Cape Fear Studios is holding their annual military themed Alpha Romeo Tango show through March 21 at the Cape Fear Studios exhibit space in downtown Fayetteville.

“The artwork itself does not have to be military themed,” said Steve Opet, Cape Fear Studios board president.

“The artists themselves are military affiliated. The show is open to active duty, retired, veterans, all six branches of the military. It is also open to dependents and people 18 and over who are children of military affiliated people. We’ve accepted art from people who they themselves aren’t military but their fathers were WWII veterans.”

Alpha Romeo Tango is a show inspired by the nearby Fort Bragg and military community.

“Alpha Romeo Tango” spell “art” in the military phonetic alphabet. When artists submit their pieces for the A.R.T. show, Opet asks they attach a short bio telling how the artist is affiliated with the military.

“Right before COVID hit, the presenter for the awards was Col. Murray Mallett-Stein. When she was the presenter, she came down, put on her dress blues and gave a speech about importance of art in our community and the importance of art in the military community,” said Opet. “Last year was our first year since Covid having an in-person show. State Rep. John Szoka was the presenter in 2022.”

A.R.T. was held online for two years during the COVID pandemic, and during that time, Opet was the presenter for those who attended the online shows. Opet himself is also retired military.

“There are some really, really nice pieces (that get entered),” Opet said.

The work on display ranges from beginner to accomplished artists, all with one goal in mind: bringing together art and the military community.

A.R.T. is on display at the Cape Fear Studios on Maxwell Street until March 21. Cape Fear Studios is a nonprofit organization run entirely by the artists themselves.
For more information about Cape Fear Studios and A.R.T., visit https://www.capefearstudios.com/