50 for 50 with Ron Rash

Ron Rash | Photo courtesy Clemson world magazine

Ron Rash | Photo courtesy Clemson world magazine

“I tell people that North Carolinians have done three things really well: cook barbecue, make music, and make literature.”
— Ron Rash
 
 
 
 

50 for 50

50 artists celebrate North Carolina

Arts Across NC

A podcast by and about the NC Arts Council

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“The African American slaves talked about the power of the music. It was a way of communicating something over and above what the overseer could understand. The slave community understood exactly what every song meant. It was a way of escape. The thing about the songs of the enslaved is that they always looked upward. I’m not in slavery, but there are still issues and concerns of our day and trials and tribulations…and the power of a song is a way that you can deliver your own soul.” - Mary D. Williams. Singer, educator, and historian Mary D. Williams travels the world performing and speaking about the music of the Civil Rights movement. She's pictured here, standing in front of her grandparent's home in Smithfield, NC, where she grew up immersed in the stories about her family's journey to freedom and independence. Find her story and her music at the link in our bio.
ATTENTION! We are now taking applications for our Folklife Internship program! The internship takes place for twelve weeks between May and September, 2019 and the intern receives a $6,000 stipend. Applicants must have completed at least one year of graduate study in folklife or related field (ethnomusicology, anthropology, history, American Studies) or have equivalent experience with traditional arts and culture. Folklife projects for the summer of 2019 include folklife program website development, development of social media for fieldwork documentation, original fieldwork for web and social media content, and research and program development for traditional artists of the millennial generation. Apply now at the link in our bio!
The Wilson Brothers were a traditional gospel duo from the mountains of North Carolina known for their precise harmonies and skill on guitar and mandolin. Born and raised in a religious family with roots in Cherokee and Clay Counties, the brothers performed in churches and mountain communities throughout Appalachia. Their desire to spread a gospel message kept them from crossing over to perform other types of music. Ray Wilson once put it this way: "We're sincere in what we do. We do it first for the Lord and then we hope the people enjoy it." Jerry and Ray Wilson received the North Carolina Heritage Award in 1998, and today we share the profile written about them for that event on the #ComeHearNC blog. Find it at www.ComeHearNC.com!
Last week North Carolina lost Max Woody, a talented craftsman who created beautiful chairs for six decades. A sixth-generation chair maker, Max Woody was committed to making chairs the same way his ancestors did - carefully, thoughtfully, and locally. He used Blue Ridge Mountain wood to create handmade one-of-a-kind chairs in his Marion, NC studio. It was in that studio that he created chairs for the likes of Reverend Billy Graham. In 2016 the North Carolina Folklore Society awarded him the Brown-Hudson Award in acknowledgement of his mastery of the form and commitment to educating the public about woodworking. Find a tribute to him from the McDowell County News at the link in our bio.
Apply now for grant funding! Our 2019 grant guidelines for organizations are now available. The deadline for submitting applications is March 1. Start your application at the link in our bio
The North Carolina Poet Laureate Ceremony for Jaki Shelton Green, scheduled for today, Monday December 10 in Raleigh, has been postponed due to the winter storm. We were looking forward to the ceremony and like so many others are frustrated by the second major weather event to affect the installation of Ms. Green as our state’s ninth Poet Laureate. However, be assured that the ceremony will be re-scheduled in 2019. We will announce on social media when a new date is set, but please also check our web site, www.ncarts.org, for up-to-date information on the Poet Laureate ceremony. Please stay safe during the storm.
 
 

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