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Tuesday, 16 June 2020
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Written by Stephanie Crider
It might seem like the world has come to a standstill the past few months, but the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County has not. As more and more businesses and organizations open in the coming months, look for new exhibits and happenings downtown. In the meantime, the online energy is strong here, and the Arts Council continues to provide first-rate art and entertainment options. Currently, two programs that have met with much success are the online exhibit, “Size Matters: Works that Push the Scale of Dimensions,” and the Hay Street Live performance series.
Hay Street Live is a weekly event that typically includes a host/hostess — sometimes more than one — and a performer. The earlier versions of the event also included a local mixologist to showcase his or her signature drink. “Our viewers have spoken, and they love the music,” said Scott. “We’ve received several requests to extend the show from viewers who can’t get enough of this virtual jam session. So, we’ve elected to extend the musicians playtime by removing the mixology section. Now it’s all about the arts. The performer will have more time to share their artistry with their virtual fans.”
June 19, don’t miss the Hay Street Live performance of Dan 64. This is a returning band from one of the earlier shows in April. The host will be Sweet Tea, host of “The Sweet Tea Show” found on Carolina Country 100.1 FM and Carolina Country 93.9 FM.
The June 26 band will be a Fayetteville favorite — 80s Unplugged. The band celebrates all the goodness and quirkiness of the 1980s, including Rubic’s cube, Swatch watches, Members Only jackets, skinny ties, Vans checkerboard shoes, guys with mullets and girls with Camaro hair, but especially the music.
Goldy of WFNC 640 AM’s “Good Morning Fayettevillle” will host the show.
Starting in July, Hay Street Live will move to Thursdays. Whiskey Pines Band will perform July 2. The Arts Council’s Metoya Scott will host the event.
“Size Matters” opened on April 24 and remains accessible online through June 25. “Size Matters,” as the name implies, is all about scale. The exhibition encourage(s) artists to experiment with scale. The artwork represents recognizable objects that have undergone a disorientating shift in size. The show was originally set to open April 24 and was shifted to an online event due to COVID-19 restrictions on group gatherings.
The exhibit, gives visitors an opportunity to experience a virtual version of the show. Additionally, all 44 pieces, which represent the works of 31 artists, are available for purchase.
It includes artists with followings that span the globe. “My viewership is all over the world,” said pictorial artists David Pickett. “With this exhibition, I’ll gain 10 times the exposure and have greater visibility. My friends and family that are out of state can’t always visit the gallery. Now they all can.” Pickett, a resident of Shallotte, North Carolina, has two pieces featured in the exhibition.
Another feature of the exhibition is “Palette Talk.” “’Palette Talk’ was an intimate, authentic, unguarded conversation that occurred between two artists featured in our ‘Size Matters’ exhibition and facilitated by myself,” said Metoya Scott, public relations manager for the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County. “During the show, I encourage viewers to ask the artists questions and acknowledge them for their contribution to enhancing visual arts experiences not only in Cumberland County but worldwide through our virtual exhibition. … I had the opportunity to speak with the artists one on one about how they fell in love with art, what inspires them to create, and why they submitted to our exhibition. Artists hailed from Miami, Florida, to Iowa City, Iowa, and, of course, sprinkled all across the Carolinas.”
One of Fayetteville’s best-loved perennial exhibits follows “Size Matters.” Celebrating its 15th year, the “Public Works” Exhibition Aug. 28 and runs through Oct. 17 at the Arts Council. This really is the people’s exhibit. There is no jury.
“’Public Works’ is a communitywide art exhibit sponsored by the Fayetteville Public Works Commission,” said Scott. “This is an opportunity for all artists of all ages to have their work exhibited … at the Arts Council.
“Who’s eligible? You are, if you live in Bladen, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, Richmond, Robeson, Sampson, and Scotland Counties or Fort Bragg or Pope Field.
“Bring your artwork to The Arts Council, 301 Hay St., between 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Friday, August 14, or on Saturday, August 15, between noon to 4 pm.”
There will be a People’s Choice award.
August 28-31 the public is invited to vote for their favorites. The artwork with the most votes be featured on the Arts Council’s Facebook page for a Virtual Vote. A photographer will be present the day of Art in-take to capture the artwork; each entry will be uploaded to the “Public Works” Exhibition App, managed by the Arts Council. Voting will be available via the app. Winners will enjoy a prize pack full of unique items from downtown businesses, according to the Arts council website. Winners of the online Virtual Vote will get an Arts Council goody bag.
Find out more about these and the many other initiatives at the Arts Council at theartscouncil.com.
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Tuesday, 19 May 2020
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Written by Dr. Shanessa Fenner and Jenna Shackelford
The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County presents Hay Street Live: A Virtual Jam Session, every Friday, from 6-7 p.m., streaming live through Facebook.
“Hay Street Live is a virtual jam session that is streamed live through our Facebook account, which is at Facebook.com/TheArtsCouncilFay,” said Metoya Scott, public relations manager of the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County. “It gives our community a chance to connect with local artists from North Carolina and comment and party in the house.”
It’s a fun and entertaining way to support and showcase local talent, but with a twist! For each show, the Arts Council invites a mixologist from a local restaurant to share their favorite mixed drinks with the audience and to share the secrets of how to make a perfect cocktail. Often, the drink recipes are original recipes or modern interpretations of classics. The audience gets a new recipe and insight on the science of beverage making, and businesses and mixologists get some exposure — it’s a win-win.
The entertainment lineup varies from week to week. Last week, soulful singer Leme Nolan of Beaufort, North Carolina, entertained Fayetteville audiences by belting out covers of pieces by Erykah Badu, Mary J. Blige and SWV, in addition to performing her original work, “Love with a Ring Attached.”
The week before that, it was the All-American rock group, The Guy Unger Band — the ultimate “light up your life” party band that really knows how
to rock.
Coming up on the Virtual Hay Street Live program this Friday, May 22, is another local top-notch Carolina rock band known from the mountains to the coast, Rivermist. Voted the 2018 and 2019 Best Band in Fayetteville by Up & Coming Weekly readers, Rivermist has been performing up and down the East Coast since 2014, although the band members have performed together for decades. According to Greg Adair, founding member and manager of Rivermist, they love working locally, especially when supporting the Arts Council, historic downtown Fayetteville and the military. He’s proud of the band’s motto: "Ain't No Party Like A #rivermistparty cause a Rivermist Party Don't Stop!"
The band did not feel right about accepting donations or tips during Hay Street Live for their personal use because of the circumstances of the virtual event, but there will be a link to the Dr. Susan Love Foundation for Breast Cancer Research should people decide to donate on behalf of the band.
Rivermist hopes to replicate the feeling of a live performance. “We figured what we’d do is set up several cameras — we've got a system that we’re going to try to use," Adair explained. "We’re going to try to do a full stage, lights, everything show. I know it’s going to be more work and a lot more tech involved, but people have waited this long for it.”
Adair hopes that people will interact with the band online while the event is streaming and even make requests.
Hosted by Bill Bowman, publisher of the Up & Coming Weekly newspaper, he will introduce the evening’s official guest mixologist, Joseph “BEAR” Dewberry, owner of On After Bar & Grub. BEAR will introduce viewers to two of his favorite signature summer drinks — "Bear’s Southern Peach" and the "Hot Head."
In addition, Hay Street Live introduces Jeremy Ruis, a young Fayetteville-born magician who has been making magic an art since he was 7 years old. Watch closely. Jeremy brings fun, wonder and amazement everywhere he goes.
Since the arrival of COVID-19, the Arts Council’s in-person events have been canceled, but that doesn’t mean the fun stops. “During this uncertain time, we want to give people a way to connect and still be entertained,” said Scott. “We recently had to cancel an exhibition, and the artist donated the money that they paid to have their art exhibited back to the Arts Council. That really warmed our hearts, so we wanted to do something to promote our artists — so we started doing Hay Street Live.”
Scott added that because COVID-19 has impacted so many artists, the Arts Council wanted to give them a platform to continue to share their artistry while engaging people at home with high-quality entertainment. With a little creative thinking, it didn’t take long to come up with something different and entertaining to look forward to every Friday night.
“Please join us by streaming — and interact by asking the band, bartender or host questions,” said Scott. “This event allows you to have a really
good time.”
There is a page on the Arts Council’s website for bands or artists to apply to perform. The performer for Hay Street Live on May 29 will be Kiari Moon. Viewers can send a virtual tip to the performer by visiting www.wearethearts.com. Visit www.theartscouncil.com for more information.
Virtual 4th Friday
The excitement doesn't stop when Hay Street Live ends. In a typical month, Fayetteville citizens could look forward to walking the streets of downtown Fayetteville, perusing local businesses, looking at art, hearing great music and participating in events for the Cool Spring Downtown District’s 4th Friday event. Although little has been typical recently, CSDD has been working hard to provide the same level of entertainment and fun that locals look forward to every month but all available through handy technology. From 7-8 p.m., visit the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/1131937423837143/ to see a livestreamed Virtual 4th Friday.
"We want to help our downtown community during this time, and virtual 4th Friday is one of the few ways we can do that … 4th Friday is another thing people can experience from the comfort of their own homes but also be directed to a website with downtown businesses that are currently open," explained Lauren Falls, the marketing and events director for CSDD. "We want to do that because we not only want to support our downtown community but give back during this time. Virtual 4th Fridays are one of the few ways we can do that."
If you loved Rivermist's music for Hay Street Live, they will be back for an encore performance for the 4th Friday live stream. In addition to the live music, Matthew Mercer will create some new art during the stream. Mercer has an impressive resume. In his 20-year career, he has illustrated three books, drawn a family portrait of NFL Hall-of-Famer Emmit Smith of the Dallas Cowboys and his family and even been invited to the White House, where he drew a family portrait for President Barack Obama. In addition to these impressive achievements, Mercer has drawn over 20,000 caricatures between working as an artist at Walt Disney World and his own business.
"I think virtual events are important for the community not just to have something to do, but the way we try to do our 4th Friday event is to try to encourage people to shop, eat, and support local," Falls said.
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