ABOUT
Fried Fruit Art Space is an artist-run gallery. We are committed to education and freedom of expression. Housed in a retired cargo container, our space functions as a storefront. Fried Fruit is in the growing Cargo District, surrounded by small businesses, entrepreneurs and local restaurants. Day or night, anyone can approach the floor-to-ceiling glass window and view our exhibitions.
Fried Fruit’s footprint is a mere 150 square feet. The smallness is appealing and unintimidating, allowing exhibiting artists to conceptualize and execute an idea freely. Fried Fruit Art Space serves as a great jumping-off point to realize long-thought-about projects. Past collaborators have used this cargo container to push their practice to explore processes and concepts formerly out of reach. These unique exhibitions function as a proof of concept that allows an artist to propose future shows to larger establishments.
gallery layout
MISSION STATEMENT
Fried Fruit is a space for artists, curators, educators, and students to explore and experiment. Our focus is to showcase conceptual art, championing work that breaks away from traditional expectations of what art should be. We want viewers to think deeply about the artists’ motivation behind their work. Fried Fruit serves as an educational tool, offering the community access to lectures from visiting artists of all backgrounds. The gallery highlights a range of disciplines in hopes of expanding our community’s understanding of what art can be. Art is research, process, material, emotion, storytelling . . .
NEWSLETTER
Stay in the know about upcoming shows and events!
CONNECT
︎ friedfruitart@gmail.com
︎ friedfruitartgallery
︎ friedfruitartspace.substack
Interactive Map:
https://cargodistrictmap.com/
LOCATION
The Cargo District - 1605 Queen St, Wilmington, NC 28401
We are located in “The Ally” of the Cargo District in Wilmington, NC.
How to find us video: Video Walkthrough!
Parking
- Street parking 👍
- Cheese Smith Parking Lot 👍
- Blue Cup Roastery Parking Lot👍
Land Acknowledgement:
Wilmington’s land was originally home to the Waccamaw and Cape Fear Peoples, now known as the Skarure Woccon, who have lived in this region since as early as 10,000 BC. Their communities stretched across the Cape Fear, Pee Dee, and Waccamaw Rivers throughout North and South Carolina.
Waccamaw Siouan Tribe
Forced to relocate after conflict with South Carolina in 1749
Today, the tribe resides near Wilmington
Continues to celebrate and preserve:
- culture
- language
- art
- community traditions
Waccamaw Siouan Tribe, Inc. supports tribal members through advocacy and financial assistance programs
Skarure Woccon People
- Coastal tribe native to the Cape Fear River region
- Lands extended from North Carolina’s piedmont to present-day New Hanover County
- Faced colonization, disease outbreaks, and displacement beginning in the 1600s
- After the Tuscarora War (1711–1713), many survivors were absorbed into neighboring tribes
- Descendants still remain connected to the region today
Fried Fruit shares this history to honor the Indigenous peoples whose land we occupy and to encourage continued learning about the history and ongoing presence of Native communities in this area.
“It is important to understand the longstanding history that has brought you to reside on the land, and to seek to understand your place within that history. Colonialism is an ongoing process, and we must remain mindful of our participation within it.” — Northwestern University