Arts Council of Moore County 24/25 Program Guide ~ Sep.- Feb. Issue
photo
John Gessner
The Carolina Horse Park Foundation’s Painted Pony Art Walk is a vibrant and engaging initiative that has community. This public art project not only showcases the creative talents of local artists, but also fosters a sense of unity and pride among residents, while promoting our community’s equestrian heritage.
Pony
2 - April 2, 2025
By placing beautifully painted pony sculptures in various locations throughout downtown Southern Pines, the Art Walk encourages community members and visitors to explore our town, which boosts local tourism and supports small businesses. Moreover, the Art Walk positively impacts real estate sales by enhancing the attractiveness of our community. Prospective homeowners are drawn to the vibrant, culturally enriched environment, making it an ideal place to live and invest. I am honored to be involved with this project and proud real estate market.
Lifestyle and Community is Where it Begins.
Welcome to YOUR Arts Council
Thank you for your interest in the fourth edition of our program guide. We created this guide to share information about upcoming exhibits, opportunities for children, and high caliber artists. Our hope is that your curiosity is rewarded as you learn about our work throughout Moore County – thanks to our advertisers and patrons like you.
Founded in 1973, the Arts Council of Moore County is a nonprofit, charitable organization whose mission is to inspire and strengthen our community through the arts. Our offerings are reflective of our rich diversity, facilitating affordable access to the arts.
Our galleries and offices are at Campbell House, located in a picturesque 14-acre park at 482 East Connecticut Avenue in Southern Pines. For more than 100 years, Campbell House has been a beacon of culture, enhancing and influencing civic life. Once a part of the Weymouth estate, Campbell House is among our region’s most significant landmarks, listed on the National Register for Historic Places. In addition to the Arts Council, the manor is also home to the Boy Scouts of America, Southern Pines Garden Club, and Southern Pines Parks and Recreation Department.
The Arts Council hosts hundreds of artists annually, showcasing local, regional and national artists working in various media. Artwork changes frequently, making every gallery visit fresh and new, and a great place to find the perfect gift.
We serve over 15,000 children each year through our youth programs in every public, private, charter, and home school. Programs encompass visual and performing arts, scholarships to children pursuing their creative talents, and a partnership with ArtistYear, the first national AmeriCorps program for artists dedicating themselves to a year of service to our country.
Other programs include a chamber music series featuring world-class musicians, Artours to destinations of cultural interest, Autumnfest in partnership with the Town of Southern Pines, and support for local arts organizations with grants, ticket sales, and publicity.
This is YOUR Arts Council and we invite you to help sustain our work by becoming a member today. Joining is easy. Just visit www.MooreArt.org to learn more. Your support makes this a strong and beautiful community – resilient with the arts at its core.
Your gift will make a world of difference.
Arts Council Membership Form
Name:
Address:
City: State: Zip:
Phone: E-mail:
TO JOIN: Online at www.MooreArt.org • Call us at 910-692-2787
Mail to the Arts Council, P.O. Box 405, Southern Pines, NC 28388
Deliver to Campbell House, 482 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines
$75 - Artist Circle (please visit ACMC website for details)
$125 - Donor
$250 - Sustainer
$500 - Patron
$1,973+ - 1973 Society
(Tribute to ACMC’s founding year)
My gift will be matched by:
Campbell House photo by Tim Sayer
HEALING POWER OF ART
November 1– December 18, 2024
Arts Council Galleries at Campbell House
The benefits of the arts aren’t always obvious the art creator or to the audience, but what is apparent is how art makes you feel. But can art heal?
Healing Through the Arts is an exhibit curated by the Arts Council of Moore County in collaboration with 15 talented veteran and military-spouse artists. This story-driven show aims to provide a platform for veterans and their families to express their journeys through artistic creations. Throughout the exhibit, viewers can engage with the powerful narratives behind the art, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation for the healing power of creativity in the face of adversity in and after military service.
Check out the artists in this show who are prime examples of these benefits:
Ashleigh Corsino aspired to be an artist since she was eight years old. During her lowest moments, she would draw. Before her husband, Carlin, was deployed in January 2020, she signed up for a few art classes. She now uses art regularly as a coping mechanism and incorporates it into her daily life to stay grounded. Ashleigh is a studio member and teacher at the Artists League of the Sandhills in Aberdeen, NC. She also teaches at Ladybug Farm, Aberdeen Parks & Recreation Dept., and will be the new art teacher at Episcopal Day School.
Carlin Corsino served in the Army as a flight surgeon and EMS supervisor for special operations medics. He is currently an emergency physician in Pinehurst. An accomplished poet, Carlin writes to decompress from the stresses of life. He has awards from the NC Poetry Society and has been published in several journals, recently including the Chiron Review.
Richard Davenport earned his BA in Fine Arts from the University of Alabama. At the same time was commissioned as a second lieutenant through ROTC and spent 26 years in the Army. He always had an affinity towards art and enjoys working with oil paint, maximizing the use of vibrant colors and creating surface textures. Richard’s philosophy on art is that it should be seen in person in order to truly connect to it. He says, “By creating traditional art and seeing traditional art we can reflect on the human spirit and imagination.” He recently had his first solo show in NYC.
Corrie Dodds is a fiber artist and military spouse of a 26-year Army veteran. She always loved crafting and creating. As a young mom, her husband’s career had him in combat zones for a total of 49 months over 17 years. During that stressful time, she found herself no longer enjoying life and was just counting the days until he returned. Then she found quilting, which gave her purpose and joy when it was hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Learn more at MooreArt.org
Enrique Herrera served 24 years as an Air Force Combat Controller. Growing up in Texas, his passion for art ignited at an early age, as he found himself winning several school art contests, laying the foundation for what has become a lifelong pursuit. With over 20 deployments and more than 500 combat missions, he witnessed the spectrum of human experience. It’s these moments he strives to
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Ashleigh Corsino
Richard Davenport
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capture in his art. With each photograph and every design, he seeks to bridge the gap between the seen and the unseen, inviting viewers to engage with stories that transcend borders and echo with universal truths.
Jason Howk was in the Army for 23 years and is an Afghanistan war veteran. He was introduced to art by his wife, Michelle, who always had an interest in it. He now uses art to help the veteran community. After the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021, he delved into painting then eventually music to deal with the trauma and tragedy. He leads a musical effort to remedy the suicide crisis in the military community with his song Hold On, Reach Out, co-written and performed with the band, Over Never Out.
Michelle Howk always enjoyed art and it was an integral part of her physical and mental healing when she was hospitalized as a child. She also used art to keep her mind occupied and cope with her husband’s deployments. She found fulfillment in making other people happy through her art. Moving 21 times meant a very isolated life and art helped when she felt like she didn’t fit
Ken Lewis, Jr. is an 8-year Army veteran who always had a love for art and creating. He uses art to escape and heal emotionally whenever the weight is too much. He gets lost in creation and when he lacks the words, he pours it into his art. He is currently a student at Sandhills Community College and plans to get a BFA in Fine Arts.
Linda Nunez is a veteran, military spouse, painter, art teacher, and therapist. She utilizes the arts as a way of healing within because it has no barriers or boundaries and can take on many forms. She helps others heal through art by teaching techniques to get themselves through life’s challenges. Linda’s life journey as an artist is to challenge herself and become her best version.
Franklin Oldham is a photographer and was in the Army for seven years. His father taught him photography as a child. After the military, he picked up a camera again and went into nature. The entire process of photography and becoming an artist healed his mind, restored his confidence, and found him peace. Franklin currently runs a maintenance team at Penland School of Craft in Spruce Pine, NC. He is in the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association that raises money for veterans in need.
Amylouise Parks Perry served as an Army trauma flight nurse until her team was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade in Iraq. While in rehab for multiple injuries, she found a sense of beauty, purpose, comfort, and pleasure in making jewelry. It is tough to pick up where you left off before going into battle, being wounded, and returning home but she has found comfort on the other side of pain. Her background in design grew after she took an internship at the Frank Lloyd Wright Institute in Pennsylvania.
Learn more at MooreArt.org
Roger Price is a Gulf War-era veteran and a former member of the Army Art Team. He primarily works with acrylic paints and is best known for his painting depicting historical Army units such as the Buffalo Soldiers and the Tuskegee Airmen. While on the Army Art Team, he created works which were added to the U.S. Army Center of
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Jason Howk (left) with Over Never Out
Michelle Howk
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Military History in Washington, DC. His painting, Forging the Peace South of the Sava, took him to Bosnia and Herzegovina and reflects the Army’s First Armor Division’s peacekeeping mission near the end of the Bosnian War. Over the past 30 years, Roger’s paintings have shown and placed in juried shows in Germany, France, South Korea, and the U.S.
Douglas Rowe is a 9-year Air Force veteran and artist. After the Air Force, Doug began his artist journey in earnest. He studied under Bob Way for 3.5 years and then independently for another nine years, documenting aviation history. He became one of two full-time Navy artists and pivoted to documenting and recording Naval history in art. Doug has created more than 400 major artworks, 70 of which belong to the Navy Art Collection. He is a member of the American Society of Aviation Artists.
Maria Rowe always had the desire to create but never believed she had the talent. When her husband, Douglas, returned to art, she was reinspired to create. She took a series of classes and learned the skills to paint and draw. She now primarily works in oils with an interest in botanical art journaling. She spends her time drawing outside as a grounding and relaxing part of each day.
Rollie Sampson grew up in an Army household and served in the National Guard as a non-commissioned officer and then as an active-duty engineer officer. She began drawing cartoons at an early age and studied graphic design and illustration. She uses art to heal and escape during difficult times, as a way to express heavy and strong emotions, and a means to navigate through them. Rollie is a mental health counselor and works primarily with military families and children.
The opening for Healing Through the Arts will be Fri., November 1 (6-8pm) at the Arts Council Galleries at Campbell House. The show will be on view November 1-December 18, 2024 (weekdays, 10am-5pm) and Sat., November 16 (12-2pm). The exhibit is free and open to the public. Campbell House is located at 482 E. Connecticut Ave. in Southern Pines.
www.NCArts.org
This exhibit is supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Other Healing rough the Arts Activities:
Creativity/Resilience Classes For Military & Veterans – Led by Nicole Sinay Torres, these classes benefit participant’s emotional & physical wellness, creative confidence, & appreciation of art, while helping to foster a sense of understanding between creators & their audience. Limited to 10 people.
Guitars For Vets Jam Events – These sessions offer a therapeutic alternative for veterans struggling with physical injuries, post-traumatic stress, & other emotional distress. Each event is limited to 20 people.
Guitars For Vets One-On-One Guitar Lessons – Practice guitars for up to 10 participants and a free Gibson guitar for participants completing all 10 sessions.
Live Performance & Songwriting Workshop by Over, Never Out – This band was founded & led by veterans with the mission to help the military community cope with trauma & stress & to raise awareness about the suicide crisis in the military & veteran community.
Details on these activities to be determined.
Douglas Rowe
REESE NGUYEN
Reese Nguyen has called Pinehurst, NC home all her life. She graduated from Pinecrest High School and earned her BA degree in math & studio art from Queens University of Charlotte, where she also minored in professional writing and rhetoric. For the past year, she has worked as an intern at the Arts Council. In July, she started an internship at StarWorks in Star, NC.
To learn more about Reese, we asked her some questions...
What is your favorite activity? rowing pottery has been a favorite pastime as of late. It feels like the phrase, “art for art’s sake,” since most of the time I am not keeping anything. It’s really enjoying and practicing the process.
What chore do you absolutely hate doing? I hate mopping, just the resistance with the water and the mop itself is very unsettling to me. Has something bad happened to you that turned out to be for the best? Getting rejections has always been a sour event, but it has led me to other opportunities like at the Arts Council.
If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would it be? ere is a ceramics instructor, Eric Landon, that I follow on Instagram (@tortus). I really want to meet him and participate in one of his workshops. But his studio is based in Copenhagen and he does workshops mostly in Europe and that side of the world. I like his philosophy—moving forward even if it is slow. I know that I can learn a lot from him.
What’s the best advice you’ve been given? Best piece of advice is to treat rejections as accomplishments.
What is your favorite or most inspirational place in Moore County? ere is a gazebo tucked in Rassie Wicker Park that I like to go to for peace. It is a little hidden away by trees, so sitting there and listening to nature gives me a lot of comfort and quiet.
What is your favorite thing about working at the Arts Council? Everyone at the Arts Council is wonderful and I enjoy the environment of the Campbell House. Working here has broadened my idea of what an art career could be and I appreciate that I can explore those ideas.
anks, Reese, for making the Arts Council a great community asset!
Reese beside her piece, Nón Lá Landscape, on exhibit now at Charlotte’s Elder Gallery of Contemporary Art
S top in and visit our 34 studios and enjoy the opportunity to talk with artists at work. While you are here, stroll through the studio area and view the hundreds of paintings in all mediums. We have the largest selection of artwork in the Sandhills!
Check out the art classes and workshops offered on our website.
Now is a great time to explore a new medium, brush up skills, and have a wonderful artistic time! Many classes are suitable for beginners.
Gallery Hours: Monday - Saturday, 12 noon - 3 pm
129 Exchange Street in Aberdeen, NC
Ask Us About Becoming A Member www.artistleague.org • artistleague@windstream.net
John Wiedmer Cathy Carter NC Lic# 34502
Building and Remodeling
Tel/Fax (910) 693-0011
jaykar@jaykarinc.com
Strange Magic
September 6-26, 2024
Arts Council Galleries at Campbell House
Strange Magic is about searching for the magic in local life and nature around you. is exhibition emphasizes the now; being present in your surroundings. Our artists, Jenay Jarvis and Pat McBride, have found being fully immersed in the present is one of life’s pleasures. It provides a sense of wonder and amazement. eir themes are inspired from the water to the sky and the people and critters in between and how they all interact. ey work to capture and share them with the rest of the world.
Jenay Jarvis is a painter inspired by water and its distortion, transparency and re ective properties. She was born, raised, and is currently based in Southern Pines. Her mother, an artist and art teacher, encouraged her art education throughout grade school and after. She is heavily in uenced by Impressionism and the way artists of this movement captured light and transition.
Monet was also an initial point of inspiration for Jenay. During a high school eld trip to the NC Museum of Art, she was entranced by a Monet painting of the sea; she found herself getting lost in the brushstrokes and the feeling of both connection and inspiration. She felt there was something beyond herself.
Jenay started a new job as the executive director of Anson County Arts Council in April. You can nd more of her work on her Instagram @JenayJarvis.
Originally from Pennsylvania, Pat McBride never intended to be an artist. However, Pat’s father encouraged her creativity while in her youth. When she showed him her art, he would ask questions about what her subjects actually looked like and invite her to look together. Her work is in uenced by Impressionism and Expressionism which work together for her to create emotional and timeless moments.
In college she took art class as an elective that prompted her to switch her major to art. After a degree in ne art, she took up illustration and photo-retouching, which led her to work as an illustrator in the FBI’s special projects division, reworking photos of at-large criminals, and imagining potential changes in their appearance for wanted posters. It was this work that helped catch a serial killer in 1984.
ese days, Pat prefers painting the historical architecture and unique sporting events of the Sandhills and atmospheric studies of local landscapes that she renders with deep colors and broad brushstrokes. Inspired by the wonder of authentic moments in nature and the human condition, Pat is an observer at heart; she watches and wonders about all aspects of life, even the smallest of moments. e opening reception for Strange Magic will be Fri., September 6 (6-8pm) at the Arts Council Galleries at Campbell House. e show will be on view Sept. 6-26 (weekdays,10am-5pm) and Sat, Sep 21 (12-2pm). e exhibit is free and open to the public. Campbell House is located at 482 E. Connecticut Ave. in Southern Pines.
Learn more at MooreArt.org
Jenay Jarvis working on a sculpture, called Hera & Mason, featured at her 2022 show at Eye Candy Gallery
Pat McBride in her art studio (Photo reprinted with permission from PineStraw Magazine)
CLASSICAL MUSIC...FUN?
Virtuosity & tomfoolery opens 2024-25 Classical Concert Series
Who says classical music isn’t fun? Not the Arts Council. Not someone who has seen Victor Borge or Peter Schickele (a.k.a. PDQ Bach). A musical experience can make you laugh as much as it can move you to tears. is year’s Classical Concert Series (CCS) seeks to bring out all the emotions…but BYOT (Bring Your Own Tissues).
Our 43rd CCS season opens on October 21, 2024 with the antics of Quartetto Gelato — a highly unusual quartet featuring oboe, violin, cello, voice, accordion, and musical saw. But this dazzling ensemble isn’t all silliness. With sold out concerts all over the world, QG presents an exotic blend of musical technique, artistic passion, and lots of humor, while performing virtuosic showpieces, romantic ballads and blazing gypsy tunes. Founded in 1990, QG’s career took o after they won the title of NPR Performance Today’s “Debut Artist of the Year.” eir rst DVD, Quartetto Gelato: A Concert in Wine Country, was picked up by PBS in 2007 and is still broadcast often. e group is regularly heard on CBC, PRI, and NUR networks, and on the soundtrack of the lm, Only You, starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Marisa Tomei.
e second concert on January 20, 2025 features pianist Zee Zee, an electrifying performer who has been praised as “taking us to another reality” (Belgischer Rundfunk). e third concert on February 17, 2025 showcases Lun Li, a young violinist gaining a reputation for thought-provoking concert experiences.
Jan. 20, 2025
Our series nale on April 27, 2025 will have CCS partnering with the Moore County Choral Society to celebrate their 50-year choral tradition. ey will be joined onstage by professional vocal ensemble, Servire Chorus, along with the award-winning choirs of Pinecrest and Union Pines High School, ARC’s Joyful Noise Choir, and full orchestra.
A subscription to all four concerts is $115 per person ($96 for Arts Council members). Series brochures are available at the Arts Council Galleries (Campbell House, 482 E. Connecticut Ave., So. Pines) or by calling 910-692-2787. All concerts will be presented at 7:30 p.m. at the Sunrise eater, except the Choral Society concert will be presented at 4:00 p.m. at Pinecrest’s Lee Auditorium (250 Voit Gilmore Ln., Southern Pines).
Zee Zee
Quartetto Gelato – Oct. 21, 2024
Fall into Autumn
October 4-25, 2024|Arts Council Galleries at Campbell House
What do artists imagine when they think about “Autumn?” e Arts Council seeks to answer this question with a juried art exhibit, called Fall into Autumn . is juried art exhibit delves into the creative interpretations of the fall season by North Carolina artists. e unique showcase invited artists to submit up to two pieces that capture their vision of autumn, o ering a diverse array of perspectives and styles for viewers to explore. e art featured in the exhibit has been carefully selected by the Arts Council’s Visual Arts Committee, highlighting the incredible talent and creativity of our artistic community.
As a member of the public, you have the opportunity to engage with the exhibit in multiple ways. Not only can you enjoy the curated selections on display, but you are also encouraged to participate in the voting process for the People’s Choice Award. By casting your vote for your favorite piece, you can play a role in recognizing and celebrating the outstanding work of these artists.
e show provides a unique opportunity for art enthusiasts to potentially acquire a piece that resonates with them on a personal level. All artwork featured in the exhibit will be available for purchase, allowing visitors to bring a piece of the fall season and the local art scene into their own homes.
e opening reception for Fall into Autumn will take place on Fri., October 4 (6-8pm) at the Arts Council Galleries at Campbell House. e exhibit will be on view October 4-25 (weekdays 10am-5pm) and Saturday, October 19 (12-2pm). e exhibit is free and open to the public. Campbell House is located at 482 E. Connecticut Ave. in Southern Pines.
Join us for a captivating exploration of the fall season in art.
Owens Auditorium at BPAC Sandhills Community College
50th
Sunday,
Lee
Missoula Children’s Theatre Returns!
Auditions: October 7 (3:45p-5:45p)
Rehearsals: October 7-11 (3:45p-8p)
Shows: Oct. 11 (7p) & Oct. 12 (11a)
Location: Moore Montessori School Auditorium (395 E. Massachusetts Ave., Southern Pines)
Young Jim Hawkins lives in a seaside village on the coast of Maine. e year is 1782 and the American war for revolution is in its last days. Longing for adventure, Jim comes under the hypnotic spell of the legendary pirate, Long John Silver. While waiting tables in the family inn, Jim nds a treasure map and, with the villainous Silver as his seeming mentor, sails uncharted seas in search of treasure with Jim’s ru an friends serving as cabin boys for Silver and his band of hilarious (although unsavory) pirate types. Once on the island, the real adventure begins in this original adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s epic novel.
Since 1996, the Arts Council of Moore County has brought the Missoula Children’s eatre (MCT) to Moore County, in a little red truck, to present a week-long theatre residency with the goal to develop life-skills in our children through participation in the performing arts. is unique program begins with an open group audition and culminates in a public performance for family, friends, and the community.
All MCT shows are original adaptations of children’s stories and fairy tales—a twist on the classic stories that you know and love. Over 55 students are cast, and they rehearse throughout the week, learning lines, songs and choreography to perform as an ensemble in a full-length musical. MCT arrives in town with scenery, costumes, props, make-up, and lighting—everything it takes to put on a show…except the cast.
Any child in grades K-8 is invited to audition. Participation is free and no theatre experience is necessary. ose auditioning should arrive promptly at 3:45pm on October 7, wear comfortable clothes, and plan to attend the full two-hours audition. Following the auditions, a rehearsal schedule for the entire week will be immediately available and some cast members will be asked to stay for a rehearsal.
Save time at registration by bringing a completed audition form with you, available for download at www.MooreArt.org/Youth.
Two public performances of Treasure Island will be presented on October 11 (7pm) and 12 (11am) at the Moore Montessori School Auditorium at 395 E. Massachusetts Avenue in Southern Pines. Tickets to each show are $10 per adult and $5 per child (Arts Council members are $5 per adult and children are free). All tickets will be sold at the door.
If you have any questions, please contact the Arts Council at 910-692-2787. Learn more about Missoula Children’s Theatre: www.MCT.org
more at MooreArt.org
A scene from Treasure Island
1105 S Sandhills
Pinecrest Plaza 4 6 Pinecrest Plaza
Pinehurst South 5 Blake Blvd
Pinehurst Village 10 Chinquapin Road
Southern Pines 205 S E Broad Street
Seven Lakes 4295 Hw y 211
Good Idea Bad Idea
The Arts Council explores both through its fall Arts Lecture Series
Good and bad ideas can come from anywhere, such as personal experiences, creativity, external in uences, and societal norms. Good ideas stem from innovative thinking and problem-solving skills, while bad ideas may result from misconceptions or biases.
rough Artists’ Eyes is a lecture about one of America’s best ideas—our national parks system. Artist George Catlin rst conceived the idea of a national park in 1832 as he traveled America’s interior to paint portraits of the indigenous peoples. Other notable artists, such as omas Cole, Frederick Church, and Carlton Watkins, followed suit. As these artists’ appreciation for vast unspoiled nature grew, their art inspired a groundswell of support of a nation’s park system, which today boasts 63 national parks that belong to us all to enjoy and maintain. Ellen Burke leads this lecture with examples of the art that inspired a nation to preserve its land. An artist and arts educator with 37 years of experience, Ellen has been a studio art instructor and ne and performing arts administrator. In addition to teaching in Massachusetts, she was an adjunct instructor in art education at the New Hampshire Art Institute. Since moving to Pinehurst, she has presented art lectures at local galleries and teaches small group art lessons to children and adults.
e lecture, Russian Looting of Ukraine, is a timely example of one of man’s worst ideas—destruction of a culture. History is full of examples of accidental and purposeful theft of cultural artifacts, such as the Romans, Alexander the Great, Napoleon, and WWII. Russia’s invasion of the Crimean Peninsula and then the rest of Ukraine is a current example of purposeful destruction of cultural treasures.
Abbe Allen leads this lecture by exploring what the Russians are doing and why. Prior to becoming a professor of history, political science, and art history at Sandhills Community College, Abbe was an adjunct instructor at Columbus State Community College and a docent at the Columbus Museum of Art, Ohio.
rough Artists’ Eyes will be presented on October 30 (5:30pm) and 31 (10am), while Russian Looting of Ukraine will be presented on November 7 (5:30pm) and 8 (10am). Both lectures will be presented in the Arts Council Galleries at Campbell House (482 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines). e cost per person for each lecture is $26 for Arts Council members ($32 for nonmembers). Space is limited. Reserve your seat with full payment now at the Arts Council or by calling 910-692-ARTS (2787).
Art Lecture Sponsors: Carolyn Brady
Sandy Tremblay & Paul Hammock
Learn more at MooreArt.org
Frederic Church’s The Natural Bridge, Virginia
Pyotr Sokolov’s Houses at Sunset – One of many art pieces Russia looted from Ukraine’s Oleksii Shovkunenko Art Museum in Kherson
In the Shade of the Longleaf Pines
January 8-February 12, 2025|Arts Council Galleries at Campbell House
ere’s a unique beauty in the longleaf ecosystem. From the way sunlight dapples through the pine boughs to the way the wiregrass dances in the wind as it carpets the ground. The Arts Council’s art exhibition, In the Shade of the Longleaf Pines, invites artists Jonathan Douglas and Will DeFee to express this beauty through their artwork that is inspired by their appreciation for the environment in which they grew up.
Jonathan Douglas, a Charlotte-born artist with a deep appreciation for the longleaf pine forests in the rural South Carolina Sandhills where he was raised. He is a self-taught artist from decades of practice and experimentation, focusing initially on portraiture then transitioning to landscapes.
Jonathan was first introduced to painting by his aunt, an avid amateur. He returned to this passion in his early 20s. His knowledge of form, color, and study of abstraction helps him process elements of composition to create a balance between clarity and mystery. He primarily works in oils for its expediency and physical tactile quality. He also paints in acrylic, watercolor, carves traditional woodcut for printmaking, and sketches in charcoal and graphite. Douglas is inspired when people see the value in his art. You can find more of his work at JDouglasArtist.com or @OakAppleStudios on Instagram and Facebook.
Will DeFee is from Darlington, SC and is a carpenter who works in cabinetry, furniture making, bowl carving, and sculpting. As a child, he enjoyed many hours in the shop of his Great Uncle Newell, who encouraged him to create whatever came to his imagination. During the 2020 lockdown, Will renovated his entire house which reignited his passion and talent for woodworking.
His creations are purposefully made with reclaimed wood, whether it comes from a century-old floor, a 200-year-old door jam, or a local fallen tree after a storm. His priority to reuse wood and give it new life in his art was learned from time spent in Afghanistan with the Army, because “no resource should be wasted.” His ultimate goal is for his work to be pleasing to the eye, “calming to the touch,” and to blur the line between furniture and art.
You can see more of Will’s work on Instagram (@DeFeeCarpentree) and Facebook (DeFee Carpentree).
The opening reception for In the Shade of the Longleaf Pines Fri., January 10 (6-8pm) at the Arts Council Galleries at Campbell House. The show will be on view January 8- February 12 (weekdays, 10am-5pm) and Saturday, January 18 (12-2pm). The exhibit is free and open to the public. Campbell House is located at 482 E. Connecticut Ave. in Southern Pines.
Jonathan Douglas in his art studio
Will DeFee in his workshop
CUBA: A Cultural Odyssey
March 9-15, 2025
Embark on an extraordinary educational journey to Cuba, where tradition meets innovation in a vibrant tapestry of culture. is “people-to-people” experience o ers a unique opportunity to connect with Cuban artists, dancers, musicians, students, baseball players, and more. Organized by the Arts Council & Tauck Tours, this excursion promises an unforgettable exploration of Cuban heritage and contemporary life.
Some of the highlights of this Artour include:
• Stroll through Old Havana, an UNESCO Heritage Site
• Lunch with a Cuban baseball legend
• Visit a vintage American car club
• Learn about Cuban dance at a private dance company
• Explore the picturesque Viñales Valley
• Visit Ernest Hemingway’s cherished Cuban home of 21 years
Sign up for this remarkable journey to Cuba and immerse yourself in its traditions, rhythms of its music, and the artistry of its people. Don't miss this opportunity to connect with Cuba on a deeply personal level, fostering cultural exchange and lifelong memories. Only a few spaces remain. Learn more at www.MooreArt.org/Artours or call the Arts Council to reserve your space today!
Learn more at MooreArt.org
Havana, Cuba
View of the Viñales Valley
The Arts Council of Moore County is grateful to the following donors. With their contributions they inspire & strengthen our community through the arts. ~ August 1, 2023 – August 1, 2024 ~