Recently, the N.C. Arts Council announced three traditional artist teams from western N.C. who have received a North Carolina In These Mountains Appalachian Folklife Apprenticeship. The apprenticeship provides an opportunity for one generation of master artists to pass along specialized knowledge to a new generation, expanding access to unique traditional skills.
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Few could have imagined the effects of Hurricane Helene on western North Carolina in September. "The devastation was beyond belief," Governor Roy Cooper remarked during his September 30 visit to the area. "And even when you prepare for something like this, this is something that's never happened before in western North Carolina."The region's vibrant arts community was among the hardest hit. Yet, it has been the case during previous upheavals, the arts community has also emerged as a beacon of hope and support.
The Pitt County Arts Council got its start in 2000 as the Emerge Gallery, which was founded as a community art center and a learning lab for students at nearby East Carolina University. In 2009, the N.C. Arts Council asked the team at Emerge Gallery to take on the role as the official Pitt County Arts Council, as the county had been without a local arts agency for two decades.
Photo: LaMondre Pugh (L) chatting with presenters Jamie Katz Court (C) and S.A. Corrin (R) at the 2024 LEAD conference.As a state agency, the N.C. Arts Council follows state and federal requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Title II of the ADA, passed in 1990, requires state and local governments to ensure equal access to their programs, services, and activities by people with disabilities.
Photo: Teachers from Odyssey School at the 2024 A+ Summer Institute in Asheville. Photo credit: North Carolina Arts Council.
After a career defined by visionary leadership in the craft community, Marlene True will retire as Executive Director of Pocosin Arts School of Fine Craft in December 2024. Marlene is Pocosin’s second Executive Director, serving in this position for the past 12 years. Her retirement coincides with Pocosin Arts’ 30th Anniversary year.
ince 1989, the North Carolina Heritage Award has honored our state’s most eminent traditional artists and practitioners. Recipients of the Heritage Awards range from internationally acclaimed musicians to folks who quietly practice their art in family and community settings. Awardees receive a cash award and are honored in a ceremony that draws large and enthusiastic audiences. Several North Carolinians have gone on to receive the National Heritage Fellowship Awards presented by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Header photo credit: Walter MagazineLet’s catch up with a few of the N.C. writers making a splash on the literary scene this summer and continuing our state’s rich literary tradition: Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green, spoken word artist Dasan Ahanu, award-winning writers lifting the veil on disability experiences, and some page-turner summer reads.
(Last updated on June 24, 2024)On June 21, thousands of North Carolinians took part in our state’s first Make Music Day, the world’s largest annual music event. 150+ communities across the United States also participated in this global event. The N.C. Arts Council, as part of our mission of “Arts for All,” was proud to sponsor events that local arts councils and arts partners organized in 13 cities and counties across the state.
Jaki Shelton Green is the first African American and third woman poet to be appointed as North Carolina Poet Laureate. As Jaki closes out her final year as our state’s poet-in-chief, we are celebrating a few of the highlights of her tenure.