Creativity Means Business
Through research, the N.C. Arts Council identifies the economic contributions of the arts in our state to strengthen community identity and support sustainable development and cultural tourism. Recent studies can be found on our Web site »
Authentic N.C.
Arts and cultural experiences made easy. Literary Trails, Blue Ridge Music, Cherokee Heritage, crafts, performing arts, museums and more. Web-based travel guides to artists, places and events that define present-day N.C. Become an artful traveler with the N.C. Arts Council, an agency of the Dept. of Cultural Resources.
Everyday Art Happenings in N.C.
Ballet, modern and ethnic dance.
Professional and community theater. Symphony orchestras and chamber groups. Traditional music, crafts and local festivals. Find events near you »
September 2010
Welcome to Artful Living
Fall brings exciting new opportunities to experience innovative performing arts, world-class museum exhibitions, vibrant literary festivals and open studio tours across our creative state. From bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs to jazz icon McCoy Tyner, from the Bull Durham Blues Festival to innovative works of contemporary ballet, the new season for performing arts promises to surprise and delight you.
In Charlotte and Raleigh, the opening or expansion of four major museums unlocks treasures of contemporary art, African-American art and craft.
Explore North Carolina's rich literary heritage with the release of Literary Trails of the North Carolina Piedmont, the second in a series of guidebooks written by Georgann Eubanks for the N.C. Arts Council, and experience our state's lively community of writers at one of the many literary festivals taking place across the state.
Craft artists open their studios this fall, giving you the opportunity to meet them one on one, talk about their practice and support your local economy by buying their work. Learn more about craft traditions in our state by visiting the First Gentleman's Celebrate North Carolina Craft Web site at www.celebrate.nc.gov.
Whether you enjoy symphonies, opera, jazz, blues or old-time music, modern dance, classic plays, literature, fine arts or craft, you can buy a season subscription, give tickets as a gift or get an early start on your holiday shopping when you experience a new season for the arts in North Carolina this fall.
-David Potorti, the Artful Traveler
and the Artful Living team, N.C. Arts Council
Now in its sixth year, the Historic Happy Valley Old-time Fiddlers' Convention along the scenic Yadkin River presents music competition, dance, children's activities and instrument-making demonstrations along with the music of the Kruger Brothers, Bobby Hicks and the Harris Brothers Friday, Sept. 3 through Sunday, Sept. 5. Situated on the Jones Farm northeast of Lenoir on N.C. Scenic Byway 268, the convention begins Friday with a free evening of community dancing and a music jam from 7 to 10 p.m. On Saturday, music competitions in 12 categories start at 10 a.m., with finalists competing for top honors from 7 to 11 p.m. Other activities include dance demonstrations, storytelling, hay rides, instrument-making demonstrations and food. A free concert takes place Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. featuring blues, gospel, old-time and bluegrass musicians including the Kruger Brothers, Bobby Hicks, the Harris Brothers, Simple Faith, Spirit Fiddle, Strictly Clean and Decent, Moon Mullins, Cecil Palmer and Roger Hicks. For more information, visit www.happyvalleyfiddlers.com or contact Tony Deal at tonyraydeal@gmail.com. Learn about all of the traditions in Happy Valley at http://ncartstrails.org/happyvalley.
The Kruger Brothers have played the Happy Valley Fiddlers' Convention every year since its founding, and it's their love of traditional music that keeps them coming back. [More]
The Mint Museum Uptown's Grand Opening Oct. 1
Marking its 75th anniversary in 2011, the Mint Museum on Randolph Road in Charlotte was the first art museum in North Carolina, making its home in the building that served as the first branch of the U.S. Mint. In 1999, it opened the Mint Museum of Craft + Design in uptown Charlotte as a showcase for the work of contemporary North Carolina craft artists. The new Mint Museum Uptown, opening Oct. 1, brings together the collections of the Mint Museum of Craft + Design (now closed) and the Mint Randolph's American Art and Contemporary Art collections and selected works from its European Art collection. It's part of the new Levine Center for the Arts, which includes the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture and the Knight Theatre, which features performances by the North Carolina Dance Theatre. Kathleen Jameson, executive director of the Mint Museum, anticipates exciting collaborations with her Levine Center neighbors and offers her thoughts on the importance of art in everyday life. [More]
Celebrate North Carolina Craft
Traditional craft has deep roots in North Carolina, serving everyday needs and satisfying artistic aspirations for centuries. Whether made by Native Americans, early Moravian immigrants to the Piedmont region, potters in the Catawba Valley and Seagrove areas or contemporary artisans who celebrate both form and function in endlessly creative ways, craft is a living tradition practiced in every corner of our state. This fall, First Gentleman Robert "Bob" Eaves' Celebrate North Carolina Web site highlights opportunities for you and your family to experience, explore and learn about our rich craft heritage while supporting local artists and our state's economy with your purchase of one-of-a-kind gifts for the holidays. From Thursday, Sept. 2 through Friday, Oct. 29 visit Celebrate North Carolina to find open studio tours and craft festivals where you can meet the artists, start a collection or enjoy hands-on craft experiences. Watch a video about Piedmont Craftsmen, a guild founded by craft artists and collectors in 1963 to honor the work of the hand, and see the works included in their special exhibition at the North Carolina Executive Mansion in Raleigh.
There are a host of opportunities to explore craft in North Carolina this fall, whether at festivals, fairs or open studio tours. Have one-on-one conversations with the artists, watch them at work and take home a piece of authentic North Carolina craft. [More]
Literary Trails of the North Carolina Piedmont
North Carolina has a reputation as an inspiring and nurturing community for writers, and the legions of successful authors born here or living here continues to grow. Literary Trails of the North Carolina Piedmont, the second volume written by Georgann Eubanks on behalf of the N.C. Arts Council and published in partnership with UNC Press sends you on a journey to experience the Piedmont North Carolina hometowns, hangouts and scenery that have inspired more than 200 Piedmont writers of fiction, creative nonfiction and poetry. It includes 18 regional tours and illuminating excerpts from writers including O. Henry, Doris Betts, Alex Haley, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, John Hart, Betty Smith, Edward R. Murrow, Patricia Cornwell, Carson McCullers, Maya Angelou, Lee Smith, Reynolds Price and David Sedaris. A launch party is scheduled at the Regulator Bookshop in Durham on Wednesday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. Author Georgann Eubanks will present a program and several writers featured in the book will be on hand. UNC Press officials, as well as Arts Council staff, will also attend. Refreshments will be served. Other readings include Barnes & Noble, Greensboro (Thursday, Oct. 21), Quail Ridge Books, Raleigh (Sunday, Oct. 31), the North Carolina Museum of History, Raleigh (Wednesday, Dec. 8) and a special holiday reading with Georgann Eubanks at McIntyre's Fine Books, Pittsboro on Saturday, Dec. 11. For other locations across the state through the end of the year visit http://www.ncarts.org.
There are a host of literary festivals happening across North Carolina this fall-learn more here. Many contemporary North Carolina writers have benefitted from participation in the North Carolina Writers' Network, which marks its 25th annual fall conference, Friday, Nov. 5 through Sunday, Nov. 7. Executive Director Ed Southern talks about the organization's highlights in this video.
Regional Arts Resources
For a complete list of other arts events in North Carolina, visit www.ncarts.org/events or check out these regional resources:
The North Carolina Arts Council works to make North Carolina The Creative State where a robust arts industry produces a creative economy, vibrant communities, children prepared for the 21st century and lives filled with discovery and learning. The Arts Council accomplishes this in partnership with artists and arts organizations, other organizations that use the arts to make their communities stronger and North Carolinians—young and old—who enjoy and participate in the arts. For more information, visit www.ncarts.org.
The N.C. Arts Council is a division of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, a state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina's arts, history and culture. www.ncculture.com
N.C. Arts Council | MSC #4632, Department of Cultural Resources, Raleigh, NC 27699-4632
919.807.6500 |ncarts.org|ncarts@ncdcr.gov
The mission of the North Carolina Arts Council is to make North Carolina a better state through the arts. The Arts Council is a division of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, and celebrates those who create and enjoy art in all 100 counties.
