Queen of the Pavement

On Sunday (5/10) I had the chance to explore Raleigh’s historic abandoned Bain Water Treatment Plant (aka E.B. Bain Waterworks). The site opened up to the public to display The Bain Project, a collective display of work by a group of artists in a variety of disciplines, a few of which are friends of mine.

It was Mother’s Day. Mother had no plans, brother was in town… so I figured I’d drag them out there with me with the assumption that they’d find it halfway engaging. I couldn’t wait.

The map says it’s on Fayetteville Street. So I park on Fayetteville near the Raleigh Times and begin walking south. What I don’t realize at the time is the plant is located way down south. Almost-to-the-beltline south.

So the walk continues. No sight of the plant on Fayetteville. (I had wondered why I had never encountered this building before.) Google tells me the plant’s actual location. We are faced with the decision to retreat or continue. We decide it’s nice weather, and the additional walk couldn’t be THAT far anyway.

After about an hour or so of southbound wandering through unfamiliar seedy territory, we finally find Bain in all its glory. I am in heaven. Color and decay and creativity and morbidity everywhere. I came back twice that day.

View my complete set of Bain Project photos on my Flickr.

For more info on The Bain Project, visit bainproject.com.

(Complete Bain Project photo collection on my Flickr.)