Here’s why this is the perfect year to try Yard Art Day (Hint: The answer is COVID).
Yard Art Day, more affectionately known as “YAD,” is returning this Labor Day in what will be its eighth year since Deborah Triplett founded it in 2012. Participants will create and display art in their front yards for all to see and appreciate, commemorating the reason YAD was created.
“The idea is to celebrate one’s creativity, whatever level that happens to be,” said Tom Petaccia, who works as the YAD coordinator.
The yard art runs the gamut of creativity and expression. But its effectiveness during the COVID-19 pandemic is especially important.
“We hope it gets people out of the house, as one of the most safely socially distant things you can do,” Petaccia said about why YAD is important during the current climate. “You can do your exhibit and not even leave the house.”
He also mentions the benefit for those who want to drive around as the exhibits can be seen from a car, allowing viewers to be fully compliant with all social distancing recommendations.
What is Yard Art Day?
Triplett created Yard Art Day in 2012, the same year Charlotte hosted the DNC, as a way for our city to show off its artistic side to its visitors. It was such a success that she made it an annual event. “I thought, what if people could put art in their front yards? Wouldn’t it be great to have a day where everyone creates something in their front yard and there’s no judgment about it?” Triplett told CharlotteFive in 2019. “It would help people get to other neighborhoods in Charlotte they’d never go into otherwise or meet people in their own neighborhoods they never talk to.”
Petaccia came on board in 2014. “I love seeing what people do — the range of creativity that people have,” said Petaccia, who’s seen it all when it comes to creations. “Anywhere from fine art installations to performance arts, to kids doing chalk art on the sidewalk.”
The idea is that there is no incorrect result of artistic expressions.
“You don’t have to be an artist to participate in YAD,” Petaccia said. “Just think of something fun you want to do.”
This level of artistic encouragement has become synonymous with the spirit of YAD, so much even that Charlotte is no longer the only city or state to participate in it.
A couple of years ago, YAD was featured in an AARP magazine, causing submissions to pour in from other parts of the country and the world. South Carolina, California, Arizona, Michigan, Maine, Massachusetts, Florida, Alabama and Toronto are just some of the places where people have joined in.
How to join Yard Art Day
“There’s no registration fee — just register and do it,” Petaccia said on how simple it is to get involved.
The only rules for participants joining in YAD are simple:
Art must be viewable from your front lawn.
No selling.
Have fun.
Yard Art Day inspiration
If you want to participate but have no idea where to start, start by checking out some of the past exhibitions. Petaccia said the most memorable yard for him was done by a person living in Dilworth several years ago, “who did this beautiful thing on the lawn with ballet slippers.”
“It was actually breathtaking,” Pettacia said.
He also remembers a guy last year who did a front-yard motif on the nightmares of moving — something we can all probably relate to.
He’s seen a bluegrass concert, dance recitals, poetry and even poetry readings.
“It’s important for people to explore their own creativity without any other strings attached,” Petaccia said. “You don’t need formal training, although fine artists have done marvelous work, too. If you want to be serious, be serious. If you want to be silly, be silly.”
Speaking of silly, Petaccia remembers one yard owner in particular who put up small signs in the yard that all spoke to the weirdness of cats.
A few people have even kept up their exhibits year-round, but every year the exhibits get bigger and bolder.
Butterflies are popular, Petaccia said. And flamingos pop up from time to time, too.
“It’s kitschy cool ‚ the quintessential yard item,” Petaccia said.
Former years have also yielded many politically charged exhibits — something that is also fully welcomed with open arms. Petaccia recalls a lot of get out and vote exhibits. He mentions one last year that included voter registration forms for onlookers.
YAD founder Triplett turned her yard into a silent protest in 2017, with a theme of “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
Upcycled materials, where participants transform their trash into art, has also been a theme.
“One year, a person had a large tree limb fall in their yard, and they used it as a mobile for people to take pendant jewelry home,” Petaccia said.
If you need more inspiration, check out the “poetry pot” art created by Katie Toussaint in 2016 for her front stoop, her first foray into Yard Art Day.
Plan your staycation around this
The dedication is evident in every yard. Some participants have been involved since YAD’s conception.
“We had one year where a family planned their summer vacation during Labor Day weekend, and the kids protested because they wanted to put out for YAD,” Petaccia said about YAD’s fierce following.
This year, that following will be more intense than even before.
“One thing a little different about this year: We’ve always had a wide-range of participants, [but] we’re seeing more community involvement. This will be our biggest yet — over 100 participants and counting,” said Petaccia, who credits the increase to the COVID-19 pandemic as people are spending more time at home now than ever before.
The deadline for YAD participant signups will be Sept. 2 at 6.pm., Petaccia said, as he works to finalize points on the map so people will know where to stop. He’ll add a list of participants to the website and a downloadable PDF of where to go.
“Go out and see the exhibits,” Petaccia advises future viewers. And he has one more bit of advice: “Don’t be afraid to show your creativity, even when it’s not Yard Art Day. Keep Yard Art Day in your heart all year long.”
Yard Art Day
September 7, 2020 (Labor Day).
To participate as a yardist: Fill out the registration form before 6 p.m. on Sept. 2, create some beautiful art and then you’re ready to go.
To see the art: Follow the map of the art. Zoom in on your neighborhood, or zoom out to see other neighborhoods.
This story was originally published August 31, 2020 at 3:50 PM.
