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Downtown Boone Hellbender Call for Submissions for Mural Project Slated for Downtown Boone

March 13, 2024 The Downtown Boone Development Association (DBDA), in partnership with the Centers for Biological Diversity and the Watauga Arts Council is excited to announce a very important mural project slated for downtown Boone. A call is being put out to local and regional artists who have an interest in joining in the celebration of the Hellbender Salamander, a local endangered species. Artist are being asked to collaborate with representatives from the Center for Biological Diversity, as well as the DBDA to illustrate the hellbender and its habitat in our region. The mural will be installed at 140 S. Depot Street.

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Artist Brenda Councill Has Been Recognized Nationally for a Sculpture Monument Project

February 29, 2024 Resident artist, Brenda Councill has been recognized nationally for a sculpture monument project. Through a partnership with Mandarin Museum & Historical Society in Jacksonville, Fl., Councill has completed the first phase of work on the first life-size likeness of Harriet Beecher Stowe, in the United States. Stowe was a famous nineteenth-century abolitionist and author of the 1852 anti-slavery novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The sculpture is comprised of  3 figures and titled, “Harriet Beecher Stowe in Mandarin,” Councill’s bronze sculpture will represent Stowe as she was while living in Mandarin, a suburb of Jacksonville, Fl. during the winters of 1867 through 1884.

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“The Reading Room: From Seuss to Geisel & Back Again” Opens at BRAHM February 29

February 28, 2024 A new exhibition entitled “The Reading Room: From Seuss to Geisel & Back Again” has opened at the Blowing Rock Art & History Museum (BRAHM). The exhibition features Kathy and Jim Griffel’s collection of Theodor Seuss Geisel’s drawings, paintings, and sculptures and will be on view in the Atwell Gallery of the Museum through June 2, 2024. Geisel (b. 1904, Springfield, MA; d. 1991, San Diego, CA), better known as Dr. Seuss, was an author, illustrator, and political cartoonist possessing a sharp wit and legendarily inventive mind. The characters and worlds he created have shaped the imaginations of children and adults alike for nearly 75 years while his stories have served as a foundational block in the literacy journey of many.

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Blue Ridge Fiber Guild Exhibits in Wilkes County

February 5, 2024 Ten members of the Blue Ridge Fiber Guild are showing in  an  exhibit at the Northwest North Carolina Visitor Center in North Wilkesboro, NC. The Visitor Center, located at 2121 East Hwy 421, is a state-of-the-art sustainable education site with solar utilities, hiking trails, and butterfly gardens.    The guild exhibit features fiber art in various forms, from wearables to wall art, that range in style from traditional to contemporary. Featuring an array of color and texture harmonies, they are constructed in knitting, crochet, weaving, felting, surface design, and quilting. Many items are for sale, and visitors may contact individual artists to arrange a purchase by calling the phone number on each tag. 

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Valentines in the Valle On Line Silent Auction Bidding Begins Wednesday, January 31st

January 29, 2024  The Valle Crucis Parent Teacher Student Organization is hosting the 2nd Annual Valentines in the Valle On-Line Silent Auction from Wednesday, January 31st until Wednesday, February 7th at 11:59pm. Currently, over 50 items, including high country experiences, local dining options, unique retail opportunities, art, and high quality items created by Valle Crucis School’s own enrichment programs are listed on the website.   Valentines in the Valle is one of the PTSO’s biggest fundraisers.

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Blue Ridge Fiber Guild Exhibits in Wilkes County 

January 29, 2024  Ten members of the Blue Ridge Fiber Guild are showing in  an  exhibit at the Northwest North Carolina Visitor Center in North Wilkesboro, NC. The Visitor Center, located at 2121 East Hwy 421, is a state-of-the-art sustainable education site with solar utilities, hiking trails, and butterfly gardens.    The guild exhibit features fiber art in various forms, from wearables to wall art, that range in style from traditional to contemporary. Featuring an array of color and texture harmonies, they are constructed in knitting, crochet, weaving, felting, surface design, and quilting.

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A Collaboration Between Blue Ridge Conservancy and the Watauga Arts Council Brings Art to the Middle Fork Greenway

December 14, 2023 Blue Ridge Conservancy and the Watauga Arts Council are working to bring public art to the Middle Fork Greenway. This week, Zach Smith-Johnson and Fred Mead’s “Home” sculpture was installed at the 321 Trailhead, joining Cindy Michaud’s mosaic posts at Sterling Creek Park. Funding for the projects came from the Conservation Fund, a grant administered by the Appalachian Regional Commission in collaboration with the National Endowment for the Arts.“The Middle Fork Greenway is a linear park, like a green ribbon connecting Blowing Rock and Boone, and it is so much more,” says BRC Communications Director and WAC Board Member Leila Jackson. “Weaving art into the fabric of this ribbon creates a deeper tie to our high country community, environment, and cultural resources. Greenway art creates a signature of the place while connecting people to the natural surroundings.”

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Girls on the Run of the High Country Presents No Man’s Land Film Festival Nov. 16th

November 7, 2023 BOONE, N.C. — Girls on the Run of the High Country proudly presents the inspiring No Man’s Land Film Festival at the Appalachian Theatre on Thursday, Nov. 16, from 7:30 to 10 p.m. The film festival has been celebrating and exploring what it means to be a woman in adventure, sport and film since 2015.Tickets to the film screening are $15, with a $5 discount for Girls on the Run coaches andparticipants. VIP tickets are $50, which include admission to the screening and a 5:30 p.m. pre-film reception with drinks and appetizers. Children under the age of 17 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Purchase tickets at apptheatre.org or at the door.

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High Country Adventure Film and Speaker Series returns to Lees-McRae, kicks off with Reel Rock Film Festival

October 17, 2023 The High Country Adventure Film and Speaker Series returns to Lees-McRae again this fall, kicking off with the Reel Rock climbing films as the first event of the semester on Friday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. That evening, students, faculty, staff, and community members are invited to gather at the Outdoor Amphitheater on South Campus at Grandfather Home to enjoy three exciting new films from Reel Rock Film Festival that are sure to deliver an adrenaline rush.

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Fine Arts Painter Lee Harper to Celebrate her Eighth Year as Artist-in-Residence at Blowing Rock’s Edgewood Cottage

July 17, 2023 BLOWING ROCK, NC —    Hickory, NC native and longtime Blowing Rock summer resident, Lee Harper, will return as Artist-in-Residence at Edgewood Cottage for the week of Aug. 28-Sept. 3, 2023.  Harper will be at the cottage each day of her residency from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. to discuss and sell her work.  She will also paint new works while onsite.  (www.leeharperfineart.com)  This will be Harper’s eighth year as Artist-in-Residence at the cottage, located on Main Street in Blowing Rock, and she will again share the space with fellow artist and friend, Tunde Afolayan Famous, whose talent and work are well-known to the Blowing Rock community (www.tundevisualart.com). 

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College Artist Spotlight: Izzy Stoneback Describes Opportunities in Watauga County for Local Artists

August 10, 2023 Graduating high school in the midst of a global pandemic, Izzy Stoneback navigated their arrival into adulthood through a haze. Uncertainty ran rampant around the world, and many graduates entering college did not know if they would be taking courses in buildings with historic names or in the kitchen while parents prepared dinner. Given the two options, Stoneback elected to stay at home their freshman year rather than be on campus. By Wesley Britt

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The Art Cellar Gallery Presents Noyes Capehart

August 9, 2023 “Visual Fiction”, an exhibition featuring cherished regional artist Noyes Capehart, is now available at the Art Cellar Gallery. This feature solo show will focus on one of the most important values of Noyes’ art: storytelling.

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Peering through the Lens with Beth Davison

August 4, 2023 Whether it be the plight of Virginia big eared bats, the public perception of Appalachia culture, the role of community cafés, or the history of various sites on the Blue Ridge Parkway, Dr. Beth Davison seeks to showcase stories through a different lens. By Jan Todd

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LANDSCAPES AND CONTEMPORARY ARTWORK AT CARLTON GALLERY’S 41 MID-SUMMER EXHIBITION  

July 24, 2023 Carlton Gallery begins its 41 Mid-Summer Group Exhibition – “Diverse Imaginings in Landscapes” with an Opening Reception on Saturday, July 29, 2 – 5 pm.  Some of the standing gallery artists plan to attend to greet visitors, and light hors d’oeuvres can be enjoyed.This exhibition features traditional and abstract landscapes by Andrew Braitman, Egidio Antonaccio, and returning gallery artist, Kevin Beck.  Local scenery, streams, waterfalls, and native flora fill the gallery with wonderment and color, as each artist paints the landscape in a masterly mode.

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Lees- McRae Summer Theatre to Take Flight With Final Production of the Season, “The [W]right Sister”

July 10, 2023 BANNER ELK, N.C.─ Every North Carolinian knows the story of Orville and Wilbur Wright who successfully piloted the first manned heavier-than-air aircraft in history at Kitty Hawk and allowed the state to claim the title of “first in flight.” However, another equally important figure in the story has largely been lost to time. The omission of Katharine Wright from the public consciousness will be rectified this summer when her story takes center stage in the final Lees-McRae Summer Theatre production, “The [W]right Sister.”

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Check Out Banner Elk’s Art on the Greene Summer Series

June 15, 2023 BANNER ELK, N.C. – Banner Elk’s popular Art on the Greene series continues with shows the first weekends of July, August and September. The dates are July 1-2, Aug. 5-6 and Sept. 2-3.The shows fill the area in front of the Historic Banner Elk School with fine art from local and regional artists representing a variety of media, such as ceramics, glass, metal, wood, watercolor, acrylics and oil. Between 50-75 juried artists display their work at each event.

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Roast of the Town

June 14, 2023 Josiah Davis knows beans. He and his wife, Meredith, opened Local Lion roastery and coffee shop in Boone in 2012, and Venture Chocolate and Wine shop on King Street in 2022. By Jan Todd

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