SPRING 2010
Welcome to Artful Living
Spring in North Carolina is an invitation to explore and embrace the arts in our own backyards. Spend a day or a weekend experiencing exciting new art museums, sign up for a class at a craft school or arts center, or join in the fun at an outdoor arts festival. No matter where you live, there's an artful experience awaiting you.
Rich in tradition as well as innovation, artists and craftspeople share their skills in classes ranging from an hour to a weekend. This spring, explore a host of offerings at The Bascom, a visual art center in Highlands, John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown and Penland School of Crafts. Or take a workshop or weekend class at a local arts council or art guild.
Make plans to visit Charlotte, where the new Wells Fargo Cultural Campus boasts two must-see arts facilities: The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art and the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts & Culture. While you're in Charlotte, visit Opera Carolina for an original production of the popular opera Carmen or stop by a bookstore and read the latest poetry collection from Cathy Smith Bowers, a Tryon resident, who teaches creative writing at Charlotte's Queens University.
Travel to Greensboro to see the "junkyard aesthetic" of artist Leonardo Drew during the only southeast stop of his large-scale installation at the Weatherspoon Art Museum on the UNC Greensboro campus. Downtown, enjoy Triad Stage's Ethel Waters: His Eye Is on the Sparrow, a highly-acclaimed dramatization of the life of the singer and Hollywood star. Or time your visit around the North Carolina Writers' Network Spring Conference and join hundreds of writers for workshops, readings, networking and discussion.
Take advantage of the numerous outdoor arts festivals and exhibitions across our state. From a blacksmithing festival in Spruce Pine to a downtown arts fair in Raleigh to a juried arts show in Blowing Rock, you'll find inspiration and fun for the whole family.
Let the North Carolina Arts Council be your guide to a whole season of artful experiences this spring.
—David Potorti, the Artful Traveler
and the Artful Living team, N.C. Arts Council
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Artful Trips this Spring
Experience Performing Arts in North Carolina
This spring experience innovative opera, delight at African-American dance and explore the musical story of America as performing arts come to life across our state. Read more »
Visit a North Carolina Museum
From two major new art museums in Charlotte to the grand re-opening of the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, there's never been a better time to explore one of North Carolina's finest museums. Read more »
Take a Class at a North Carolina Arts Center
Whether you’re interested in the arts as a career or a hobby, you can pursue your passion at art schools and centers across our state. Here are a few of the facilities offering classes this spring. Read more »
Take a Literary Journey
The abundance of writers in our state brings many opportunities to appreciate the written word. Literary festivals and conferences bring writers and would-be writers together with successful authors who share their knowledge through sessions, workshops and readings.
Read more »
Head Outdoors For a Spring Arts Festival
Whether a symphony performance on the lawn or a bluegrass festival, there are countless opportunities to get outside and hear music as the weather gets warmer in North Carolina. Read more »
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Meet the New Poet Laureate
Cathy Smith Bowers, a Tryon resident who teaches creative writing at Queens University in Charlotte, has been named North Carolina Poet Laureate by Governor Beverly E. Perdue. The state poet laureate serves as ambassador of N.C. literature, past and present and for all N.C. writers, especially living writers. Look for Smith Bowers as she travels across the state to engage writers of all ages, make personal appearances in public schools and other educational institutions and community events to inspire North Carolinians in their own literary pursuits.
"Poetry moves us in a profound and positive way," Smith Bowers says. "I am hoping this will be an opportunity for me to keep everyone in touch — poet and word lovers alike." She succeeds Kathryn Stripling Byer, who held the post from 2005 to 2009.
Smith Bowers is the author of four poetry collections: The Love That Ended Yesterday in Texas, Traveling in Time of Danger, A Book of Minutes and The Candle I Hold Up To See You.
Learn more about the poet laureate program by visiting ncarts.org/poet_laureate.cfm.
Watch videos of Cathy reading and talking about her work »
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Museums in a Minute: Reynolda House Museum of American Art
Reynolda House Museum of American Art in Winston-Salem features a renowned collection of American art including masterpieces by Albert Bierstadt, Mary Cassatt, Frederic Church, John Singleton Copley, Thomas Eakins, Jacob Lawrence, Georgia O'Keeffe and Grant Wood. Spring is a perfect time to visit the museum as well as Reynolda Gardens. Take a 60-second tour of Reynolda House in the Arts Council's latest Museums in a Minute profile.
Watch the video »
For a snapshot of major North Carolina museums and links, visit ncarts.org/freeform_scrn_template.cfm?ffscrn_id=85.
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Save the Date: HandMade Expo
HandMade in America will present HandMade: The Western North Carolina Craft, Architecture & Design Expo Friday, June 25, and Saturday, June 26, at The North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville. This first-time event invites the public to join artists, architects, builders and designers to share and learn about successful collaboration between craft artists, homeowners and industry professionals. Drawing from the tremendous craft resources that are a unique and vital part of western North Carolina, the event will emphasize craftsmanship in architectural elements and design in both high-end and mid-range home markets. Tickets are $15 per day or $25 for both days.
To register or for more information, visit www.handmadeinamerica.org/designexpo.
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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:
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About the North Carolina Arts Council
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
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