If you aren’t familiar with Yard Art Day, it is an annual “grassroots arts exhibition, curated by the community for the community” which is as simple as it sounds.

Yard Art Day has become one of my favorite Charlotte events and I’m excited it’s returning to Charlotte once again this Labor Day.

Unlike gallery shows or museums (which you should definitely frequent as well), Yard Art Day is as grassroots as you can get. It’s art for the sake of art, displayed by your neighbors in order to make the world a more beautiful place.

The art you’ll see ranges from the slightly absurd (one exhibit in last year’s event featured a giant Pikachu) to professional artists creating high quality pieces and placing them in their yards just for you to enjoy.

You can see the map of currently planned exhibits on yardartday.org, and it’s super easy to register your own exhibit (for free!) should inspiration strike. When you sign up to participate, you’ll be given a sign to post so that passersby know you’re participating in an event and you haven’t just scheduled a Bulky Waste Collection for your giant Pikachu.

Yard Art Day is elegant in its simplicity and has but a few simple rules.

The first rule of Yard Art Day is that you must make the art.

The second rule of Yard Art Day is You. Must. Make. The Art.

The third rule is to place your art in a way that is visible from the street.

Those are all the rules.

And sculptures aren’t the only medium featured at Yard Art Day.

Many exhibits are interactive and encourage viewers to add a contribution to the exhibit. Performing arts are welcome as part of Yard Art Day as well, you just need to indicate what times you plan on performing so everyone can be there to see your interpretive dance celebrating the 1992-1993 Charlotte Hornets’ season.

Yard Art day is fall-off-a-log-easy to participate in, and even if you don’t create art you can participate just by walking around your neighborhood and checking out the exhibits your neighbors have put out.

The point is simple, just go out and make art for the sake of contributing to your community.

The essentials:

What: Yard Art Day! Make art. Put it in your yard. Go see the art that other people put in their yards.
Who: You and your artsy friends and neighbors.
Why: Because everyone has something to contribute to Charlotte’s collective identity and this is a great way to make that identity something beautiful
When: Monday, September 4th, 2017
How: You can register here if you want to make and display some art or you can participate by checking out what your friends and neighbors have created.
Where: All over Charlotte with the largest concentrations in Dilworth and Plaza Midwood. Follow along on social media with #YardArtDay and check out what talented neighbors you have.

Feature photo courtesy of Deborah Triplett Photography