CityView Magazine

22 | October 2017 Rock 'n' Roll & The Masters Alex Munroe's Art Collection at Cape Fear Vineyard & Winery Rocks BY ERIN PESUT | PHOTOGRAPHY BY MAT THEW WONDERLY It's an instinct we have, to be fascinated by the famous. e soundtrack in e Cork Room, the boutique southern-style farm-to-table restaurant at Cape Fear Vineyard and Winery in Elizabethtown, cycles through the Temptations, Michael Jackson and the Beach Boys. e atmosphere is casual. Relaxed. When you walk in, you feel right at home. It doesn't have the pin-drop silence and footstep shuffle of a museum, but, in fact, the collection of art hanging from the cypress walls is a worthy one. People may come to the Cape Fear Vineyard and Winery for its tasty wines, delicious food and beautiful grounds – which are patrolled by llamas and stately peacocks – but where the heart of the enterprise truly shines is in Alex Munroe's eclectic collection of art, featuring works by famous rock 'n' rollers alongside those of modern masters. It's one of a kind – and mesmerizing. A Modern Collector Munroe, the owner at Cape Fear Vineyard and Winery, has been collecting art since he was eight years old and became fascinated with celebrities soon aer. While on a plane to New York City with his mother and his father, Munroe caught sight of Dean Smith, the basketball coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, in first class. "I went up to him," Munroe remembers, "and he gave me his autograph. I was just so happy. Aer we got into the airport, he said, 'Have a nice trip in New York, Alex.' I never forgot that." is first run-in with a celebrity stayed with Munroe. And not just because they had seen each other and spoken briefly. Munroe was struck by the fact that Smith had remembered his first name and also by Smith's down-to- earth manner. ese famous individuals, Munroe realized then, were just ordinary people aer all. Celebrity Art Fieen years ago, Munroe found himself collecting celebrity art, quite frankly because it was what he could afford. But his love of autographs and memorabilia ultimately translated into a collection of fine art with a continued appreciation for the magic, the je ne sais quoi, in the artistry and the pieces that celebrities created themselves. Munroe estimates the one hundred pieces hanging on the walls in the Cork Room are only a quarter of his complete collection. He features works by such rock 'n' roll legends as John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Janis Joplin and Johnny Cash as well as A R T Alex Munroe stands in front of some of his many autographed celebrity photos

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