Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Culture Thrives in the Mountains


By Amber Deen



Toe River Arts Council

A great many towns in America have an arts council to promote their resident artists, because a thriving cultural climate is important for attracting visitors and new residents. The chances of finding an arts council guiding the cultural vitality of a community is more likely in towns with a good number of residents in the mid to high socioeconomic level to support it. Usually, the larger the city, the more prominent is its arts council and its cultural life.

It’s surprising, then, to find a strong and immeasurably effective arts council in our little village of Burnsville, NC with a population of less than 18 hundred, 18 thousand for the entire county.  Our Toe River Arts Council (TRAC) is one of the oldest and most innovative, effective, and respected of any in the 100 counties of our state. It’s the only arts council in NC serving artists in three counties, each with a small population yet high density of artists. As a matter of fact, this immediate area has more artists per capita than any similar size area in the country.

Most arts councils have a gallery and gift shop to showcase and sell the work of their resident artists, and we do too. We maintain two actually, one in Burnsville and another in Spruce Pine. More than that, though, TRAC enjoys a reputation as a leader in its field because of the number of innovative and successful programs it has developed during the 36 years of its existence.

Studio Tours                                                  
Our Council, for instance, pioneered studio tours two decades years ago, where people drive themselves to artist’s studios sprinkled throughout the nooks and crannies of the region, meet and watch the artists working, and buy directly from the maker. There were no studio tours then. Now it seems, every city and town in the country stages them. Cities have multiple tours in different geographical areas, and more tours in their suburban communities.


TRAC facilitates two studio tours a year, the second weekend in June and the first weekend in December. There are around 100 artists participating either in their own studios or sharing another artist’s studio. People come from all over the country again and again for our TRAC tours. They are the most popular studio tours in the nation. If you’ve never been on our premier tour, you might think about coming up for this next one November 30th to December 2nd. See the listing below under “Upcoming Events.”


Community Orchestra & Chorus
Another unique TRAC-supported program is our community orchestra. The Toe River Chamber Ensemble is composed of about 20 resident musicians of all ages from ours and surrounding counties. The eldest member is an 80-something year old violinist from Boone. The youngest is a teenage violinist from Yancey County.

About the time school starts, orchestra members begin gathering weekly to play and rehearse music – from classical and contemporary to Broadway show tunes. They recently presented their annual fall concert for the public, free as always, and are now in weekly rehearsals for their annual Christmas Concert December 11, when they combine their talents with the Toe River Community Chorus. And around Easter will be the orchestra’s annual spring concert.

The Community Chorus is formed each year about this time just for the Christmas performance. Anyone who loves to sing is invited to come to weekly rehearsals. They will perform Vivaldi’s Gloria as part of this year’s concert, a favorite of mine. See the listing below under “Upcoming Events.”


Art in the Schools
Denise Cook, who plays in the orchestra and was the guiding light in its creation, has been TRAC’s executive director for over 20 years. She has worked tirelessly to generate funding for the Council’s incomparable programs to bring a variety of multi-cultural and curriculum-based art instruction and performances into Yancey and Mitchell Counties’ school systems.

My favorite is the Traditional Arts Program for Students (TAPS) which teaches 5th to 8th graders the traditional mountain instruments – guitar, banjo, dulcimer, and fiddle – both during school and in after school programs, with the goal of keeping the musical heritage of the region alive and thriving in today’s community. A student who has no instrument and cannot afford to buy one, may borrow one from TRAC.


These special programs are funded by the NC Arts Council - a state agency, the United Way of Mitchell County, United Foundation of Yancey County, and Mitchell and Yancey County Schools.


Paint-Out
Six or seven years ago, another program was launched, the Paint Out. Around 35 artists come to TRAC’s gift shop and gallery in Burnsville early on a Saturday in May to register. Most are from this area with a few from other states. They then disperse throughout the town, some going further afield into the hills and valleys of the county to paint in a variety of mediums. (Most have pre-scouted the scenes they plan to paint). They work most of the day. A number of artists paint multiple pictures. By 3 o’clock, they begin bringing their work back to the gallery and frame it. Then it’s hung. Everyone returns for a rousing reception at 6 o’clock when a visiting artist jurist announces the winners. It has been a very popular, successful program.

And More
Other successful events and programs include Music in the Mountains, our tribute to local music traditions; ongoing special exhibits in the Burnsville and Spruce Pine galleries, each with a free opening reception to which the public is invited; and the Blue Ridge Fine Arts Guild (BRAG), a TRAC-sponsored group of painters and photographers who meet once a month to socialize and support and learn from one another. There is usually a guest artist who demonstrates his or her technique.


Art at The Cove at Celo Mountain

From the magnificent entry gate depicting mountains in layered metals, and the large, colorful quilt square sculpture nearby, to the artful design of the pocket parks beside the creek and the landscaping throughout the community, The Cove at Celo Mountain is itself a work of art. It’s obvious from first glance that the beauty of Nature’s art has been magnified by skillfully marrying the natural setting with artful landscape and home design.


Come see for yourself. Plan to spend a weekend. Tour the Cove and attend one or more of the holiday happenings listed below. Call us at 866 378-4769 for details on our Mountain Renewal getaway package.

Upcoming Events


Penland School of Crafts Auction
An auction of student and instructor donated art at this world-renown crafts school, November 15 at 8pm in Penland’s Northlight Building. Details: info@penland.org or 828-765-2359.

10th Annual Christmas Ornament Festival
A chance to buy showcase of local artists holiday-themed work, November 17 from 10 to 2 at Burnsville Town Center. Free admission.

TRAC Holidaze Exhibit
An exhibit of holiday-themed artwork by resident artists, November 23 to December 31 with an opening reception the 23rd from 5 to 7 at the Burnsville Toe River Arts Council gallery and gift shop. Details: www.toeriverarts.org.


TRAC Studio Tour                                                           
The premier studio tour in the country, begins at noon, Friday November 30 and runs Saturday and Sunday, December 1 and 2 from 10 to 5. There is a free public reception at 4 o’clock on Friday at the Spruce Pine TRAC gallery to meet participating artists and see an exhibit of their work. Free guides/maps are available at both TRAC galleries, and all participating studios. Details: www.toeriverarts.org.

Burnsville Christmas Parade
A wonderful small town American style parade with antique tractors and cars, horses, the high school marching band, and Santa, December 1 beginning at 3 o’clock on West Main St. Details: www.yanceychamber.com or email info@yanceychamber.com .

Annual Christmas Concert
Toe River Chamber Ensemble and Toe River Community Chorus present for the public their annual Christmas Concert December 11 at First Baptist Church on Town Square. It is free. Details: www.toeriverarts.org.


Our hearts were saddened by the destruction caused by Super Storm Sandy this past week.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims, businesses and all those touched by this tragic event.  We applaud everyone who is reaching out by contributing, either money or man hours, to the aid, relief and recovery efforts.

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