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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A few days ago, I learned of changes in the works for one of my favorite hangout spots, Western Lanes. The News & Observer reported that the bowling alley with the long-unchanged décor recently came into the hands of new owners.

Trying to catch a Miller Lite while holding a camera isn’t as easy as it looks.

I was relieved to learn that the new owners would be keeping most of the interior elements that make this place special, but was concerned after reading this one bit of speculation from the article:

the mainstays — [Theresa] Fenner and Cathy Richards, who has waited tables for more than 40 years, even when the restaurant was segregated and she was barred from eating there — can stay when the place reopens. But whether they will is uncertain.The only certainty is the counter’s fate: Fenner will be taking it home once it is extracted.

If you’ve ever ordered a beer or had lunch here, you know the great service that the place provides. Luckily for patrons of Western Lanes, Theresa confirmed that they will remain on as a part of the staff once the restaurant reopens after rennovations. Whether or not her trademark sliding beer delivery will continue remains uncertain.
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