This fall visitors to the new Campus Commons gallery are in for a unique treat. 

“It’s like 'American Pickers’ meets ‘Unsolved Mysteries,’” says artist Helen Popinchalk. 

The Yucca Fountain was a popular local watering hole in its heyday, beckoning travelers who emerged from the desert with the promise of a cold, sweet milkshake. It was THE place to get a malt and watch the distant mushroom plumes expand in the stratosphere.

Now nearly 50 years after its mysterious closure, visitors to the Campus Commons will have the opportunity to experience the fountain as it once was - a local hub of activity and delight. 

“We were able to acquire this collection of relics and ephemera from the fountain, and as we were sorting through all of these items, we started to realize that there was this unsolved mystery/conspiracy theory that the former owner had developed. We were just so intrigued by this story,” Helen says. “I don’t want to spoil the mystery too much, but I’ll just tell you that it involves the yet unsolved destruction of Yucca Fountain by fire and the partial test ban treaty of 1958.” 

“You can buy the food, you can sit in the seats, you can sit in the booths and you can buy a hot dog for 10 cents, the same price as it was in the 1950s. It’s the ultimate transformative experience for us,” Andy says.

Even if you can’t make it to the extravagant event on opening night, there’s not need to fret. Organizers already have plans for Yucca Fountain to play host to a diverse range of events over the next six months.   

“We’re approaching programs in a variety of ways, so we’re not just doing the typical artist talk with the artist and opening reception and then doors close," Pam says. 

Director and curator of the Johnson and Wales Culinary Institute, Richard Gutman is already scheduled to give a brand-new talk, “When the Romance of the Road, Meets the Reality of the Gallery.” Partnering with the Film Studies program at UNC, the gallery will also offer a series of atomic era film screenings in the space. 

But it doesn’t end there.

Pam and the artists have big visions for the space – everything from open mic nights, to pop up performances and ice cream socials. They want to hear your ideas – and as far as they’re concerned, the sky’s the limit.

“I think what’s so amazing about Yucca Fountain is that it can give back to so many different aspects of the community for an extended period of time. The opening will be great, obviously we’re very excited about that, but the fact that six students could meet in here and have a really cool atmosphere for a club meeting or a study night, or 80 people from the community could have a city hall meeting. I mean, what a cool spot for that. I think that’s a really unique opportunity for not just a gallery, but for an art installation to be able to provide an area to do that,” Andy says.

In order to make those big dreams a reality, the UNC Galleries needs your support.

“We really want it to be a collaboration with the community. It’s not often that you get to have the opportunity to help fund something that you are really interested in, that you’re really compelled to attend and go see,” Pam says.

“We’re all about quality, so we need the support to be able to do the due diligence to make sure that the programs that we do are really intentional and impactful. That takes money, it takes funding,” Helen says.

All programs hosted in the space will be completely free and open to the public. If you’re interested in submitting an idea for a program, or would like to contribute to the crowdfunding project that has been set up to support the Yucca Fountain’s unique programming, visit https://go.unco.edu/yucca.

“Even if you can’t support, just come and experience it. Your body in the room is a form of support,” Helen says.