Category Archives: Uncategorized

Congratulations to Winners of Student Solo Competition

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The Jackson County Arts Council would like to congratulate the winners of the 23rd Annual Student Solo Competition that was held in January by the Western Carolina Civic Orchestra.  There were four winners of this event, which was sponsored by the Jackson County Arts Council.  The recipients were:  Cassidy Quillen, a violinist and senior at Smoky Mountain High School; Joel Jeffries, a WCU junior who studies trombone;  Leanna Smith, a clarinetist and WCU senior; and Eric Jackson, a WCU senior who studies English horn.

These talented students also accompanied the Western Carolina Civic Orchestra at their spring concert which was held on May 4, 2013 in the Coulter Building on the WCU campus.

New Deadline for Jackson County Arts Council Grassroots Grant

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The Jackson County Arts Council would like to announce a change to their Grassroots Grant application cycle for the fiscal year 2013-2014. In order to be in compliance with the guidelines from the North Carolina Arts Council, applications for Grassroots Grants will now be due by June 30, 2013.

Funding for these grants is contingent upon the Jackson County Arts Council receiving funding from the North Carolina Arts Council and matching funds from Jackson County Commissioners.

Qualified organizations such as theater groups, galleries, choruses, art educators, orchestras and other non-profit organizations may apply for funding. The public schools may apply to support cultural enrichment programs in the schools. Colleges and universities may apply for funding if the proposed program will serve the broader countywide population. The Council encourages applications that emphasize cultural diversity.

Persons planning to submit an application are advised to consult a representative of the Council for help and information. There will be a grant application assistance day on May 28, 2013 from 10:30 am-12:00 pm and from 3:00 pm-5:00 pm in the arts council office on the second floor of the Jackson County Library Annex. For more information, call the arts council office and leave a message at 828-507-9820 or call Sylvia Smythe at 828-354-0253. The applications are available on their website: www.jacksoncountyarts.org.

Sylva Art Stroll this Friday May 10th

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Thanks to support given last year by the Jackson County Visual Arts Association (JVCAA) and the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, Sylva’s downtown Art Stroll will be returning again this year on the second Friday of the month from May 10 until October 11. Over a half dozen art gallery spaces will feature a different art exhibit each month, with many hosting artist receptions.
Jackson County Library Complex Rotunda is at one end of the Art Stroll. Sponsored by the Jackson County Arts Council (JCAC), the Rotunda Gallery at the Historic Courthouse will feature an exhibit by Dawn Behling. The artist will be available to take questions about her mixed media encaustic (pigmented wax) works.  A reception will be held from 5 to 8 p.m.
Nichols House Antiques and Collectibles on Landis Street will host a reception from 5 – 8 p.m. for a special group artist exhibit and plans to feature a different artist each month in their rotating exhibit.
Guadalupe Café will feature an exhibit of works by a WCU student. Carrie Croom, who is working on her MFA in painting Western paints landscapes, described as realistic interpretive expressions of nature.
Gallery 1 at 604 Main Street invites the public to a reception celebrating their reopening for the new season. Come meet some of the artists and perhaps create a little art of your own. Consider becoming a member of Jackson County Visual Art Association to stay informed about upcoming workshops. Gallery 1 will be open from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m.
It’s By Nature has a new collection of original paintings by local artists Susan Lingg of Cullowhee and Jack Stern of Tuckasegee.  Wine & Cheese will be served.
Main Street Bakery will open this evening until 8 p.m.to welcome the public to enjoy the abstract paintings of artist James McManus.
JCVAA is dedicated to enriching the arts community and presenting visual arts. Membership is open to the public and new members are always welcome. For more information, contact Tim Lewis at 828-337-3468.

Cullowhee Studio Tour Memorial Day Weekend

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Saturday May 25, 2013 and Sunday May 26, 2013 ~ 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Art Show, demonstrations and work for Sale.

Caney Fork area

Rogers Metals Studio – William Rogers (metal)

Susan Lingg Studio – watercolor

Chestnut Craft and Supply – Don Stephens (wood)

Sponsors: Caney Fork General Store, Cullowhee Revitalization Endeavor, Jackson County Arts Council, North Carolina Arts Council

Ray Menze Fund

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Jackson County Arts Council has arranged to donate the money collected in honor of the late Ray Menze to the Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) of Jackson County. Ray Menze, who died in November 2011, is remembered for his contributions to a wide variety of art forms. For many years Menze taught art in Jackson County public schools. Besides being a practicing artist, photographer and an advocate for arts education, Menze was a violinist and manager with the Western Carolina Civic Orchestra. His interest in the music of this region resulted in his contribution towards the founding of a Junior Appalachian Musicians Program (JAM) in Jackson County.
JAM is an after-school program that provides young people instruction and performance opportunities in Mountain Heritage Music on traditional Appalachian instruments. Currently, group instruction is offered in fiddle, guitar, banjo, mandolin and string band. JAM classes are held at Cullowhee Valley School. All Jackson County youth in grades 3 to 8 can join. Dusk Weaver is the Director of JAM. It is an affiliate program of the regional JAM, INC. Funding is provided by the North Carolina Arts Council and Jackson County Arts Council and sponsored by the NC Cooperative Extension and 4-H.

For more information about how to contribute to the Ray Menze Fund contact Heather Gordon, 4-H Agent, at 586-4009 or heather_gordon@ncsu.edu.

Handmade in America Sylva Meeting

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Topic: Accounting Practices

Sylva

22 May 2013, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Location: Needles in a Haystack, 2 Dills St., Dillsboro, NC

Topic: Accounting Practices

Participants must register in advance. To register call 828.252.0121 or email to
[4]info@handmadeinamerica.org

Call for Entries

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Greenville Museum of Art Biennial Juried Exhibition

West Wing and Commons Galleries

September 6 – October 6

Reception: September 6, 5:30- 7 pm

Presentation at 6 pm

The Greenville Museum of Art Biennial Juried Exhibition is open to all U.S. artists 18 years of age or older who reside in North Carolina. Work must be original, executed within the past two years, and not previously exhibited at the GMA. Entry in this exhibit establishes an agreement on the part of the artist to all conditions listed in the prospectus and is a contract to exhibit entries selected by the juror. Substitutions for entries sold or otherwise committed before acceptance are not allowed.

Click here to download the prospectus.

Madison: A Gary Carden Monologue Celebrating the Life of Robert Lee Madison

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Renowned Appalachian writer Gary Carden will perform “Madison,” a monologue about the life of Dr. Robert Lee Madison, at 7 p.m. Friday, April 26, at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Franklin.

In the 1880s, Madison promoted the idea of a training school that would cultivate teachers for a network of mountain schools. There were no free public schools, only family schools or subscription schools at the time.

Adding impetus to his dream was the “Normal School Movement” that was gaining momentum in the South. Normal schools are believed to have been modeled on the French ecole normale superieure, that were intended to provide a body of teachers, trained in the critical spirit and secular values of the Enlightment.

Madison’s progressive idea evolved through the years from the small Cullowhee Academy to become Western Carolina University.

Tickets are $15.00 and are available at the Franklin Chamber of Commerce (828.524.3161), UU Fellowship of Franklin (828.524.6777) and at the door the night of the performance.

STUDENT SOLOISTS PERFORM WITH ORCHESTRA

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The Western Carolina Civic Orchestra’s spring concert will be performed on Saturday, May 4, at 7:30 p.m. in the Coulter Building Recital Hall at WCU.  The soloists will be the winners of the 23rd annual Student Solo Competition held in January, sponsored by the Jackson County Arts Council.

Cassidy Quillen, violinist, is a senior at Smoky Mountain High School from Whittier, who studies with Cathy Arps.  Joel Jeffries is a WCU  junior from Gastonia, who studies trombone with Dr. Daniel Cherry.  Leanna Smith, clarinetist, is a WCU senior from Wanchese.  She studies with Dr. Shannon Thompson.  Eric Jackson is a WCU senior from Lincolnton who studies English horn with Dr. Terri Armfield.
The Civic Orchestra will be featured in works by Mussorgsky, Dvorak and Schubert.