Monday, December 22, 2008

ARTS & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTS: Chris Palestrant in CONCERT



An accomplished composer, Christopher Palestrant's works and arrangements have been performed from New York City to the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C and throughout the United States. Prizes and awards include the Third Biennial Michael Hennagin Prize, the Turner Classic Movies Young Film Composers Competition and the Randolph S. Rothschild prize in composition. His music and writings have also been selected for presentation for the College Music Society national conferences, the Society for Ethnomusicology and the Intercollegiate Music Association. Chris compositions include the orchestral works The Wind in His Mane, Caligula and Festival Hebridean as well as numerous chamber pieces, choral music and one-act operas.
Chris currently teaches composition and music theory at Elizabeth City State University of the University of North Carolina.

http://www.palestrant.com/about.html

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Bless Me, ULTIMA: The bigREAD Mural



"INTERSECTION OF WORDS & COLORS"

Artist Tunde Afolayan partnered with Pasquotank-Camden library (Elizabeth City, North Carolina) on the NEAs Big Read program. While Big Read is promoting a new culture of reading, Tunde motivated young readers draw conclusions about what they read through the creation of a four-by-eight foot mural depicting scenes from Rudolfo Anayas Bless me, Ultima, a coming-of-age novel about a Latino boy in New Mexico who grapples with conflicting cultures.

http://www.tundevisualart.com/

Funding for this project is made possible through a grant from The National Endowment for the Arts (The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. The NEA presents The Big Read in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest).

http://www.neabigread.org/

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Arts of the Albemarle: ARTS PICNIC 2008



The Arts of the Albemarle (AOA) is located downtown, one block from the waterfront where those traveling by boat receive free docking on the Pasquotank River.

AOA, established in 1969 became a registered non-profit arts council in 1980. In the 80's PAC purchased the historic Sharber Building where the retail Gallery, the School of Visual and Performing Arts and Encore Theatre Company call home. Previously known as the Pasquotank Arts Council, the Board of Directors changed the name to Arts of the Albemarle in November of 2007.


DESIGNER HOUSE at Bayside Manor in Elizabeth City



"Embracing the past and the present through design"
The Designer House at Bayside Manor
Elizabeth City, North Carolina
August 3rd - 17th Open to the Public
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. (Monday-Saturday)
Noon - 4 p.m. (Sunday)

Arts of the Albemarle hosts the Albemarle Area's first Designer House at Bayside Manor on 1598 Weeksville Road, adjacent to the Elizabeth City U.S. Coast Guard Base and Elizabeth City's regional Airport.
http://www.artsofthealbemarle.com/def...

Thursday, May 15, 2008

ARTS DAY 2008 in Raleigh North Carolina


On Wednesday, May 14th 2008, ARTS North Carolina sponsored ARTS Day, a state's legislative advocacy day. Over 200 arts people from across the state of North Carolina convened in Raleigh to share with elected officials the value of the arts to their state. For the first time, artists were an integral part of that message.

Learn more about ARTS North Carolina:
http://www.artsnc.org

Sunday, May 4, 2008

COMMUNITY MURAL: Anson County-North Carolina


North Carolina mural artist Tunde afolayan worked with the community residents in Anson County, NC to create three community murals. The mural concepts capture the arts, histories and agricultural features of Anson County.
This community mural project was sponsored by the Anson County Arts Council in Wadesboro, North Carolina.

Learn more about Anson County Arts:
http://www.ansoncountyartscouncil.org/

DISMAL SWAMP CANAL: Underground Railroad Mural



This video is a documentary of the Underground Railroad Mural created during an Art in Education Residency at H. L. Trigg Community School in Elizabeth City North Carolina . The concept was inspired by the history of "The Great Dismal Swamp" and its connection to the 'Underground Railroad'. The students went on a field trip to explore the historic Dismal Swamp as part of the Underground Railroad Path to Freedom experience. North Carolina Mural artist Tunde Afolayan, worked with the students to transform the information collected through research into this powerful visual narrative which reflect on an important part of American history.

Check out the Uderground Railroad Mural website:
http://www.geocities.com/dismalswampm...

Learn more about the Great Dismal Swamp and the Underground Railroad at:
http://www.fws.gov/northeast/greatdis...

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

"OPERA ON THE PASQUOTANK" featuring Rose Leahr Bowen (Soprano)

I am fortunate to live in a small beautiful waterfront town called Elizabeth City (The Harbor of Hospitality) located in northeastern North Carolina.

The spirit of the arts truly came alive on the beautiful evening of Saturday April 19, 2008, at the Museum of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City, North Carolina.
OPERA ON THE PASQUOTANK featuring Rose Leahr Bowen (Soprano) was presented in the Gaither Auditorium of the museum to a sold out audience. This art event epitomized the nature of the arts as an effective community-building mechanism. The full auditorium was packed with a diverse, excited audience of community residents poised with enthusiasm to embrace a meaningful cause; a fundraising event benefiting the museum sponsored by The Guild of Museum Friends.

Visit MOA on line:
http://www.museumofthealbemarle.com/home.htm
OPERA ON THE PASQUOTANK VIDEO


About The Artists
Rose Leahr Bowen (Soprano) is a native of Columbus, Ohio. She has performed a variety of roles in opera, including Mimi in La Boheme, Micaela in Carmen, Clara in Porgy and Bess, Appolonia in Haydn’s La Canterina, Elvira in Don Giovanni and most recently Second Lady in The Magic Flute with Lyric Opera of New York City Opera Productions. Additional roles from her repertoire include Liu from Turandot and Countess Almavia from The Marriage of Figaro. Ms. Bowen was recently honored with a grant from the Martina Arroyo Foundation to study a Mozartean role.

As a concert singer, Ms. Bowen has appeared as soprano soloist in oratorios such as Mendelessohn’s Elijah Mozart Requiem, Handel’s Messiah and Faure Requiem. She also has performed excerpts from La Boheme and The Marriage of Figaro with New Rochelle Opera and was a guest artist at the North River Music Festival performing Alban Berg’s Seven Early Songs and John Harbison’s Mirabai Songs. Ms. Bowen’s work includes solo recitals in Italy at Oratorio San Fillipo and Associazone Italo-Americano in Genoa and Chiesa de S. Francesco in Aqui Terme. This past fall, she performed at The Nicholas Roerich Museum in New York City. Ms. Bowen received her Master’s of Music degree from Manhattan School of Music and her Bachelor of Arts degree in French Literature from Smith College.

Brian Sapp (Accompanist) was born and reared in Salisbury, NC. In 2002, he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Sacred Music, concentrating in Organ Performance, under the tutelage of Dr. Janette Fisher, at East Carolina University. He is pursuing his master’s degree in the same discipline at ECU.
Brian has trained with world- famous organ teachers, including Ludger Lohmann of Germany and Dame Gillian Weir of England. In 2006, he had the honor of performing during the inaugural year of the Perkins and Wells Memorial Organ in Greenville, NC. Brian now lives in Elizabeth City, NC where he has been Minister of Music, Organist, and Choir Director at Christ Episcopal Church since 2002.

By Tunde Afolayan
THINK, BELIEVE, PARTICPATE
The Arts build Community…
http://www.tundevisualart.com/