The next time you’re in the Cameron Village area, swing by The Flying Biscuit for both the eclectic dinner menu (and all day breakfast!) as well as to view the beautiful mural work created by local artist Ryan Cummings.

A graduate of the NCSU College of Design, Ryan paints with a broad stroke–working in areas such as trompe l’oeil, venetian plaster, gold leaf finish, as well as decorative painting and murals.

His most recent work at the Flying Biscuit (above) includes not only a decorative mural, but also has elements of trompe l’oeil (using realistic imagery to give the illusion of a 3D object) in the form of butterflies that appear to be fluttering outside of the painting. By utilizing shadows and object placement, he gives a landscape the impression of being deeper and more lifelike than it really is.
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If you’ve dined at The Mint, Fins, Lucky 32, Margaux, 18 Seaboard, Tavola Rossa, or Solas (among many others), you’ve seen Matt McConnell‘s work in the form of lit sculpture. Matt’s team includes Mac Farrior, Dan Furguson, David Eichenberger, and Greg Palmer. Josh Davis, Jim Appling, and Conor Boing also help out part time. Together, they create absolutely beautiful artwork, lighting, furniture, and a number of other projects for both industrial and residential use.

I first became acquainted with his lighting work which was positioned throughout the restaurant that I worked at a few years ago. Later at the first Downtown Appetite for Art, I was able to see a few of his larger works. Once you’ve seen one of his lit sculptures, you’ll probably start to recognize more around town. Many of his pieces are striking examples of geometry and symmetry, yet his work is so diverse you can’t possibly lump it into any category.
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As it is with every first friday of each month, a group of bikers numbering as few as 15, up to a rumored 50 or more, meet at the belltower at 7pm to ride around downtown to check out the new exhibits at the art galleries. The path is never constant, but there are a few galleries that we’ve always hit: FM Goods, DesignBox, Rebusworks, Lump, Artspace, The Fish Market, and the Morning Times. This month, we checked out some of the usual suspects, as well as a newly opened gallery on Capital Boulevard: Adam Peele Studio and Gallery.

The newest gallery to open downtown, and by far one of the coolest, is Adam Peele Gallery and Studio. It’s located on Capital Boulevard, just north of where McDowell Street turns into Capital. It had to be one of the coolest spaces we’ve visited on a First Friday ride. Connected to the gallery space pictured above is Adam’s studio, where he sells merchandise and does his work. Check it out!
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