Creative connections: Haymount’s Little Art Box lets young artists share

It’s Saturday in Haymount, and Meredith Talian hears car doors slam outside her home on Woodcrest Road. She peeks out her window and sees that vehicles have again lined the street outside her home.
Like the weekend before, children are rushing out of cars and making their way to The Little Art Box, a wooden shed with two pull doors filled with art supplies and handcrafted creations.
The Little Art Box is a freestanding storage unit that allows artists to share their gifts and for others to take them free of charge. It’s not an exchange; it’s a space for sharing.
The concept is similar to the “little free libraries” that provide for the exchange of books.
“You don’t have to leave something in order to take something,” Talian says.
The Little Art Box is not a business, either. It’s a way to connect with the community.
“It’s been popular with children. We have walkers and all sorts of people from all over coming to visit,” Talian says. “It’s more popular than I thought it would be. I was worried it would sit there and I’d have to keep it alive. But it really generates its own energy.”
Create and communicate
Talian, who is originally from Roanoke, Virginia, earned a bachelor’s degree in painting and drawing. She is a mother and military spouse who enjoys painting portraits in watercolor and acrylic. As someone used to a life of relocation, Talian finds hobbies that can travel with her, like her custom-made jewelry business.
In 2020, Talian’s mother sent her a link from an online article she thought Talian would appreciate. It was about an artist in Seattle who made a small, doll-like house so she could showcase professional art during the COVID pandemic. Mainly, it was an outreach — a cry for the connection humans crave and were missing during the pandemic lockdown.
Talian understood the artist was just finding a way for her neighbors to stay connected during the pandemic. Talian loved the idea.
COVID couldn’t stop a creator from creating
During the harshest period of the pandemic, Talian spent her time creating. Her artwork began to pile up.
“You can’t keep everything.”
Her kids were creating art, too, and they enjoyed giving it away to others.
“As my kids got older, they created art and discovered they loved giving it away.”
Talian says other mothers in the neighborhood were experiencing the same challenges.
She revisited the art box idea and asked herself, “Why don’t I do a big one, one with professional art and kid stuff? I could include a drawer for art supplies.”
Talian held on to the idea until the day she ran into Sarah Busman, the arts education manager for the Arts Council of Fayetteville-Cumberland County. Busman told Talian about grants that help with such projects and suggested Talian apply for one.
“I applied for a grant and got it in 2022. So, the Arts Council helped build the box,” says Talian.
She hired local contractor Marc Hess to build the box, and it went up in January.
“I wanted the inside to look like a gallery, so I put some little stairs in it to make it playful,” Talian says.
The inside of the box looks like a dollhouse. Talian loaded it with her family’s artwork first and peeked out the window to see her neighbors’ reactions.
“I was really nervous to see what the response would be. It’s been really good.”
Talian says The Little Art Box is for anyone who wants to put something in it — children, adults, professionals, and hobbyists.
“I have ceramic art, bowls and cups. Some people put plant cuttings, fresh flowers and sculptures,” Talian says.
Yes, you’ll find small canvases of hand-painted art as well as notes and encouraging messages on hand-made cards. Don’t be surprised when you peek in and a hand-drawn note from a child melts your heart. The box is full of creative treasures.
“I curate it. I’ve seen knitted stuff and doll clothes. It’s been really interesting to see what people put in it,” Talian says.
Talian takes donations to support her art box and plans to put a barcode on the door for people to contribute. She says keeping the drawer of art supplies stocked can get pricey.
“People have donated things they’re not going to use and have gone out and bought supplies. But mostly, I just fill the drawer myself,” says Talian.
Anyone who wants to donate to the box can buy supplies at the nearby Dollar Tree or online at Amazon, she says.
The Haymount area is a great location that draws people together, she says. But more important, it keeps people connected.
“Haymount is unique and central to a wide range of demographics of backgrounds and age groups,” Talian says. “People walk through here that might not have access to fun things like arts and crafts. I like to look at it that way, too, providing for kids and adults.”
Talian looks at her art box as providing inspiration for someone who may not have access to fun but has tapped into something much deeper.
The Little Art Box is much more than just a box for the creative to share; it’s an estuary of hearts connecting, sharing love and being loved in return.
Find “The Little Art Box” on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089529844824 and on Instagram.