Arts Across NC

**This episode is presented in both Spanish and English, as spoken directly by Cornelio Campos** In our final episode before the North Carolina Heritage Award ceremony, we speak with painter and muralist Cornelio Campos. Born in Cheran, in the highlands of Michoacan, Mexico, Cornelio grew up surrounded by the traditions of his indigenous Purépecha heritage. After years of migrant labor in the United States, Cornelio settled in Durham and gained recognition as a visual storyteller for North Carolinians with immigration experiences of their own. Get more information about the May 31 award ceremony here: https://pinecone.org/event/2023-north-carolina-heritage-awards/ Be sure to like and subscribe to Arts Across NC wherever you get your podcasts!

Born in Ararat, Virginia, and residing in Mount Airy, North Carolina, Richard Bowman has lived his life on both sides of the state line. Richard was inspired to teach himself the fiddle the first time he heard Tommy Jarrell playing on the Merry Go Round, a long-running old-time music program on Mount Airy’s famed radio station, WPAQ. Fifty years later, he is one of the region’s most beloved fiddlers at dances and conventions, carrying on the tunes he learned from just beyond his front door. Get more information about the May 31 award ceremony here: https://pinecone.org/event/2023-north-carolina-heritage-awards/ Be sure to like and subscribe to Arts Across NC wherever you get your podcasts!

This week we go to Bakersville, up in Mitchell County, where Rhonda Gouge has been teaching music since the 1970s. Steeped in the faith and traditions of the Toe River Valley, Rhonda’s life’s work has been to give the gift of music back to her community, her congregation, and the students who come from miles around to learn from her. Get more information about the May 31 award ceremony here: https://pinecone.org/event/2023-north-carolina-heritage-awards/ Be sure to like and subscribe to Arts Across NC wherever you get your podcasts!

In episode one of this mini-series, Folklife Director Zoe Van Buren speaks with two former folklife directors for the North Carolina Arts Council, Wayne Martin and Sally Peterson, about the history of the Heritage Awards and why it’s so important to celebrate the culture that comes from the people of North Carolina. Get more information about the May 31 award ceremony here: https://pinecone.org/event/2023-north-carolina-heritage-awards/ Be sure to like and subscribe to Arts Across NC wherever you get your podcasts!

What do ArtsTogether in Raleigh and DREAMs center for arts education in Wilmington have in common? Besides being amazing safe spaces where young people can thrive, the two arts organizations are committed to serving disadvantaged communities. In this episode, we speak with Nikki Turner, dance instructor and preschool teacher at Arts Together, and Liz Wells, program director at DREAMs center for arts education. The experiences of Nikki, Liz, and their respective arts organizations reveal the importance of taking a practical approach when engaging traditionally underserved populations. Arts Together and Dreams center for the arts are genuinely committed to their communities and demonstrate that the arts are an essential component to revitalizing, building, and empowering a community. Arts Together's Website: https://www.artstogether.org/ DREAMs Center for the Arts' Wesbite: https://givetodreams.org/

In 2019, Laura Way became the president and CEO of ArtsGreensboro, one of our state’s local arts councils, and immediately began implementing changes. North Carolina has one of the most highly developed networks of local arts councils in the country. For over half a century, we have provided funding and technical assistance to encourage arts organizations to deliver multiple ways to broaden, deepen and diversify participation in the arts in local communities. The larger local arts councils in the state are grant-makers, providing Grassroots Arts Funds along with additional sources of funding to support and strengthen arts activities in their counties. Laura’s previous experience as Executive Director of GreenHill Center for North Carolina Art, a funded partner of ArtsGreensboro, gave her a unique outsider perspective. She was well aware of the inequities in grant funding and was committed to implementing change. Her commitment to DEAI work began earlier in her career, but during the pandemic, Laura and her staff took that commitment to a new level by redistributing grant funds with the goal of addressing structural inequities and increasing philanthropic overall support for BIPOC artists and arts organizations.

During the pandemic, performance venues and organizations were stuck on hold, hoping for a sign of normalcy that would allow for live audiences and actors on stage once again. In March of 2020, like many theaters across the United States, Children’s Theatre of Charlotte (CTC) was forced to stop all production. Due to social distancing requirements and closure of venues, curtailing not only public performances but also rehearsals, the theatre was forced to end production on their performance of “GRIMMZ,” a hip-hop fairytale. However, over the following year and a half, Children’s Theatre of Charlotte’s decision to pivot to digital production led to a surprising Drama League Awards nomination, proving their ability to imagine new ways to engage with the idea of live-ness and community through a digital landscape. In this episode, we speak with artistic director Adam Burke, professional actors Isabel Gonzalez and Isa Long, and community programs manager, Mary Katherine Smith.

Arts Across NC Podcast is back with a new season! Join us as we look back on the pandemic and its impact on North Carolina’s arts sector over the last two years. With the help of artists, arts organizations, and arts leaders from all across North Carolina, we are telling the stories of mental struggles, canceled performances, and difficult decisions. The past two years also include stories about innovation, hope, and moments of profound connection.