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
 
 
 
 

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Glenn and Lula Bolick met in the parking lot of a drive-thru grill in 1962. At the time, Lula was working third-shift at a local hosiery factory and Glenn was working at a nearby quarry as a rock crusher. They married several months later.⁣ ⁣ Glenn learned pottery under the tutelage of Lula's father, who had a booming pottery business in Seagrove. In 1973, Glenn and Lula bought back his family farm in Caldwell County where they moved to start their own pottery business.⁣ ⁣ "It wasn't easy when we moved here," says Lula. "He worked at a paper mill, sawmills, [and as a] rock crusher down at Lenoir before we actually made it with pottery. We didn't have an already established business. We had to do it ourselves."⁣ ⁣ Today Glenn and Lula's family farm includes an antique sawmill, a pottery studio and shop, and a stage where they hosted bluegrass jams for years. They have taken their pottery and music to folk festivals and fairs across the state, and today their daughter Janet Calhoun and her husband Michael continue the pottery tradition through Bolick and Traditions Pottery.⁣ ⁣ A year ago today they received the N.C. Heritage Award.⁣ ⁣ #NCarts #NCartscouncil #NCartsFolklife #NC #NorthCarolina #NCpottery #NCheritage #NCtraditions⁣ #tbt #throwbackthursday
Mark your calendars. On Thursday, May 30 from 6-8pm we will be celebrating the opening of "New Faces of Tradition: Documenting North Carolina's Young Artists” at Duke University's Rubenstein Arts Center. The exhibit marks a key moment in a project we've been working on since 2016 – and a new partnership with Duke. ⁣ ⁣ In 2016 our Folklife Program received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to survey the rising generations of artists shaped by, and reshaping, the state’s traditions – from music and dance, to craft and foodways. Over 100 artists under 40 were surveyed and through conversations and questions posed to artists across the state our Folklife Program sought to 1) gain a better understanding of how its programs can best support millennial traditional artists and 2) publish a directory of this transformative talent. A key finding revealed that many of these creatives do not have high-quality photography to use for promotion. This spring, student photographers from Duke University, UNC Chapel Hill and volunteer professionals helped solve this problem. This special exhibition debuts these collaborative portraits. The opening reception will feature live music by saxophonist Shaquim Muldrow and old-time fiddler Sonya Badigian. This photograph of Radha Varadan, a Kathak dancer by was taken by Aaron Zhao (Biology, Photography, Certificate in Arts of the Moving Image, Duke University ‘22). Learn more at the link in our bio.
"Growing up in India, being a dancer, you are a part of a cultural environment where this dance is so highly respected, and it has such a presence in the country, such a standing in the country. It is the cultural heritage. It is respected as one of the national treasures of the country. When I came over here, I was surprised to see that there was very little presence of this dance in this national cultural stage of this country. A dance form of this complexity, of this richness, of this depth, needs to be front and center, and this is one step that gets it closer to the national cultural fabric of this country. It shouldn’t just be limited to diaspora. It should become part of a bigger conversation of this country, and that is what I want to be able to do, to advocate for this art form. If I’m able to do that, that will be great. I don’t know if I can, but I will try.” - Asha Bala of Leela School of Dance. This time last year we were prepping for the N.C. Heritage Award Ceremony. Join us as we revisit our interview with 2018 N.C. Heritage Award Recipient Asha Bala, who is an internationally celebrated dancer and instructor of Bharata Natyam, an ancient South Indian classical dance. Link in bio
TOMORROW. John Brown and The Groove Shop Band is bringing the funk to Rocky Mount, NC with a special African American Music Trails of Eastern North Carolina concert at @rockymountmills. Jump start your Friday at this free concert! Music begins at 5:30pm, and The Groove Shop Band hits the stage at 7pm.
What a big week for Rhiannon Giddens. First a full feature in The New Yorker, second a nomination for best artist of the year by the Americana Music Association. Last year In an interview for our 50 for 50 project Rhiannon told us, “I wouldn’t be able to tell the stories I tell now without all the foundational support I received in North Carolina.” Today we are beaming with pride from North Carolina and want to congratulate and thank her for the work she’s doing to raise awareness about the history of our state’s music. She does North Carolina proud. If you’d like to read her full interview with us - you can find a link to it in our bio!
 
 

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