Southport Magazine

The “Southport, Open Your Doors!” project by Up Your Arts is hosting a scavenger hunt throughout downtown Southport this month. At the center of the game are the 11 artistically-rendered vintage doors unveiled at a reception for the artists in October.

All are invited to play by taking a shopping tour of the doors, which are now on display at 11 different retail locations. Their sponsors will reward you for unlocking clues to unique characteristics of their stores. Individuals and teams who resolve all 11 clues will receive public recognition and a door prize poster created just for the campaign.

 “Each store has its own unique things in it (fixtures, furniture, displays, etc.). We are asking customers to find a specific one, based on the information in the clue assigned to that location, explained Up Your Arts Treasurer Bonnie Bray. “So the person solving the clue would take a picture of the answer, show it to the cashier, buy something worth at least $11, and get a sticker placed on their door tour brochure for their efforts. Once all 11 stickers are earned and fixed to the person’s  brochure, they get the door prize!”

Participating sponsors are Cat on a Whisk (Door #19), the Jolliff Team @ Margaret Rudd (Door #4), Mad River (Door #5), RE/MAX Southern Coast (Door #11), Ricky Evans Gallery (Door #13), Sedona South (Door #10), Shop Girl (Door #7), Southport Cheese Shoppe (Door #1), Southport Market (Door #8), Southport Trading Company (Door #6), and Uncorked by the Sea (Door #2).

A special holiday promotion is running through Dec. 16, when local restaurants are planning meal discounts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays for scavenger hunt players. More information is available at https://upyourarts.org

“Southport, Open Your Doors!” is an Up Your Arts’ fundraising initiative that asked local artists to reimagine a set of vintage doors donated to the Southport Historical Society from the historic Harper home on Bay Street. 

On the heels of the pandemic and Inspired by a quote by Maya Angelou that considers the concept of living to thrive, not merely to survive, the arts group fashioned the project as an act of celebration for Southport’s collective well-being and community health. Selected artists did just that by using the wood and glass interior doors as a canvas to bring their creative ideas to life. 

The artists, who were introduced with their doors during a reception last month, are Alora Boerner (Door #2); Harry Burrell (Door #19) ; Lori Guidi (Door #6) ; Ginger Hedblom (Door #8) ; Mary Beth Livers (Door #4) ; Donna Parisi (Door #10) ; Austin Sapp (Door #11); Rosemary Wagner (Door #1); Chris Wallace (Door #13); and collaborating teams Nancy Cray and Lynn Gillis (Door #7); and Dave DeGroat, Gia Holmes, and Colleen Phillips (Door #5).

The door tour and scavenger hunt will be open to downtown shoppers through the end of December. The doors will then be on display at 11 different non-retail locations during January and February. The project will conclude when the doors are sold at auction during a formal gala in March 2022.

Proceeds from the ongoing fundraiser are being used to support Southport Historical Society’s stewardship programs and Up Your Arts’ efforts to turn the Old Brunswick County Courthouse into a community-based center for creative and performing arts.