For almost a decade, the underground bar in downtown Raleigh called FOUNDATION (in all caps) has celebrated the wealth of artistic talent in the Triangle region by displaying local artists’ works on its walls beneath Fayetteville Street. The exhibitions change seasonally with one piece by the featured artist emblazoned on the cover of FOUNDATION’S menu during that season.

For its Fall 2018 exhibit, FOUNDATION will present a different type of show than usual. This one will feature a selection of hand-drawn sketches and the brief essays that accompany them in Native Places: Drawing as a Way to See, a new book by renowned Raleigh architect/author/artist/professor Frank Harmon, FAIA.

Free and open to the public, the opening reception/book signing will be held this Sunday, September 30, from 2-4 pm. (Anyone under 21 will have to leave promptly at 4 when the bar begins selling alcoholic beverages.) The exhibition will run through December.

During the reception, Harmon will give a brief talk about Native Places and the many benefits of sketching, then sign copies of his book. The book will be available for purchase from a bookseller representing Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh.

FOUNDATION is located downstairs from the “American Underground @ Raleigh” awning at 213 Fayetteville Street, Raleigh, NC 27601 (919-896-6016).

“To Change The Way We See”

Published by ORO Editions, Native Places: Drawing as a Way to See is a collection of 64 watercolor sketches paired with brief essays about architecture, landscape, everyday objects, and nature. The sketches convey the delight the author finds in ordinary places. The 200-word essays, inspired by the sketches, offer his fresh interpretations of what readers might have taken for granted.

“My goal has always been to change the way we see,” Harmon said, referring to his popular blog NativePlaces.org, which inspired the book. “I’d like to enable people to notice what’s in their backyards. And it’s satisfying to give people something quiet in their morning inbox amongst the deluge of emails.”

Native Places is currently available on Amazon and at Quail Ridge Books. For more information, visit nativeplacesthebook.com and follow the Facebook page for future events and other news.