NOVEMBER 2009

Emerging Issues Debate: The Value of the Arts

North Carolina Arts Council Executive Director Mary B. Regan was asked by the Institute for Emerging Issues: "Why aren't the arts valued as much as the sciences and math in general, and for economic development purposes in particular?" Her response appeared in their October e-newsletter in the article Emerging Issues Debate: The Value of the Arts and is reprinted below:

This question surprised me. Ten, fifteen years ago, maybe it would not have. But, we're now living in a transformative period for our state and the nation, a period in which the "prevailing wisdom" embraces creativity and innovation at every turn as the panacea for all the shortcomings we confront.

Perhaps it is only our institutions—social, educational, and political—that haven't yet caught up. Institutions—and the bureaucracies that enfold them—are slow to change. Rules took a long time to develop, fine tune, and gain broad public acceptance, and they are taking a long time to shift.

Sputnik 1 shot into orbit October 4, 1957 and America's schools and industries and political leaders plunged their resources into science and math so that the United States would not get beaten out by the Soviet Union. Though no one talks about Sputnik any more, the shock of the Sputnik crisis so pervaded the American psyche that our institutions still quietly reflect its effect.

The conversation itself, though, has changed. The term "downtown revitalization" has become synonymous with the arts and historic preservation. Charlotte reinvented itself with the arts as a centerpiece. Other cities and small towns have turned bank buildings and post offices and county jails into arts centers. One person said she is no longer afraid to go downtown when an arts event is underway. She knows it will be safe because many people will be there.

The N. C. Department of Commerce business recruitment section on its Web site describes why this is a great place to live. It includes "the state's cultural offerings, rich history and variety of arts" along with diverse geography, moderate climate, outdoor recreation and intense collegiate and professional sports rivalries. Commerce Secretary Keith Crisco says that in order for him to do his job well, he needs the Department of Cultural Resources to do its job well.

The Commerce Department has recently completed research into the impact of the creative/cultural economy on North Carolina's bottom line. These findings will be announced (on Nov. 24 in Charlotte). The new data builds on a 2007 study conducted by the State Arts Council on the arts industry in North Carolina. That study estimated creative sector employment at more than four percent of the state total, with nearly 159,000 people earning more than $3.9 billion in wages. We also found that:

• The presence of creative professionals in a given county is the single most important factor associated with the amount that visitors will spend,
• the presence of creative workers is strongly associated with rising household incomes, and
• counties with higher proportions of workers in arts-related occupations are more likely to retain current residents and attract new ones.

Creative enterprises encompass a wide range of industries, including the arts, entertainment and new media, and design. They are made up of both non-profit and for-profit workers who thrive through their symbiotic relationship. Often, the non-profit side serves as R&D for commercial industries as artists' day jobs are fed by the talent and creativity that propel their artistic pursuits. And it is original creative content in products that creates a major competitive edge for manufacturers, especially as globalization makes competition increasingly difficult.

Recently, the Wall Street Journal asked six experts "which 10 cities will emerge as the hottest, hippest destinations for highly mobile, educated workers in their 20s when the U.S. economy gets moving again." The panelists were demographers, economists, geographers and authors on urban issues. They named Raleigh #7 in a tie with Denver, Colorado. Among its attributes, the Journal cites Raleigh's jobs in tech and research, good outdoor recreation and a lively music scene.

North Carolina is changing dramatically—and will change even more dramatically in the next decade. By 2015 our population will surpass 10 million, making North Carolina the sixth fastest-growing state in the nation. In the near future, our citizens are less likely to be North Carolina natives than people who have chosen this state as their home.

Last December the Arts Council adopted a strategic plan to make North Carolina the State of Creativity. We intend our state to be a base for artists and creative people of all kinds, one that encourages "a culture of creativity expressed through innovative approaches to economic development, education, and government. The arts will become both a destination and a way of life deeply rooted in the same North Carolina values that have already positioned our state as a leader in the arts and a leader in finding ways that the arts can add value to every community."

About the Forum:
The Emerging Issues Forum, scheduled for Feb. 8–9, 2010, will explore creativity in North Carolina with the theme Creativity, iNC. Sponsored by NC State University's Institute for Emerging Issues, the Forum will provide visibility and impetus to the creative economy movement.

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Cultural Resources Secretary to Announce Creative Economy Contribution

Linda A. Carlisle, Secretary of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, will announce the economic contributions of the Creative Industry in North Carolina to business and art leaders on Tuesday, Nov. 24 at the McColl Center for the Visual Arts.

The announcement will present the results of an analysis conducted by the N.C. Department of Commerce on creative enterprises within the culture sector. The recent study builds on the N.C. Arts Council's 2007 report, Creative Economy: The Arts Industry in North Carolina.

For more information about the announcement, contact rebecca.moore@ndcr.gov or (919) 807-6530.

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Upcoming Industry Meetings

November 9–11
ArtsMarket Showcase, High Point. To register online, visit www.ncpresenters.org.

November 13
North Carolina Preservation Consortium Annual Conference, UNC-CH. For more information, visit www.ncpreservation.org.

November 19–21
N.C. Theatre Conference, Greensboro

November 20–22
N.C. Writers' Network Fall Conference, Wrightsville Beach

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New on the Web

Profiles on the Web
We're updating ncarts.org with profiles of artists and arts organizations all the time. Learn more about the Beaufort County Arts Council, the Piedmont Craftsmen's Fair and the Cucalorus Film Festival.

Six Days in November
Stephan Dragisic of Visit Winston-Salem and Jane Daub with Piedmont Craftsmen describe the highlights of Six Days in November, a citywide celebration of music, theater, dance and the arts beginning Nov. 17. Watch the video »

Community Folklife Documentation Institute
Watch short documentary profiles of North Carolina artists produced during this and previous year's institutes. See the videos »

Artful Holidays Coming in November
Our special holiday promotion site will launch this November with artful ways to spend time with family and friends during the holidays as well as a variety of artful gift guides.

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ACROSS NORTH CAROLINA

Arts Centers Provide Unique Resources for Community

Guest Column by Sherry DeVries
Executive Director, Durham Arts Council, Durham County

Reprinted with permission from The News & Observer.

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Gantt Center Opens in Charlotte's New Cultural Complex

More than 10,500 people attended the two-and-half day opening of the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Art + Culture last month in Charlotte.

The celebration started with a sunset ceremony at the old location and a Founder's Society Gala Friday night. Saturday's events included a ribbon cutting ceremony, face painting, African dance and drumming, a book signing and other community events open to the public.

Dignitaries, politicians, local community members, artists and residents filled the new four-floor facility in Uptown Charlotte. The center is a part of the Uptown Charlotte Cultural Complex, which will also house the 1,100-seat Knight Theater, Bechtler Art Museum and the new Mint Museum.

"From the very beginning, the AfroAmerican Cultural Center looked at its organization as a way to showcase, advocate and highlight the accomplishments of the African-American community," says Mary B. Regan, the executive director of the N.C. Arts Council. "The community and the center have been on a remarkable journey, navigating the forks in the road and ultimately expanding their vision. This new cultural complex provides an incredible opportunity for visitors and residents to experience Charlotte's rich and diverse culture."

Guests toured the John and Vivian Hewitt collection of African-American art featuring works by renowned artists including Charlotte native Romare Bearden, Henry Ossawa Tanner, John Biggers, Jonathan Green and Jacob Lawrence. One of the works on display was Bearden's "Homage to Mary Lou," a 1983 lithograph also known as "The Piano Lesson."

Other pieces on exhibit included Juan Logan's "Leisure Space" and Radcliffe Bailey's "Between Two Worlds." Both artists attended the gala. Durham artist David Wilson's public art called "Divergent Threads, Lucent Memories" is featured prominently on the Stonewall and S. College streets side of the building.

Harvey Gantt, the center's namesake, was honored during the dedication ceremonies for the $18.6 million building. Gantt, the first black student at Clemson University, became an architect in Charlotte and served on the City Council from 1974 to 1983. He became the city's first black mayor in 1983, serving two terms until 1987.

Many would say 89-year-old Vivian Hewitt was the star of the evening, welcoming everyone who approached her like a favorite aunt. Hewitt, who with her husband, John, amassed the 58 works that serve as the cornerstone of the center's permanent collection, was a delight. The former librarian told guests they too could own art. "Buy what you love, what speaks to you," she said. "You don't have to be wealthy to collect art, you don't have to be elitist."

Even if you missed the opening ceremonies, you can enjoy another reception at the space when the center hosts a Jazzy Reception on Saturday, Dec. 5.

Visit the Gantt Center Web site »

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15th Annual Cucalorus Film Festival

Fifteen years ago the Cucalorus Film Festival started out as a one-night event with the screening of 16 films in a downtown Wilmington restaurant. This year, the five-day festival, scheduled Nov. 11–15, will screen 150 films from filmmakers around the world, playing in eight venues throughout Wilmington.

Named this summer as one of the "Top 25 Coolest Film Festivals" by Moviemaker Magazine, Cucalorus is celebrating its 15th anniversary as an international film festival drawing filmmakers from the Carolinas to China and from the United Kingdom to Ukraine.

Some of the films featured this year include Tina Mabry's award-winning "Mississippi Damned" about three poor African American children in rural Mississippi dealing with the consequences of their family's cycle of abuse, addiction and violence. The film was shot in Hertford County, N.C.

"Cucalorus has distinguished itself as a festival with a lot of sincerity," says Festival Director Dan Brawley, Jr. "It still has the intimacy of that first event." Last year more than 10,000 tickets were sold to an audience that ranged from Wilmington film buffs to Canadians and Californians. Filling in the seats were plenty of international filmmakers from Italy, Spain, Australia, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. Cinema lovers rub elbows with filmmakers and actors at Cucalorus.

To find out about ticket packages, film descriptions and more, visit www.cucalorus.org.

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Dickens Comes Alive in Chapel Hill

PlayMakers Repertory Company in Chapel Hill undertakes an ambitious mounting of The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby—the biggest production in PlayMakers' history—in two parts Nov. 11–Dec. 20 at the Paul Green Theatre.

Dickens' masterpiece is brought to life with all the colorful characters, twists of fate, sly humor and the rich interwoven tapestry of his immortal tale. Twenty-five actors play 150 characters in the play by David Edgar based on the Dickens novel. The producing artistic director is Joseph Haj and co-director is Tom Quaintance.

You can learn about the production prior to the show by visiting the PlayMakers blog, Nicholas Nickleby, From Page to Stage.

In conjunction with the production, the Ackland Art Museum will present The Illustrated World of Charles Dickens through Dec. 6. The selection of original drawings, illustrations and prints illuminates the early Victorian world and literary culture of Dickens' England.

Drawn entirely from the Ackland's permanent collection, the installation will include works by Dickens' chief artistic collaborators George Cruikshank, "Phiz" and John Leech. Installed in the Ackland's new second floor Study Gallery, the works invite questions about the dynamic relationship between literature, art and theatre.

The Ackland will also offer a lunch lecture, "Scribblings, Sketches, and Stagings: The Progress of Dickens' Art in the Victorian Popular Consciousness" on Wed., Dec. 2 from 1 to 2 p.m., part of the museum's ongoing Lunch with One series.

Also accompanying the production is a seminar on the Victorian World Dec. 4–5. Offered by the Humanities Program at UNC-Chapel Hill, the seminar features lectures about writing and costuming in the context of Victorian life.

PlayMakers show and ticket information »
Ackland events information »
Seminar information »

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Guild Marks 40 Years

The 40th Carolina Designer Craftsmen's Fine Craft + Design Show is scheduled Fri., Nov. 27–Sun., Nov. 29 at the N.C. State Fairgrounds Exposition Center in Raleigh.

"Art guilds such as Carolina Designer Craftsmen provide artists with an appealing environment in which to exhibit and sell their work, as well as providing an important infrastructure for networking with other artists," said Jeff Pettus, senior program director for artists & organizations at the N.C. Arts Council. "We commend them on their 40th anniversary of supporting creative professionals across North Carolina."

The show provides the public the opportunity to see and purchase a diverse selection of jury-selected, one-of-a-kind fine crafts from over 100 exhibiting guild members. Fine crafts displayed at this year's show will include pottery, clay, sculpture, wearable fiber, blown glass, jewelry, metal work, wood work, furniture, photography, printmaking and mixed media.

More information »

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Duke Celebrates 25 Years of Dorfman

Twenty-five years ago the playwright and human rights activist Ariel Dorfman accepted an offer to teach at Duke University. It is a decision he has never come to regret.

This academic year the Duke University Center for International Studies celebrates "Ariel Dorfman: 25 Years at Duke University," with a series of events highlighting his playwriting, film and academic career.

Dorfman, who holds the Walter Hines Page Professor of Literature and Latin American Studies, first came to Duke in 1985 as a visiting professor. At the time, he hoped to teach one semester at Duke and live the rest of the year in his adopted homeland, Chile. But in 1987, when he was arrested and deported by a government still under the control of Gen. Augusto Pinochet, he decided to accept a more permanent position at Duke University.

In 1989 he was made a full professor of literature and Latin American studies and from his Durham home has gone on to write numerous plays, novels, films, essays and poems as well as articles for some of the world's most important newspapers and magazines. It was at Duke that he penned the acclaimed and prize-winning play Death and the Maiden (1992), later made into a feature film by Roman Polanski.

"Duke has been the bulwark of my career," Dorfman said. "For someone who needed a refuge and a welcoming intellectual atmosphere, I can think of no other place in the world that would have encouraged my work with such care. It has been so stimulating to have those wonderful students and extraordinary colleagues and an administration that was always ready to support my work."

"Ariel Dorfman: 25 Years at Duke University" is sponsored by the Duke University Center for International Studies, the Office of the Vice Provost for International Affairs, the Center for Latin America and Caribbean Studies, the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, and the Screen/Society.

See this Spring's events »
Visit Dorfman's Web site »

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Marketing Success Story: Triad Stage's Venture Into Social Networking

Guest Column by Steven Box

If you have a marketing success story you would like to share with the arts industry, contact Rebecca Moore at rebecca.moore@ncdcr.gov or (919) 807-6530.

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Green Hill Center Names New Director

The Green Hill Center for North Carolina Art has named Laura Way as executive director. She assumed the leadership position of the nonprofit visual arts center, located downtown in the Greensboro Cultural Center, following leadership roles at Penland School of Crafts and the McColl Center for Visual Art in Charlotte.

Way takes the job formerly held by Bill Baites, who resigned in April to care for his elderly mother. Way, originally from Philadelphia, will relocate from Charlotte in the coming weeks.

Green Hill features an art gallery, sales shop and ArtQuest, an arts studio for children and families.

Visit the center's Web site »

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New Director for Blue Ridge Heritage

The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area board of directors has appointed Angie Chandler executive director. Chandler currently serves as director of external affairs with the North Carolina Arboretum.

Chandler will oversee all activities of the nonprofit organization, including implementation of a ten-year management plan, grantmaking, marketing, research, interpretation and fundraising. She will work closely with officials at the federal, state and local levels in addition to nonprofits, businesses and foundations. The organization receives an annual appropriation of federal funds through the National Park Service which is matched with state, local and private dollars.

Read the press release »

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Museum on the Move

The N.C. Museum of Art is offering programs at venues around the community while they are moving more than 750 works of art to their new home. To experience the museum's programs at venues around the community and to find out about the latest news visit the museum's newly designed Web site at www.ncartmuseum.org.

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Ackland to Open on Thursday Evenings

Starting this Thursday the Ackland Art Museum at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will extend its public hours until 8 p.m., establishing regular evening hours for the first time in the history of the museum.

The museum's curator of collections, Timothy Riggs, will give a free gallery talk in the special exhibition The Guardian and the Avant-Garde Nov. 5 at 6:30 p.m.

The museum's hours are 10 a.m.–5 p.m. on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday; 10 a.m.–8 p.m. Thursdays; 1–5 p.m. Sunday; and 10 a.m.–9 p.m. the second Friday of every month when the museum hosts Art after Dark, part of the Chapel Hill/Carrboro 2nd Friday Artwalk.

Visit the museum's Web site »

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ARTIST NEWS & OPPORTUNITIES

"Parlous Angels" Released

"Parlous Angels," the debut work of fiction from Ed Southern, is now available from bookstores across N.C. and from www.press53.com.

"Parlous Angels" is a cycle of 18 interconnected stories "chronicling the life and times of several generations of a family in the North Carolina Piedmont," says novelist Sharyn McCrumb. Lee Smith writes, "Ed Southern's stories are about hard work and hard times and what is required of a boy to become a man in such a place and time. They are also about class—that taboo subject in America—and about anger, love, and yearning. Carefully written, with the best dialogue I've read in years, these terrific and utterly original stories are made to last—like a stone pathway or a brick wall."

Southern's previous work includes "Voices of the American Revolution in the Carolinas" and "Sports in the Carolinas." He is the executive director of the North Carolina Writers' Network.

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N.C. Artist Receives Award for Women in the Arts

Glenda Wharton, a Winston-Salem filmmaker and a N.C. Artist Fellowship recipient (film) has been honored with a Theo Westenberger Award for Extraordinary Achievement by Women in the Arts. See Glenda's current work at www.zoplayroom.com.

Wharton will be honored during an awards ceremony Jan. 6, 2010, at the AIR Gallery in New York City where a retrospective exhibition of work by Theo Westenberger, Power and Presence, will be on view. Westenberger is known for her photographs of celebrities, including Marilyn Monroe. Learn more at westenbergerlegacy.blogspot.com.

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N.C. Arts Council Fellowship Recipient Debut Novel a Fall Okra Pick

"The Better Park of Darkness," a debut urban fantasy novel by Holly Springs author Kelly Gay, has been chosen by the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance as one of their fall 2009 Okra Picks. Gay is a 2006 recipient of a N.C. Arts Council Fellowship Award for literature.

Published by Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, "The Better Part of Darkness" is scheduled for national release on Nov. 24, 2009. The novel was purchased in a two-book deal last year.

"A long-time dream come true," Gay said. "Receiving the grant from the Arts Council was a huge boost to my confidence as a writer, and it kept me moving forward to my goal of becoming a working writer."

Publishers Weekly says of the book, "Intricate world-building and richly complex characters mix with a fast-paced plot to create a standout start to a new series." Gay will be signing her novel at Streets at South Point Barnes & Noble in Durham on Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m. Visit her Web site, www.kellygay.net, for additional information.

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Colombian Consulate of Atlanta Honors Charlotte Artist

Edwin Gil, a Charlotte-based artist, will be honored at a ceremony in the offices of the Colombian Consulate of Atlanta on Friday, Nov. 6. Gil was recognized as Latino of the Year by Agencia EFE and by Colombia Es Pasion (Colombia Is Passion) as one of the nine most influential Colombians living in the United States.

"I am humbled and honored to be recognized by the Colombian Consulate and want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has helped me in my journey as an artist," said Edwin Gil. "No matter where we come from or where we are born, we're all interconnected and we each have a story to tell. My art is how I express my story and I hope it encourages others to share theirs."

Gil was born in the capital of the province of Antioquia and the major industrial region of Colombia. Self-taught, Gil has worked with Colombia's great masters like Hector Favio Castaño. After moving to the U.S. in 2000 and a short stint in Miami, Gil established himself in Charlotte where he is a leader in Hispanic art projects.

Visit Gil's Web site »

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Western N.C. Regional Artist Project Grant Recipients Announced

The recipients of Regional Artist Project Grants were recently announced by the Caldwell County Arts Council, Burke Arts Council and Rock School Foundation in Burke County, Hiddenite Center in Alexander County, McDowell Arts Council Association and the United Arts Council of Catawba County.

The recipients include Ellen Ball, Hickory (purchase of equipment for jewelry fabrication); Wyn Flo, Granite Falls (instruction in creating structure for sculpted birds); Courtney Long, Morganton (purchase of kiln equipment); Robert Steadman, Hudson (record a classical guitar CD); Susan Taylor, Old Fort (classes in basket weaving); Mark Tomczak, Old Fort (construction of an indoor craft show booth); and Clayton Joe Young, Hickory (photography exhibit in a museum gallery).

The grants are made possible with funds from the N.C. Arts Council for artists who have demonstrated excellence in their fields for projects which will take them to the next professional level.

For a list of artist opportunities, visit our Artist Opportunities archive or subscribe to receive this e-news directly by sending an email to ncarts@ncdcr.gov with the subject "Subscribe to Artist Opportunities."

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ACROSS THE NATION

Congress Votes $12.5 Million NEA Increase

In back-to-back votes on October 29, both the House and the Senate passed the final version of the bill appropriating $167.5 million for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in fiscal year 2010. The funding legislation set the Arts Endowment budget for the year with an increase of $12.5 million above the 2009 level of $155 million.

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Study Confirms Cultural Travelers Spend More

A recent research study shows that 78 percent of all U.S. leisure travelers participate in cultural and/or heritage activities while traveling, translating to 118.3 million adults each year. With cultural and heritage travelers spending an average of $994 per trip, they contribute more than $192 billion annually to the U.S. economy.

The study was conducted by Mandala Research for the U.S. Cultural & Heritage Tourism Marketing Council, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Visit the council's Web site »
Find out more about the study (word doc) »

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ARTS IN THE NEWS

DooR to DooR

A program that brings artists to patients' hospital rooms was recently featured in the Daily Tar Heel. DooR to DooR is a recipient of N.C. Arts Council funds.

Read the article »

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Loan Program to Aid Small Businesses

The Center for Community Self-Help in Durham was covered by the News & Observer. The center will administer two programs, the Golden LEAF Loan Program and the Rural Center Loan Program, which will provide $5.5 million in loans to small businesses across the state. The Golden LEAF Foundation is providing $5 million and the state Rural Economic Development Center will add $500,000 to the programs.

Read the article »

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