Pop Box Gallery co-founders Laura Ritchie and Mavis Gragg find and curate spaces to highlight artists from diverse backgrounds
By Elizabeth Poindexter | Photography by Ritchie Gragg
Native North Carolinians Laura Ritchie and Mavis Gragg find both pleasure and passion in art – a pairing that brought the two together as co-founders of pop up exhibition project Pop Box Gallery. The concept won a local contest among Triangle entrepreneurs to fill a space at Boxyard RTP – a 15,000-square-foot, open air example of “cargotecture” that uses shipping containers to house primarily restaurants and retail shops. The gallery’s three-month residency opened in February 2022.
“We came up with this idea, in a lot of ways, in response to what we were missing in our own lives and in the community,” Laura says.
Laura and Mavis, who both attended UNC for undergrad, furthered their studies; Laura graduated from Duke University with a master’s in liberal studies, and Mavis received her law degree from Pepperdine University. They met in 2017 at an art show curated by Mavis. Both were members on the Duke Performances advisory board in 2020 when the upcoming opportunity at Boxyard was dropped into a board meeting’s Zoom chat, and the stars aligned.
The RTP Foundation of North Carolina provided a shipping container – around 300 square feet of space – to develop their residency concept, which included group shows, an exhibit organized by guest curator Marcella Camara and a solo exhibition of new works by Eliza Redmann – her inaugural art show in the Triangle.
The pop-up at Boxyard wrapped up in May 2022, but its concept allowed artists more creative freedom and the ability to showcase their work in a busy, yet still slightly unconventional space compared to standalone galleries or on coffee shop or restaurant walls, where their work isn’t necessarily the focus. That’s particularly important, Laura explains, for artists who are emerging, locally based or mid-career, especially those who come from diverse backgrounds and life experiences.
“Everybody wins when Black voices, voices of color, queer voices, women’s voices are centered,” Laura says. “The entire community benefits. Those are values that Mavis and I each hold dear … and we want to live that into our work.”
During its tenure, Pop Box Gallery’s RTP iteration brought in more than 1,000 visitors and, as a zero-commission space, paid $20,000 to artists.
“What motivated me to become a part of the art administration world is that there’s a power art [holds] in transforming and mediating among different views,” Mavis says, noting the gaps she sees in traditional art institutions that could be filled by more diverse artists. Mavis’ experience as a collector and in arts administration pairs well with Laura’s background as the former director of The Carrack gallery, which closed in 2019.
In the time since their residency ended at Boxyard, Laura and Mavis have curated pop-up exhibitions including work from Durham-based artist Catherine Edgerton at perfect lovers and Zaire McPhearson at Bright Black. Pop Box Gallery and Gail Belvett with The Art Chose Me are currently collaborating on a curatorial residency, “We [don’t] Care: reclaiming our environment,” housed in a property owned by Amos Cooper of Black Robin Ventures at 304 S. Driver St., Ste. 102 in Old East Durham from April 22 to May 13.
“We want to leverage both of our experiences but also our networks and the powerful Triangle community to do this high-impact work,” Mavis says. “[Laura and I have] been able to build a lot of partnerships and relationships with collaborations in a way that feels economically impactful while still being really experimental.”
Meanwhile, Laura and her wife, Shirlette Ammons, are also currently renovating a 100-year-old building on Trinity Avenue into a gallery, a film and music production space and a home to 10 artist studios.
“Pop Box has been an honor and is demonstrative of years of accumulating skills and experiences and connecting with people,” Mavis says. “Part of the reason we have stayed committed to this residency concept is that we want to bring art to the community.”
