Artist, Designer, & Creative Contractor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Meredith Connelly and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Merediith, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?

“I would say that an artistic or creative path actually pursued me from the inside out. My creative vision was everpresent and evergrowing, though it was bound by fear of vulnerability, failure, and the age-old stereotype that artists cannot support themselves. For many years, I made quietly and experimented with materials. At age sixteen I had made my first metal sculpture, and by seventeen I had dropped out of high school and moved to Paris, where I frequented museums with my sketchbook in tow. However, it was not until I hit a pivotal fork in the road my junior year of college, that I fully accepted that I was an artist and nothing else I pursued would come close to the true and inherent call I have to create and connect through art”.….READ MORE

SOUTHENDCLT.ORG | It's Lit Again on the Rail Trail.

I Heart Rail Trail: Lights, presented by U.S. Bank, is back and bigger this year. From February 19 – March 7, the Rail Trail will celebrate local art with these never-before-seen, interactive light installations. There’s no better way to experience South End. Stroll down the Rail Trail, enjoy one-of-a-kind art, take the perfect photo, grab a bite to eat or a drink and do it all again the next day. The installation footprint will span from Carson Blvd. to Atherton Mill. ….READ MORE

WBOCTV.COM | Interactive Light Display to Illuminate Southend

A stretch of the public trail that winds through the heart of Charlotte is about to get a little brighter, thanks to a series of interactive light installations.

For the second year, Charlotte Center City Partners will host the “I Heart Rail Trail” initiative. The installation footprint will span from Carson Blvd. to Atherton Mill. The display will run Feb. 19 to March 7, 2021….READ MORE

RUNNING AROUND CHARLOTTE (PODCAST) | Meredith Connelly – USNWC Lights

DUKE ENERGY, ILLUMINATION | Walk through a forest of light at the U.S. National Whitewater Center

The U.S. National Whitewater Center’s holiday light display started with a walk. Artist Meredith Connelly set out on the trail with a notepad sketching the details of the forest and deciding how to share it with others.

Artist Meredith Connelly works primarily with light and is inspired by the intersection of nature, science and technology.

Now, for the second year, you can see her sketches come to life in illuminated displays on a half-mile trail through the immersive art experience, Lights. Connelly and her team crafted more than 400 pieces of art depicting ground-dwelling mushrooms to canopy-level cocoons….READ MORE

WCCB CHARLOTTE, THE CW | Inside the Magic of “Lights” at USNWC

A walk into artist Meredith Connelly’s illuminated woodland vision will transport you briefly out of 2020 and into an enchanting forest aglow. “Lights,” the popular light installation at the U. S. National Whitewater Center makes its much anticipated return this November through February 2021. For its second year, Connelly has chosen a new trail on which to incorporate her work, changing how the art interacts with the environment and allowing for new and interactive pieces….READ MORE

WFAE, CHARLOTTE’S NPR NEWS | Illuminated Whitewater Center Trail Features Local Artist's Creations For 2nd Year

While the fast pace of city life has merits, sometimes it does a person good to look past the blur of industry and take a deep breath in the trees.

People in the Charlotte area don't have to go far to experience both worlds. For the second year, the U.S. National Whitewater Center has teamed up with artist Meredith Connelly to create an illuminated art trail that's meant to get viewers to appreciate nature. The half-mile trail, called "Lights," debuts just after sundown Thursday (11/13/2020) and will stay open through February…..READ MORE.

THE BISCUIT | Photo Safari: Behind the Scenes at “Lights”

As we reported a few weeks ago, the “Lights” are back on at the US National Whitewater Center (USNWC). If the inaugural year is a gauge, scores of people will be drawn from across the Charlotte region to see the “Lights.”

But, an interactive exhibition of 500 pieces of illuminated art woven through a forest doesn’t just happen. It took artist Meredith Connelly and a team of nine artists and fabricators 10 weeks to create the pieces to be used and assemble them. Like the 250 pieces integrated into Lights last year, the 250 new pieces created for 2020 were heated, dyed, molded, cut and crafted by hand over a period of months….READ MORE

CLT IS CREATIVE | USNWC TURNS THE “LIGHTS” BACK ON

US National Whitewater Center (USNWC) is switching the Lights back on.

Lights, the ground-breaking immersive light installation that transformed the USNWC walking trails in 2019, will be open after dark (weather permitting) from mid-November to mid-February 2021. The fee to experience multi-sensory installation is covered by daily parking fee at the Center – $6. Those with annual parking passes may enter Lights for free. The Center’s annual ice skating rink will open in tandem with the exhibit…..READ MORE

FOLIO BY PREMEIR SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY | State of the Artists, Meredith Connelly- Lake Norman

An installation and paper artist, Meredith Connelly’s unique craft was born from a primal draw to her material. Cultivating her use of light and technology as a student at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, Meredith’s artistry has evolved into a vibrant body of work that showcases the versatility of paper and industrial matter while incorporating interactive elements. Here, she shares the process and inspiration that has fueled a decade-long creative journey….READ MORE (pages 24-25)

ARTS AND SCIENCE COUNCIL BLOG | ASC Fellowship Program Rewards Emerging, Established Creatives

Creative individuals are essential to any vibrant, thriving cultural community.

They hold up the mirror that reflects the beauty and injustice that exists in our society and show us the possibilities found inside, outside and all around the box. They move us through their performances and push boundaries in their artforms in ways that inspire us to do the same in our lives.

If a city or region is only as good as its creative talent, then we are truly fortunate in Charlotte-Mecklenburg.

It is in that spirit that ASC is proud to announce the four recipients of its inaugural Emerging Creators Fellowships and the seven recipients of its annual Creative Renewal Fellowships….. READ MORE.

LAKE NORMAN CURRENTS MAGAZINE | Blazing New Trails into the Woods

Some people light up a room, but Meredith Connelly knows how to light up a trail. The Cornelius artist is the mastermind behind the LIGHTS installation at the U.S. National Whitewater Center. More than 80,000 people have visitined the half-mile illuminated walking trail since it opened to the public in November……READ MORE

THE BISCUIT | The “Lights” Are Still Burning Bright at the Whitewater Center

There’s still time to experience it and we’ve asked its creator, artist Meredith Connelly, about her inspiration and process for bringing “Lights” to life.

DID THE IDEA FOR “LIGHTS” COME FIRST OR WERE YOU TASKED WITH ACTIVATING THE AREA AND YOU DEVELOPED IT FROM THERE?

“Honestly, it all started with a cup of coffee and a conversation. The center was looking for opportunities to drive their mission of getting people active and outside during the colder months and began exploring a variety of new activity options.”

“…The artistic concept truly came to life as I GPS-plotted the trail with my pencils and sketchbook in tow. Every step taken along the trail was planned. All the installations were designed especially for the spaces they inhabit……READ MORE

SOUTHPARK MAGAZINE | Guiding Light

Meredith Connelly calls it her “pinch me” project. 

The U.S. National Whitewater Center — which wanted to keep people active and on their trails in the winter months — was exploring the idea of an outdoor art installation. Connelly, a Cornelius-based artist known for using light and technology to create illuminated forms in galleries, was the perfect fit. 

Their first meeting was in February. Nine months and 17,000 zip ties later, in mid-November she and her team were putting the finishing touches on an immersive experience unlike anything Charlotte has seen before….READ MORE  

CHARLOTTE MAGAZINE | U.S. National Whitewater Center Unveils Massive Installation, Skating Rink: Artist Meredith Connelly on crafting LIGHTS

The U.S. National Whitewater Center is known for having a variety of activities, and this winter, that list grows even longer. In addition to a new skating rink, they will open Lights, a series of immersive light installations throughout a half-mile walking trail, designed and created by Meredith Connelly. Opening November 22 and on view through February, the installation is open nightly after sunset and is free to check out.

The Whitewater Center has more than 35 miles of developed trails, which see considerably less traffic in colder months. They sought to change this by creating an illuminated experience. Cooper Lambla, creative director at USNWC, said, “As an organization we are always looking for new and different ways of engaging our audience. Doing something that has a low barrier of entry in the winter months and that takes advantage of the sun going down earlier was of interest to us.” The leadership began talks with Connelly last spring and after hearing her ideas, worked with her to begin making them possible.…..READ MORE

CHARLOTTE AGENDA | The U.S. National Whitewater Center is debuting ice skating with a skate-up bar and a half-mile walking trail of light installations for the winter months.

CHARLOTTE OBSERVER | Know: At reopening Mint, ‘I like to call myself a “type A” artist’

“Mainframe” is the third annual juried art show from YAM, the Young Affiliates of the Mint. Postponed by Hurricane Florence, along with the rest of the Mint Museum Uptown’s reopening-after-renovation events (check the museum site for new dates), it aims to look at the role of tech in society and will feature more than a dozen artists. Among them: Cornelius’s Meredith Connelly, with her installation “Synapse.” Connelly, 33, graduated from UNC Wilmington with a degree in studio art and for the past seven years has worked with lighting and technology, incorporating interactive elements. “Synapse” was created on site, for its specific space. She answered a few questions for the Observer’s new KNOW series; they’ve been edited for clarity and brevity……..READ MORE

WILMINGTON STAR NEWS | Art of Illumination’ lights up the Cameron Art Museum with creativity

It’s one of the most spellbinding light shows in Wilmington this month, and aside from the focus on light that accompanies such seasonal celebrations as Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, it’s only tangentially connected to the holidays….

First place went to “Honeycomb” by Meredith Connelly, a former Wilmington artist who moved to Charlotte in 2011. Making a lantern wasn’t a big stretch for Connelly. Her vibrant installations often incorporate ropes of light buried beneath clouds of translucent materials.

“I have always been intrigued by (light),” Connelly wrote in a Facebook message. “Without light, we wouldn’t see color and, furthermore, pure white light contains all the colors in the light spectrum.”

Connelly created “Honeycomb” by forming tubes of wax paper and slicing them up to make smaller individual combs. It’s appropriate that “Honeycomb” is the first lantern viewers encounter when entering the exhibition in the CAM’s Brown Wing: Its warm, subtle glow is both inviting and intriguing.……READ MORE

CHARLOTTE OBSERVER | Meredith Connelly’s ‘Umbra’ explores the boundaries of site-specific art

At Cornelius Arts Center, there is a cloud emerging from the wall. The giant white thunderhead dominates the room; a clap, stomp, shriek or exuberant laugh elicits fiery lightning flashes. Ominous points and spikes reach out as if sculpted by wind.

In “Umbra,” artist Meredith Connelly transforms ordinary materials into something extraordinary in a fun, interactive piece whose illusion of power leaves a lasting impression. This is good, thoughtful art and evidence of curator and manager Jen Crickenberger’s strong exhibition programming…..READ MORE