Topics Related to Arts Across NC

Header image: Freeman Vines. Photo by Tim Duffy, courtesy of Music Maker Foundation.

One of our state’s greatest treasures is our legacy of folk, traditional, and blues music. The Music Maker Foundation works to preserve and foster the “roots of American music by supporting senior traditional musicians and educating the public.” Based in Hillsborough, the foundation supports senior traditional musicians, forming “long-term partnerships with them to raise their standards of living and levels of expertise,” according to the website.

Header image: Sarah Jones Decker. Photo credit: Lauren Rutton, courtesy of Sarah Jones Decker.

Header image: North Carolina Arts Council staff at the 2025 ARTS Day conference. Photo by Andie Freeman.

Header image: Anna Bryant working in her studio. Photo credit: John DuPre, courtesy of Anna Bryant.

Last fall, Hurricane Helene brought devastation to western North Carolina, threatening the state’s culture and economy. Artists affected by the damage are reflecting on their experiences and finding ways to support one another and the community at large as they find their way forward. Art Matters is shining a light on some of these artists. Meet Anna Bryant, the subject of our first profile in a series we’ve titled “Portraits in Resilience.”

Header image: Dare Coulter. Photo by Lauren Lindley Photography, courtesy of Dare Coulter.

To celebrate Women’s History Month, we’re highlighting some of the extraordinary female artists we have featured in the past. This list represents a small sample of the women who have shaped and continue to shape the arts in our state.  

Header photo credit: Atlantic Dance Theatre and Black Box Dance Theatre.

Energy shifted as students entered the room. A buzz of excitement filled the air—the students knew today would be special. Dancers from Black Box Dance Theatre greeted them, setting up for a day of movement and learning about resilience.

A revolutionary way of approaching education started in North Carolina nearly 30 years ago, and it has been transforming the lives of students and teachers ever since. A+ Schools of North Carolina is a whole-school transformation model that views the arts as fundamental to teaching and learning. A+ Schools serves more than 60 PreK–12 schools in rural, suburban, and urban communities across the state. In addition, A+ Schools supports transformation at eight pilot schools across the U.S. 

Photo: Interior of Bookmarks bookshop. Image courtesy of Bookmarks and MJS Live Productions.

Step into this sun-warmed brick building, with its wall of gleaming windows, and you'll discover North Carolina's only nonprofit independent bookstore. Bookmarks, located in Winston-Salem, champions a bold mission: cultivating community by bringing people of all ages together with books and authors who educate, inspire, challenge, and entertain. 

In honor of Black History Month, we took a trip in the N.C. Arts Council time machine to revisit some of the artists we have featured in the past. These remarkable artists excel in their craft and have shaped the state’s artistic heritage. Let's reconnect with these visionaries.