LP Shelby Project

LP Shelby is a public arts project sponsored by the Don Gibson American Music Foundation. The project will consist of eleven fiberglass replicas of long playing phonograph record albums decorated by participating artists and publicly displayed in Shelby and surrounding Cleveland County, North Carolina. The mission of LP Shelby is to provide increased awareness and interest in the music of Don Gibson, his hometown of Shelby, NC, and the surrounding Cleveland County area. All proceeds of LP Shelby will be donated to arts in education for Cleveland County Public Schools and the Don Gibson Theatre in Shelby North Carolina. The project will last for approximately five-six months, ending in the fall of 2014.

Participation is open to local, regional, and national artists of all backgrounds, whether professional or amateur. At least one artist selected to participate will be a high school student artist. Applications are due by March 7, 2014. A Selection Committee will review all applications and select eleven successful applicants on March 13, 2014, with notification on March 14, 2014. Each participating artist will receive an honorarium of $75 in gift certificates for supplies, credit on the album and in media, and will be featured on the Don Gibson Theatre website.

Each artist will be provided with a three-foot diameter fiberglass replica of a long playing phonograph record album to decorate. Albums will feature one of eleven Don Gibson hits including "Oh Lonesome Me," "I Can't Stop Loving You," "Sweet Dreams," and others. Artists may use any medium but may not alter the shape or structure of the fiberglass album. Decorated albums must be delivered to LP Shelby on or before June 12, 2014. Albums will be unveiled on June 23 at the Don Gibson Theatre and displayed through October 2014. At the end of the exhibit, albums will be sold at an auction fundraiser at the Don Gibson Theatre, with proceeds donated to Cleveland County Public Schools and the Don Gibson Theatre.

Applications must include a completed CaFE application form with artist statement (500 words or less), a concept drawing of proposed design, resume and biography (up to 150 words), and 5-10 digital portfolio images in jpeg form including one image of the proposed design. The first 100 submissions will be accepted.