Sarah Powers moved to Raleigh five years ago from Providence, Rhode Island, after graduating from Rhode Island School of Design and bumming around the city for a few years. Attracted to Raleigh as a nice place to live with a growing arts community, she worked at the Carolina Ballet before becoming Executive Director of Visual Art Exchange as well as a household name among Raleigh’s so-called creative class.
New Raleigh was able to pull Sarah away from all her “pretend boyfriends” to snag some photos and talk romance. She met us on a rainy Saturday afternoon at Bain Waterworks wearing wellies and a raincoat with a shimmering gold scarf peeking out the top.
WHY WE’RE CRUSHING: Arist and designer for the Bain Project, executive director of Visual Art Exchange, Member of the Beehive Collective.
STATUS: In a relationship with Jack Hagel, writer for the News and Observer.
WHERE TO FIND HER: Duck and Dumpling for business lunch, Landmark Tavern after work, Sitti for Friday night dinner, Horniblows Tavern for ping pong.
TURN-ONS: Knows what to do with a power tool. Is creative (but not a visual artist). Driven.
TURN-OFFS: Negativity. Overbearance. Not having his shit together. Disorganization.
WHERE TO WOO HER: The Carolina Ballet. American Dance Festival. First Friday. Collector’s Gallery.
WHAT TO ORDER HER: The Malbec.
WHAT TO PLAY ON THE BOOMBOX BENEATH HER WINDOW: Kanye West, “Love Lockdown.”
WHAT TO BRING HER IN BED: Bagel and a latte. Or take her out for shrimp and grits at the Humble Pie patio.
WHO SHE’S CRUSHING ON: “Sonia Drum, Derek Toomes, and Mat Curran—creators of the best student art project ever at Washington G.T. Magnet Elementary School. HEART!”
To follow Sarah further, you can find her work this month in the Collectors’ Gallery and at Artspace, alongside the art of VAE coworker Rachel Herrick.
If you know someone you’d like to see Undressed, email editors@newraleigh.com.
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