On Tuesday, May 20, the Latino Arts & Culture Summit will be featured on the television program OPEN/net in Spanish.

The program will discuss the second annual Latino Arts & Culture Summit on OPEN/net for Spanish speaking audiences. Airing from 8-9 p.m., the program is hosted by Yasmin Wurts-Metivier in a conference-room style discussion. As part of the discussion, panelists respond to calls and e-mails from the television audience.

Participating panelists include Banu Valladares, cARTwheels Manager for the North Carolina Arts Council; Pedro Lasch, a visual artist, Board Member of the North Carolina Arts Council, and Assistant Professor of the Practice Department of Art, Art History & Visual Studies at Duke University; and Lizette Cruz Watko, Founder and Executive Director of Diamante, Incorporated, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation, development, and promotion of the culture, heritage and artistic expressionsof the Latino/Hispanic population in North Carolina.

OPEN/net is a public affairs television call-in program that connects viewers across the state to the services and concerns of state government. For more information about OPEN/net, visit www.ncapt.tv.

The Latino Arts & Culture Summit will take place on June 7 at Duke University. For more information, please visit http://www.diamanteinc.org/index_files/Page767.htm.

If any of you read our previous post regarding the African American Dance Ensemble’s tour across North Carolina in American Masterpieces and wanted to know more about what a residency experience would look like, you can view our video of the experience at http://www.ncarts.org/press-videos/AM-AADE.wmv.

You’ll see artistic director Chuck Davis and his company in blue shirts as they instruct community participants. To see the previous post, visit http://ncarts.wordpress.com/2008/02/12/african-dance-comes-to-nc-communities/.

Students from 17school districts statewide will compete in Poetry Out Loud, a national initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts, on February 23 in Raleigh. The statewide competition is coordinated by the North Carolina Arts Council.

The free event will include performances by several of the state’s most prominent spoken word artists and professional poets. Special guests include Kathryn Stripling Byer, North Carolina Poet Laureate and author of six books of poetry; Michael Beadle, a poet, teaching artist and award-winning journalist from western North Carolina; and Mimi Herman, a poet, consultant and statewide coordinator for Poetry Out Loud.

Master of ceremonies for the finalist program is Serena Ebhardt, a professional producer and actress. Ebhardt’s husband and partner in EbzB Productions, David zum Brunner, is master of ceremonies for the semi-finalist programs. Additional special guests include Mary Regan, executive director of the North Carolina Arts Council and The Low Quintet, an improvisational jazz group from Enloe High School in Raleigh.

The Skinny

What: Poetry Out Loud encourages students to memorize and recite poetry while mastering public speaking skills, building self-confidence and learning about their literary heritage. More than 50 schools statewide participated in the classroom and district level competitions, reaching more than 2,000 students statewide.

When: North Carolina’s semi-finals and finalist competitions are on Saturday, February 23. The first semi-finalist competition is at 12:15 p.m. and the second is at 2:30 p.m. The finalist competition is at 7 p.m.

Where: Auditorium of the North Carolina Museum of Art, 2110 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh.

Details: The competitions, expected to last approximately one-and-one-half hours, are open and free to the public.

The North Carolina Arts Council ensures a wide array of rich arts experiences for residents and visitors of the state through grants to non-profit organizations working in their communities. This year, a new online application, North Carolina ARTS Grants Online (AGO), and broader grant categories streamline the process for applicants. The deadline for 2008–09 grant applications is Monday, March 3.

Through the work of local arts councils, arts organizations and a variety of civic and local interest groups, the North Carolina Arts Council provides citizens access to unique arts experiences and resources. Grant recipients of 2007–08 have impacted the state with their innovative and determined efforts:

• The DREAMS Center of Wilmington, a free arts education program for underserved students, was one of eighteen arts and humanities programs in the nation to receive a Coming Up Taller Award from First Lady Laura Bush in January.
• Arts of the Albemarle, located in Elizabeth City, began renovations on the 1897 Lowry-Chesson building this past fall for a new arts complex to benefit Pasquotank and surrounding counties.
• The American Dance Festival celebrates its 75^th anniversary this year, marking 30 years as one of Durham’s most active performing arts institutions, bringing ground-breaking dance to the people of the state in a creative laboratory dedicated to nurturing and sustaining modern dance.
• Burning Coal Theatre Company recently opened its 175-seat theater, marking the major renovation of the 1913 Murphy School, located on the fringe of Raleigh’s historic Oakwood district. The theater is the performing arts lynch pin for downtown’s newest redevelopment project, centered on Blount Street.

Organizations interested in applying for a grant should review the guidelines available on the Arts Council’s Web site and contact the staff member listed for their area of interest. Staff members are available to help organizations make their applications as competitive as possible.

The deadline for submitting applications is March 3, 2008. Applicants are required to use the online grant application as well as submitting a print copy to the Arts Council office by 5 p.m. on the grant deadline date unless otherwise noted in the guidelines. Fax transmissions and late applications will not be accepted. The print version of the application form must include the narrative and attachments.

For more information on the North Carolina Arts Council or Organizational Grants, visit www.ncarts.org or call (919) 807-6500.

If you have a chance to see Chuck Davis and the African American Dance Ensemble, take it! Better yet, if you are in Beaufort, Robeson, Lenoir or Halifax counties, go and be a part of a unique community experience. This year, the African American Dance Ensemble will conduct four one-week residencies as part of the North Carolina Arts Council’s second American Masterpieces tour.

Bringing the magic of African dance to life through authentic attire, drumming and audience participation, Davis and nine principal dancers will make day visits to schools and lead workshops in dance for local participants as part of the one-week residencies.

Local organizers will issue an open call for community participants for the workshops and activities offered by Davis and his team. This is where you come in. If AADE is in your area, go and sign yourself up for the free dance and drumming workshops. You’ll be learning from some of the most talented people in the world of dance, and they don’t care if you have experience or not. You’ll also get to participate in a special performance for the community, choreographed by African American Dance Ensemble specifically for your area.

The African American Dance Ensemble’s primary partners for the tour stops are the local arts councils, community colleges, schools and performing arts venues that offer additional cultural and artistic programming on a local level.

The central focus of American Masterpieces is to acquaint citizens with the best of their artistic and cultural legacy. The National Endowment for the Arts sponsors performances, exhibitions, tours and educational programs across different art forms that reach large and small communities in all 50 states.

The following presenters are collaborating with the North Carolina Arts Council and the African American Dance Ensemble to host the four American Masterpieces residencies:

Turnage Theater
Organized by the Beaufort County Arts Council
Washington, Beaufort County
Residency: March 2-7
Community performance: March 8
www.turnagetheater.com, (252) 975-1191

William Gay Auditorium at Lumberton Senior High School
Organized by the Carolina Civic Center Foundation
Lumberton, Robeson County
Residency: April 13–18
Community performance: April 19
ccc@nc.rr.com, (910) 738-4339

Festival on the Neuse
Organized by the Community Council for the Arts
Kinston, Lenoir County
Residency: April 20-25
Community performance: April 26
www.kinstoncca.com, (252) 527-2517

Weldon, Halifax County
Organized by Halifax Community College
Residency dates and location to be announced
www.hcccentre.com, (252) 538-4336

For more information, contact me at jessica.a.orr@ncmail.net.

The North Carolina Arts Council announced recently that a team of educational and arts leaders from North Carolina were selected by the National Endowment for the Arts for an arts education institute that could lead to statewide reform on how arts education is provided to students in K-12 public schools.

Selected from a field of 20 applicants from 19 states across the country, North Carolina will participate in the first Education Leaders Institute, scheduled March 2008 in Chicago. Other participating states are Alaska, Kentucky, Nebraska and Wisconsin.

North Carolina’s team members are Dr. June St. Clair Atkinson, Superintendent of Public Instruction; Linda Bamford, Arts in Education Director from the North Carolina Arts Council; Becky Carney, North Carolina House of Representatives; Howard N. Lee, Chairman, North Carolina State Board of Education; Christie M. Lynch, Arts Education Consultant for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction; and Karen Wells, Executive Director of Arts North Carolina.

The Institute is modeled on the successful Mayors’ Institute of City Design (MICD), a 20-year partnership program of the National Endowment for the Arts, The U.S. Conference of Mayors, and the American Architectural Foundation.

For more information on the announcement from the NEA, see the press release from the NEA. For questions, contact me at (919) 807-6520 or by e-mail, jessica.a.orr@ncmail.net.

Literary Trails of North Carolina

Sunday, Oct. 28, 2007
3 p.m.
Quail Ridge Books, Raleigh

We are delighted to announce the release of our guidebook, Literary Trails of the North Carolina Mountains, focusing on the literary history and inspirational landscapes of western North Carolina.

A reading and book signing with author Georgann Eubanks is scheduled at Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh on Sunday, Oct. 28 at 3 p.m. Mary B. Regan, Executive Director of the N.C. Arts Council will also speak.

Literary Trails of the North Carolina mountains is a cultural tourism project of the N.C. Arts Council and is available in both a print and web edition. The book, published by UNC Press, was printed in association with the Arts Council.

Written to showcase the brilliant array of writers associated with the western part of the state, the guide encourages readers to explore the landmarks that inspired many of the state’s writers.

The guide comprises eighteen half-day and one-day tour itineraries which take travelers through the landscapes of Sequoyah, Thomas Wolfe, Kathryn Stripling Byer, Kay Hooper, Robert Morgan and Wilma Dykeman, among others.

North Carolina literary history is featured from the William Bartram Trail followed by Inman, the protagonist of Charles Frazier’s novel Cold Mountain, to the little town of Celo, where novelist Anne Tyler spent part of her childhood and started writing stories. A stop at Sonny’s Grill on Main Street in Blowing Rock affords a chance to try fried liver mush—favored by one of Father Tim’s parishioners in Jan Karon’s “Mitford” series of novels.

If you would like more information, please visit www.ncliterarytrails.org or www.ncarts.org.
We look forward to seeing you on Sunday.

Other book signings are scheduled at the following locations across North Carolina:

McIntyre’s Books
Sat., Nov. 2, 2 p.m., Farrington Village

Regulator Bookshop
Thurs., Nov. 8, 7 p.m., Durham

Thomas Wolfe State Historic Site,
Fri., Nov. 9, 7 p.m., Asheville

Smoky Mountain Book Fair and City Lights
Sat. Nov. 10, Sylvia

Blue Moon Books
Sat., Nov. 24, 1 p.m., Spruce Pine

The Book Shelf,
Mon., Nov. 26, 3 p.m., Tryon

Malprops
Thurs., Nov. 29, 4 p.m., Asheville

Black Bear Books in Boone
Fri., Nov. 30, 5 p.m.

Skyland Books
Sat. Dec. 1, West Jefferson

Fireside Books,
Fri., Dec. 7, 5 p.m., Forest City

Joseph Beth Booksellers
Sat. Dec 8, 1 p.m., Charlotte

Finest Folk Artists Honored in Free Night of NC Culture

Frank Stasio, host of the popular radio show, The State of Things, will emcee an exciting and free evening packed with North Carolina culture including performances by bluegrass pioneer George Shuffler, Joe Thompson, African American string band musician, and legendary storyteller Orville Hicks on
Thursday Oct. 25.

The event also features the works of sixth-generation weaver, Mike Harman; nationally-known Haliwa-Saponi potter, Senora Lynch; and preservers of the coastal fishing tradition, Walter and Ray Davenport.

Presented by the North Carolina Arts Council to honor the state’s most eminent folk artists, the event recognizes recipients of the North Carolina Heritage Award. Since 1989, the award has deepened awareness of the stories, music and artistry that comprise our rich and diverse cultural and folklife traditions.

Thompson received the National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment last month in Washington, D.C. The late Appalachian musician, Mary Jane Queen, was also honored during the ceremony.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to meet the artists, take photographs and register for door prizes, including a trio of tourism guidebooks featuring the new Literary Trails of the North Carolina Mountains during a reception, which follows the event.

The free event is scheduled at the Fletcher Opera Theater at the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh at 7:30 p.m. Seating is on a first come, first serve basis, so plan to arrive early.

For more information or questions, visit www.ncarts.org or contact the North Carolina Arts Council at (919) 807-6500.

RECIPIENTS:

Davenport Brothers

Walter and Ray Davenport, Preservers of Coastal Tradition (Tyrrell County)

Brothers and fishermen, Walter and Ray Davenport preserve traditions associated with fishing the rivers, sounds and ocean waters of North Carolina’s coast. Boatbuilding and netmaking are among their many skills and they are unsurpassed in their knowledge of weather patterns, local currents and tides, and of the fish and wildlife that inhabit the sounds.

Orville Hicks

Orville Hicks, Appalachian Storyteller (Watauga County)

Storyteller Orville Hicks specializes in the Beech Mountain Jack Tale tradition. Bringing his own personal creativity and delightful spirit to the tales, Hicks makes them relevant to today’s audiences. He learned many tales from his mother, and from his neighbor, renowned storyteller Ray Hicks, a recipient of the NEA’s National Heritage Fellowship. Orville Hicks performs his stories at festivals, in schools and universities, family reunions and conventions throughout North Carolina and the South.

Mike Harman

Mike Harman, Coverlet Weaver (Ashe County)

Mike Harman is an incredibly talented sixth-generation weaver. Through his business, Buffalo Creek Weavers, Mr. Harman has woven and marketed cotton coverlets utilizing traditional weaving patterns such as “Whig Rose,” “Lover’s Knot,” and “Morning Star.” Harman enjoys a national reputation for his work and has been awarded commissions for President Bill Clinton and Pope John Paul II, among others.

Senora Lynch

Senora Lynch, Haliwa-Saponi Potter (Warren County)

An extraordinary potter from the Haliwa-Saponi tribe, Senora Lynch builds her pots using the traditional coiling method while decorating her work with Native American symbols and motifs. Telling the story of her tribe and her American Indian heritage, Lynch’s pottery has been displayed at the White House, the Smithsonian Institution and at the North Carolina Museum of History.

George Shuffler

George Shuffler, Bluegrass Musician (Burke County)

George Shuffler is one of the pioneers of bluegrass music. During Shuffler’s long career as a professional musician, including twenty years as a member of Ralph and Stanley Carter’s band, he developed a unique style of “cross-picking” the guitar that has been widely emulated by bluegrass musicians.

With a powerful command of the stage, Duke Ellington School of the Arts senior Amanda Fernandez riveted audiences with “Ma Rainey,” a vibrant portrait of rural African American life by poet Sterling A. Brown. This was one of three recitations that earned Fernandez the title of 2007 Poetry Out Loud National Champion and a $20,000 scholarship prize.
The event was the culmination of a pyramid-structure competition that began in early January among schools in every state and the District of Columbia.

In North Carolina, the state-level competition was organized by the North Carolina Arts Council with students from 19 school districts. Aimee Isbell, an eighteen-year-old from Mooresville City Schools in Iredell County, represented North Carolina in the national competition.“I really enjoyed meeting different people from all over the country,” said Isbell. “It was also rewarding for me to simply be on stage, looking out into the crowd and doing what I love.”

The National Finals were held at the George Washington University Lisner Auditorium in Washington, D.C. Twelve finalists and 51 state champions from around the country participated in the second national poetry recitation contest, sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation.

The second place winner was Branden Emanual Wellington of Broad Ripple High School in Indianapolis, Indiana, who received a $10,000 scholarship prize. The Virginia State Champion, Alanna Rivera, of Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Virginia, received the third place prize and a $5,000 scholarship.

For more information on Poetry Out Loud in North Carolina, visit www.ncarts.org/poetryoutloud.

North Carolina’s outdoor dramas have captivated audiences for decades, re-telling the state’s history through a combination of music, action, dance and drama. Stories of early settlers on Roanoke Island, Daniel Boone’s battles and the story of the Cherokee Indians are but a few ways that visitors can experience North Carolina’s history first hand through these exciting performances.

The Lost Colony
By Paul Green
June 1–Aug. 20, 8:30 p.m.
Waterside Theatre, Manteo
This symphonic outdoor drama focuses on the first
British settlement in theNew World on Roanoke Island
in 1587. The disappearance of their colony remains one
of history’s greatest mysteries. For more information,
visit www.thelostcolony.org or call (252) 273-3414.

Unto These Hills: A Retelling
By Ben Hurst, Pat Allee
June 8–Aug. 18, 8 p.m.
Mountainside Theatre, Cherokee
The historical drama relates the removal of the Cherokee by Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto in 1540 and their struggle along the “Trail of Tears.” This story recreates the inspiration, leadership and sacrifice of the brave Cherokee.
For more information, visit www.cherokee-nc.com or call (866) 554-4557.

Horn in the West
By Kermit Hunter
June 15–Aug. 11, 8 p.m.
Powderhorn Theatre, Boone
The nation’s oldest Revolutionary War drama recounts the adventures of famous frontiersman Daniel Boone and several other settlers fight for freedom against the British.
For more information, visit www.horninthewest.com or call (88 825-6747.

The Montford Park Players
Romeo and Juliet: June 15–July 8
Cyrano de Bergerac: July 20–Aug. 12
The Signature: Aug. 17–Sept. 2
Much Ado About Nothing: Sept. 7–20
Henry VI: Parts 1, 2 and 3: Oct. 5–14
Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, Asheville
This volunteer run, non-profit organization has produced free plays since 1973. The Montford park Players’ original purpose is to bring Shakespeare and other classic plays to the mountains of Western North Carolina.
For more information, visit www.montfordparkplayers.org or call (82 254-5146.

The Sword of Peace
By William Hardy
June 28–Aug. 17, 8 p.m.
Snow Camp Outdoor Theatre, Snow Camp
During its 34 th season, witness the dramatic portrayal of the peaceful Quakers during the Revolutionary War at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse.
For more information, visit www.snowcampdrama.com or call (336) 376-6948.

Strike at the Wind
By Randolph Umberger
July 7–26
Adolph L. Dial Amphitheater, Pembroke
Since 1976, this outdoor musical tells the dramatic story of Henry Berry Lowrie and his fight to uphold the rights and freedoms of Indians and African Americans at the end of the Civil War.
For more information, visit www.strikeatthewind.com or call (910) 521-0835.

Pathway to Freedom
By Mark R. Summer
July 5–Aug.18, 8 p.m.
Snow Camp Outdoor Theatre, Snow Camp
This musical drama focuses on George Vestal, son of a slave owning family, and his decision to help lead others to freedom with the Underground Railroad.
For more information, visit www.snowcampdrama.com or call (336) 376-6948.

From This Day Forward
By Fred Cranford
July 6–Aug. 11, 8 p.m.
Old Colony Players Amphitheatre, Valdese
The 40th annual historical drama recaps the religious persecution and exile of the Waldenses from Italy, to Switzerland and eventually in North Carolina. Through music and dance, the story of their struggle for religious freedom and arrival in North Carolina is relived.
For more information, visit www.oldcolonyplayers.com or call (82 874-0176.

The Amistad Saga: Reflections
By Ann Hunt-Smith
July 19–22
African American Cultural Complex, Raleigh
This outdoor drama recalls the 1839 mutiny abouard the slave ship Amistad. The drama reflects the plight of the ship’s captives, from their removal from their native land to a revolt at sea and their battle for freedom.
For more information, visit www.aaccmuseum.org or call (919) 250-9336.

Tom Dooley: A Wilkes County Legend
By Karen Wheeling-Reynolds
June 22–July 7, 8:30 p.m.
Fort Hamby Park Amphitheatre/Benton Hall, North Wilkesboro
This is the dramatization of the well-known 1868 Wilkes County love triangle that resulted in the murder of Laura Foster and the subsequent hanging of Tom Dula (pronounced Dooley). Folklore and legend feel that he confessed to the murder to protect his true love, Anne Melton.
For more information, visit www.wilkesplaymakers.com or call (336) 838-PLAY.

First for Freedom
By Max B. Williams
June 29–30; July 4–7
Eastern Stage, Inc., Halifax
This drama celebrates events that led up to the signing of the Halifax Resolve on April 12, 1776, the first formal declaration of independence from Great Britain by an American colony.
For more information, call (252) 583-2261.

Shakespeare on the Green
“As You Like It,” by William Shakespeare
June 1–24, 8 p.m.
Greenfiled Lake Amphitheater, Wilmington
This season see William Shakepeare’s “As You Like It.” Free admission.
For more information, visit www.cape-fear.nc.us or call (910) 341-4030.