The Arts Council of Moore County’s Chris Dunn, executive director, and Kim Sobat, youth program director, join us to discuss some of the upcoming Arts Council events.
Founded in 1973, the Arts Council is the only arts organization that reaches serves all of Moore County. It is a not-for-profit, charitable organization with the mission to Support, Promote and Develop Arts and Arts Education Throughout Moore County. We do this in many ways…
For Our Children…
>The Arts Council serves over 15,000 children each year through its youth programs, such as our summer arts camps, youth theatre productions, and Autumnfest.
>The Arts Council has awarded over $22,500 in scholarships since 2000 to talented middle and high school students through our Barnes-Travis Arts Scholarship. The scholarship was set up to help students pursue their interest in the arts and pay for such items as music or art camps, dance instruction, and private lessons with an art or music teacher.
>The Arts Council serves every Moore County school (public, private, charter, & home schools) through such programs as our Performing Arts in Moore Schools (PAMS) Program and the Young People’s Fine Arts Festival.
For Our Artists…
>The Arts Council supports over 275 local artists and arts groups through art exhibits at Campbell House Feature Galleries, Sales Gallery, and the annual Fine Arts Festival.
>The Arts Council pays $27,000-$30,000 directly to local artists for their sold artwork in our Feature and Sales Galleries.
>The Arts Council helps award over $15,000 in grants to individual artists through the North Carolina Arts Council’s Regional Artist Project Grant, the only grant in Moore County available to individual artists.
For Our Community…
>The Arts Council awarded over $10,800 for local arts projects through the Grassroots Arts Program. Some of the grant recipients this year are Carolina Philharmonic, Moore County Choral Society, Moore Philharmonic Orchestra, New Horizons Band in the Pines, Pinecrest High Choral & Theatre programs, Southern Middle Theater Arts Guild, Southern Pines Elementary, Southern Pines Recreation Dept., Union Pines High Drama Dept., and Weymouth Center.
>Over 8,500 people enjoyed the 4th annual Palustris Festival in 2013, presented by the Arts Council of Moore County, in partnership with the Convention & Visitor’s Bureau and PineStraw Magazine. The next Palustris Festival will be March 26-30, 2014.
>The Arts Council presents some of the world’s best artists as part of the Classical Concert Series, Heart ‘n Soul of Jazz, and other special events. Such artists have included Branford Marsalis, the Capital Steps, Tokyo String Quartet, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and several free concerts by some of our best armed forces musical groups.
>The Arts Council’s ARTours annually takes over 200 travelers to incredible artistic destinations, both foreign and domestic.
>The Arts Council supports our local arts organizations by providing partnerships, publicity, ticket sales, and as an active arts advocate for Moore County and the Sandhills Area.
For Our Local Economy…
The Arts Council means business for Moore County, according to the recently completed Arts & Economic Prosperity IV Study by Americans for the Arts…
>Over $1.9 million is spent in Moore County by the Arts Council and its audiences.
>60 full-time equivalent jobs in Moore County are supported by the expenditures made by the Arts Council and its audiences.
>Over $1.3 million is paid to Moore County residents as a result of the expenditures made by the Arts Council and its audiences.
>The Arts Council generates over $90,000 in LOCAL tax revenue and over $100,000 in STATE tax revenue.
How You Can Help the Arts Council…
Let us count the ways: 1) Visit our monthly gallery exhibits; 2) Attend one of our many programs; 3) Bring a child to our youth programs; 4) Volunteer; 5) Sponsor an event or program; and 6) Suggest ideas or improvements for our programs.
Of course, the best way to help the Arts Council is to become a member. Without members, the Arts Council does not exist. That is why we need you as a member. We also need your friends, family and neighbors as members too. Please join today, because the Arts Council of Moore County is one of the main reasons Moore County is such a wonderful place to live, work, play, and create. We cannot do this without you!
Listen to the show
