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mavis gragg
During its tenure, Pop Box Gallery’s RTP iteration brought in more than 1,000 visitors and, as a zero-commission space, paid $20,000 to artists. “What motivated me to become a part of the art administration world is that there’s a power art [holds] in transforming and mediating among different views,” Mavis says, noting the gaps she sees in traditional art institutions that could be filled by more diverse ative North Carolinians Laura Ritchie and Mavis Gragg artists. Mavis’ experience as a collector and in arts administration find both pleasure and passion in art – a pairing that pairs well with Laura’s background as the former director of The brought the two together as co-founders of pop-up Carrack gallery, which closed in 2019. exhibition project Pop Box Gallery. The concept won In the time since their residency ended at Boxyard, Laura and Mavis a local contest among Triangle entrepreneurs to fill a have curated pop-up exhibitions including work from Durham-based space at Boxyard RTP – a 15,000-square-foot, openartist Catherine Edgerton at perfect lovers and Zaire McPhearson at air example of “cargotecture” that uses Bright Black. Pop Box Gallery and Gail Belvett with The shipping containers to house primarily Art Chose Me will collaborate on an upcoming curatorial restaurants and retail shops. The gallery’s residency housed in a property owned by Amos Cooper of three-month residency opened in Black Robin Ventures at 304 S. Driver St., Ste. 102 in Old Pop Box February 2022. East Durham from mid-April to June 2023. Gallery “We came up with this idea, in a lot “We want to leverage both of our experiences but also [creates] of ways, in response to what we were our networks and the powerful Triangle community to do space, through missing in our own lives and in the this high-impact work,” Mavis says. “[Laura and I have] art, for community,” Laura says. been able to build a lot of partnerships and relationships members of Laura and Mavis, who both attended with collaborations in a way that feels economically the Triangle UNC for undergrad, furthered their impactful while still being really experimental.” community studies; Laura graduated from Duke Meanwhile, Laura and her wife, Shirlette Ammons, to engage in University with a master’s in liberal studies, and Mavis are also currently renovating a 100-year-old building on conversations, received her law degree from Pepperdine University. They Trinity Avenue into a gallery, a film and music production critical met in 2017 at an art show curated by Mavis. Both were space and a home to 10 artist studios. thinking and art making. members on the Duke Performances advisory board in “Pop Box has been an honor and is demonstrative 2020 when the upcoming opportunity at Boxyard was of years of accumulating skills and experiences and dropped into a board meeting’s Zoom chat, and the stars aligned. connecting with people,” Mavis says. “Part of the reason we have The RTP Foundation of North Carolina provided a shipping container stayed committed to this residency concept is that we want to bring – around 300 square feet of space – to develop their residency art to the community.” – by Elizabeth Poindexter concept, which included group shows, an exhibit organized by guest curator Marcella Camara and a solo exhibition of new works by Eliza Redmann – her inaugural art show in the Triangle. The pop-up at Boxyard wrapped up in May 2022, but its concept allowed artists more creative freedom and the ability to showcase their work in a busy, yet still slightly unconventional space compared to standalone galleries or on coffee shop or restaurant walls, where their work isn’t necessarily the focus. That’s particularly important, Laura explains, for artists who are emerging, locally based or mid-career, especially those who come from diverse backgrounds and life experiences. “Everybody wins when Black voices, voices of color, queer voices, women’s voices are centered,” Laura says. “The entire community benefits. Those are values that Mavis and I each hold dear … and we want to live that into our work.”
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Laura Ritchie