What's Up?!

The team at Watauga Arts Council hopes you're doing well. We have had a busy summer with Arts in the Outdoors planning, classes, grants, and more. 

Let's get you caught up on all that's happening at WAC this fall!

Want to learn about other art-related events happening around the High Country? Check out HighCountryArts.org for more!

EVENTS

BUSKERS FEST RETURNS!

(with a twist!)

SAVE THE DATES! 

BOONE FALL FEST
A two-in-one Fall Festival Weekend! 

Buskers Fest
Friday, October 4th
5 pm - 9 ish

Boonetoberfest 
Saturday, October 5th
Noon - 9 pm

Buskers Fest will be a vibrant celebration of our diverse, creative community. A First Friday Art Crawl like no other, this evening offers diverse experiences, including dance, music, demonstrations, magic, live art-making, art sales, and more. Last year, we welcomed over 200 artists to downtown Boone, showcasing everything from fire dancing and pottery making to plein air painting, African drums, and more.

Boonetoberfest is a fall celebration with an Oktoberfest theme. Expect buskers on the streets, Oktober-themed food, drink, and competitions, two Biergartens, and more. Make sure to look for the Oktoberfest flags at the doors of the participating businesses.

Be entered to win prizes with a free event passport that gets stamped as you participate in businesses' Oktoberfest offerings.
Oktoberfest costumes are encouraged but not required.

We can't wait to celebrate with you!

Look out for a future newsletter which details more information on the Boone Fall Festival Weekend.

Artist Registration

Event Info

Business Participation or Sponsorship

YOUTH MAKERS MARKET

New Opportunties!

Youth Makers Market is designed to provide a chance for kids to grow as makers and entrepreneurs. Below are a few opportunities our youth makers should keep an eye out for!

1. Youth Makers (ages 10+) are invited to join WAC in Downtown Boone for Buskers Fest on Friday, October 4th, 2024! If you wish to participate, you can register through the regular Youth Makers Market link here. 

2. We are thrilled to announce our first Youth Makers' Holiday Market! Stay tuned for more details!

Note: Youth Makers Market vending is for ages 5-18, but other events may be reserved for older youth and teens. Registration is free, but we welcome donations to keep developing more comprehensive opportunities for youth.                

YOUTH MAKERS MARKET AT THE FARMERS MARKET CONTINUES THE 2nd and 4th SATURDAYS THROUGH OCTOBER.

MORE INFO

GALLERY UPDATES

Here's What's Coming Up!

September
Artist: Susan Payne
"Off the Easel" 
An exploration of the High Country through Oil & Acrylic
 
October
 Blue Ridge Fiber Guild
Member's Exhibition 

November
6x6 Showcase
(registration info coming soon!)

December
Art Education & Community Showcase

This Spring, we will open the WAC gallery to exhibit proposals. Independent artists, guilds, groups, and educators of all art mediums may submit proposals. We will accept applications throughout the year and review them twice yearly to determine the schedule for the next six months.

We are looking for space in Downtown Boone to offer curated exhibits that align with First Friday Art Crawl festivities.

ART EDUCATION

Fall Classes!

JOIN OUR FALL CLASSES!

Registration is OPEN!
FALL CLASSES start in September!

OIL PAINTING FROM LIFE
with Lindsay Carroll: Thursdays 6:00-8:00pm

     SURFACE DESIGN -  INTUITIVE FIBERS
with Pamela Torres: Tuesdays 4:30 - 6:30pm

ADULT WATERCOLOR BEGINNERS
 with Erin Banks: Tuesdays 10:00-11:30am

FUNDAMENTALS OF DRAWING: TRAINING THE EYE
with Nicholas Thorpe: Tuesdays 6:00-8:00pm

MOSAIC MADNESS
with Cindy Michaud: Friday (9/27) - Sunday (9/29)
(See website for times)

YOUTH ART
Instructor: Dee Pelliccio
(ages 7-11)
Tuesdays, 3:30-4:30

MIDDLE SCHOOL
Instructor: Erin Banks
(ages 12-15)
Thursdays, 3:30-4:30

HIGH SCHOOL
Instructor: Erin Banks
(ages 15-18)
Thursdays, 3:30-5:00

Register TODAY!

OTHER NEWS

Art in the Outdoors

BIG THANKS!!! 

Rhode's Motor Lodge is the BEST! 
If you haven't been to Rhode's or the Canteen, you should check it out. It is excellent for a night out, events, and meetings!
As big supporters of our Art in the Outdoors initiative, they provided a place for our Public Arts Consultant to stay when she visited this June.
We had many of our strategic planning sessions and debriefs in the courtyard and outdoor patio, where great drinks and fantastic food from the Canteen kept us focused. The ambiance was so nice that we didn't feel like we were working!
Thank You, Rhode's Motor Lodge, for your generosity and support of Art in the Outdoors.

Mural Tunnels Update + Community Engagement Needed! 

Whitney Landwehrmann was just announced as the artist for WAC's mural tunnel project! This project was funded by the AARP Community Challenge Grant, which was awarded to WAC and eight other North Carolina organizations to help improve public spaces, especially for the aging community. The team here at WAC is honored to work with Landwehrmann, and we are so excited to see this project take shape! 

Want to get updates and be in the know for participation opportunities related to this project? Fill out this form! We want to be sure that our aging, multicultural, and rural communities are included in the creation of these murals, but all are welcome! 

Hellbender Mural Complete! 

The Hellbender Mural is officially finished. It was encouraging to see so many people attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony on August 23rd. Our community is hungry for public art! Click here to learn more about this mural and its efforts!

'My Watauga' Art in the Outdoors Project

If you've been checking our socials, you've probably seen progress pics of our 'My Watauga' project, located at Sterling Creek Park. Cindy Michaud and her team are getting closer and closer to finalizing this cement-based column, whose outer facade is comprised of mosaics created by locals within the community. Make sure to keep an eye out on our socials for regular updates regarding 'My Watauga', as well as other upcoming Art in the Outdoors projects!

GRANT SEASON!

As a Designated County Partner to the North Carolina Arts Council, we administer vital funding to individuals and organizations in Watauga County.

DUE DATE EXTENDED: September 5, 2024 
We are still accepting applications for the Grassroots Grant for organizations that want funding for arts programs. 

Visit our website to learn more. Review the final report before applying. Please feel free to call or email if you have questions. We are happy to help you apply.

We would love for you to help review grants and determine awards. You can register here to be invited to various opportunities. 

Click below to learn more information regarding grants and funding!

Learn More

Volunteers Needed!

We are looking for volunteers for a few specific areas.

Buskers Fest Help! Check-in is during lunch hours during the week of the festival. Help artists unload and/or stand with their stuff as they park on Friday or Saturday. Help organize or run the raffle. 

Hospitality Support - We could use a front-of-house welcomer on busy days when staff is out of the office but we have lots of community groups and classes. This person might help with small tasks around the office like organizing, watering plants, and more. We could also use help writing and sending thank you notes. We would love to get a list of people who want to help with receptions and decorating for the holidays as well. 

Committee Support: We need support on our Gallery and Arts Placement Committee, Art in the Outdoors, Fundraising, and Events (Buskers Fest). Each of these committees has opportunities that need volunteers to contribute to leadership, or take on small tasks to help us accomplish big ideas. We like thinking outside the box and have some ideas we would like to try, but we need more hands to help make it work. 

Volunteer Management: We could use someone who is good at working with people and helping to organize volunteers. Our staff is sometimes so busy doing the work that immediately needs to be done that it is hard to seek and onboard new help. We have simple tasks that would be easy to hand off to volunteers, but we need someone to help us improve our outreach and connections. 

Join Us!

SPECIAL THANKS!

Thank you to these Friends of the Arts. We are so thankful for your recent support. Businesses like these enrich our community and empower us to keep serving.

Please Consider a Monthly Donation

We are doing a lot of work creating systemic change for the arts in our community while also creating space for creatives to gather, work, and learn. 

We keep a tight budget, but there are real costs of doing business and our need for paid staff continues to grow as our mission and impact grows. 

Please consider a monthly donation to ensure we can continue the good work that has begun. We need "Friends of the Arts". 

Your contributions allow us to advocate, educate, engage, and inspire Art within our community. 

Become a sustaining donor to help continue WAC's growth and successes!

All gifts are tax-deductible and are so appreciated. 

D O N A T E