50 for 50 with Mary Carter Taub

Photo by disha dewan courtesy mary c. taub

Photo by disha dewan courtesy mary c. taub

“The mission is to be a tiny change agent towards a more inclusive culture and community right here in our quadrant of the universe. ”
— Mary Carter Taub on her project Truth + Tamales, a community-based art and social practice project funded by the 2018 N.C. Arts Council Mary B. Regan Artist Residency Grant
 
 
 
 

50 for 50

50 artists celebrate North Carolina

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Nearing completion - the Burnsville SmART piece was awaiting a final top tier of glass panels as of yesterday morning. We can’t wait to share the final product with you soon.
It may look like we are building our own spaceship today in Burnsville, but it’s a piece of public art - we promise! The first major piece of our Burnsville SmART community project is coming together and we are excited. Stay tuned.
As part of a yearlong celebration of North Carolina’s rich musical history, we are thrilled to unveil The Listening, a Holland Randolph Gallagher-directed documentary about the first golden age of North Carolina hip-hop at the turn of the millennium. It happens to be a special project we supported for @comehearnc. It also premiered today on @okayplayer! ⁣ Started in a college dorm room by a group of North Carolina Central students in 2001, the Justus League collective and offshoot trio Little Brother defined the sound of Durham hip-hop for years to come, constructing a style altogether distinct from everything to the north and south. This level of innovation turned heads with some of hip-hop’s biggest names, and the members of Little Brother (9th Wonder, Big Pooh, and Phonte) have gone on to work with superstars like Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Jay-Z, Dr. Dre and Questlove, who appears in the documentary.⁣ ⁣ Earlier this summer we interviewed Holland and Phonte, a founding member of Little Brother, about the project, at North Carolina Central. One of our favorite things about Come Hear NC is its ability to bring people together from across the state and world to rally around our music. On the particular day of our interview, it brought together three members of North Carolina Central’s community: Quiana Shepard, Director of Marketing for NCCU, Vergil Demery, a rising senior at NCCU and our Come Hear NC summer intern, and of course - Phonte a NCCU alum!⁣ ⁣ The roots of American music run deep in North Carolina, and NCCU is one of many places that function as incubators and hubs for our amazing music communities. ⁣The spirit of innovation on NCCU’s campus is beautifully captured in the new short film. ⁣ You can watch The Listening at the link in our bio!
We are so saddened to learn about the passing of Phil Freelon, a renowned architect, arts advocate, and spirited North Carolinian. ⁣ ⁣ Perhaps most famous for his work designing the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Phil Freelon was passionate about designing public spaces. In an interview we did with him during our 50th Anniversary campaign, Phil explained his passion for public work:⁣ ⁣ "I really enjoy the aspect of architecture that I’ve focused on my whole career: creating spaces for everyday people; whether it’s a bus station or the human services complex down the street where everyday people who may not be able to afford healthcare in the traditional way can go…or a school that’s open to the public. What’s at the root of this is the belief that everybody should be able to experience beauty in their environment, not just those who can afford to hire an architect to design a $2 million home or the business that can build up a sprawling corporate headquarters because they have the resources. ⁣ ⁣ [I think of] someone who bought a bus ticket to come here from New York and rode on the bus all night. When they get off that bus and come into the terminal, why shouldn’t that be as beautiful as the museum or as the corporate headquarters? That drives me because I think that public spaces can have an impact on how you feel, how you work, how you play, [and on] whether you’re comfortable or not in a space with other people, or alone, or in a hospital where there’s tremendous stress and anguish. That environment needs to be just as inviting and inclusive and beautiful as someone’s private home with artwork hanging in it."⁣ ⁣ We are thinking of his family today. In lieu of flowers, they ask that those who feel moved to honor Phil Freelon support North Star Church of the Arts. Find out how to do that at the link in our bio.
Happy Fourth of July / launch day for Stranger Things Season 3! Did you know the series creators - The Duffer Brothers - are from North Carolina? We interviewed them a couple of years ago about the show and their connection to our state. Dive in at the link in our bio!
 
 

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