Hickory Museum of Art in Hickory, NC, Seeks Artists for Juried “Road Trip” Exhibition Deadline June 30, 2013

The Hickory Museum of Art in Hickory, NC, is hosting an indoor juried exhibition called “Road Trip” in conjunction with an upcoming outdoor event called “The AutoLawn,” showcasing European automobiles of all makes, models, and ages. Artists are invited to submit work for “Road Trip” that expresses a theme relating to cars, journeys, and the open road. The exhibition will be held in HMA’s second floor Coe Gallery from Aug. 31 – Jan. 5, 2014.

The Hickory Museum of Art wants you to explore the theme of the personal automobile as it relates to your generation or your life’s journey or perhaps how it defined a certain personal Road Trip or a particular phase. How have you seen life from behind the steering wheel?

Joyce Kay Gordon, “Blue Motorcycle”, pastel on paper

The Museum is using (www.CallForEntry.org) (CaFÉ) to manage this call for artists. All entries must be submitted through CaFÉ by June 30, 2013. To view the prospectus, visit the CaFÉ website or (www.HickoryArt.org).

CaFÉ provides artists with an easy-to-use system to create a profile with contact information, upload digital images of their artwork, and apply to a number of open calls for entry at one time. There is no cost to register for this service.

Artists may submit up to three (3) images for a non-refundable $35 fee. (A $15 off coupon code is available for members of the Hickory Museum of Art. Please call Blair Phillips, Development Manager at 828/327-8576 for code.) Entry fees are non-refundable. Artists may enter their work ONLINE ONLY through CaFÉ (www.CallForEntry.org). CaFÉ accepts Mastercard/Visa.

The Museum is offering two cash prizes. Best in Show, selected by the jury panel, will receive $350 and a solo exhibition at the Museum. The People’s Choice Award will be selected by the public during The AutoLawn on Sept. 14; the winner receives $250. Voting will take place the day of event between 10am-3pm (only one ballot per person).

For further info call 828/327-8576 or visit (www.hickoryart.org).

Artists Sought for the Inaugural Sam’s Smoke Off BBQ Festival in Newton, NC – Deadline May 24, 2013

Sam’s Club is seeking artists interested in participating at Sam’s Smoke Off on June 8, 2013 from 10am-6pm. The Smoke Off will be held at the Hickory American Legion Fairgrounds located at 1127 US Highway 70 in Newton, NC. Application fees are $50.00 for craft vendors. The cut off date for applications is May 24, 2013. Please contact (samssmokeoff@gmail.com) for information and applications.

In addition to the BBQ cook off, there will be live music, a silent auction, arts and craft and other vendors, children’s games and hot air balloon rides. Tickets are $5.00 to enter the festival and all proceeds benefit the Children’s Miracle Network.

The Smoke Off is also looking for food, commercial and non profit vendors.

More information may be found by calling 828/221-8686 or e-mailing (samssmokeoff@gmail.com).

Full Circle Arts in Hickory, NC, Calls for Entries for Art About Women 2013 – Deadline Mar. 2, 2013

Full Circle Arts in Hickory, NC, is inviting visual artists to enter their work in its upcoming competition, “Art about Women.” The purpose of this exhibition is to give area artists a means to show art featuring women and women’s issues in all visual media.

Entries should be hand-delivered to Full Circle Arts, Thursday or Friday, Feb. 28 or Mar. 1, 2013, 11am to 5pm, or Saturday, Mar. 2, 11am to 2pm.

Full Circle Arts is located at 29 Second Street NW, in the space they share with Taste Full Beans Coffeehouse.

There will be $600 in prizes offered. The exhibition will be on display Mar. 14 – Apr. 13, 2013.

Part of the proceeds will benefit the First Step Program of the Family Guidance Center in Catawba County.  The Center provides services and support for women
victimized by domestic violence.  Full Circle Arts pledges to donate 3% of the commission from each work sold from the exhibition and requests participating artists, if they wish, to pledge 3% of their share also.

We thank Carl V. Cline, III and Bob Fincher of Resource Partners, LLC, Portfolio & Wealth Management, David Millholland, and Pete and Virginia W. Sobotkin for their assistance.

The opening reception is Thursday, Mar. 14, from 5:30-8:30pm at Full Circle Arts.

FCA is a non-profit artists’ cooperative located in downtown Hickory, partnering with Taste Full Beans Coffeehouse.

For more information call 828-322-7545 or visit (www.fullcirclearts.org).

Hickory Museum of Art in Hickory, NC, Offers Book Signing and Panel Discussion for VALLEY ABLAZE: Pottery Tradition in the Catawba Valley – Feb. 17, 2013

The Hickory Museum of Art, in Hickory, NC, along with authors Jason L. Harpe and Brian Dedmond and photographer Melany Dawn Crouse, will host a book signing on Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013, from 2-4pm, for “VALLEY ABLAZE: Pottery Tradition in the Catawba Valley”. Collectors and authors Dr. Allen and Barry Huffman, author and collector Dr. Robert Hart of Hart Square, and Catawba Valley potter Kim Ellington will lead a panel discussion, with slide presentations, on Catawba Valley pottery and the significance of “Valley Ablaze”. A book signing will follow the presentations, and refreshments and social hour will be held in the Hickory Museum of Art’s Second Floor Coe Gallery. Harpe, Dedmond, and Crouse will raffle a dozen special commemorative pieces of Catawba Valley pottery at the end of the reception. Visitors are encouraged to tour the museum’s current exhibitions “A Tribute to Will Henry Stevens (1881-1949)” and “DISCOVER FOLK ART: Unique Visions by Southern Self-Taught Artists” in the Hickory Museum of Art Collection.

Designed and published by Nathan W. Moehlmann of Goosepen Studio & Press, in Conover, NC, “Valley Ablaze” is a 242-page hardcover volume that chronicles the rich pottery tradition in the Catawba Valley region of North Carolina from the late eighteenth century to the present. Traditional and contemporary alkaline-glazed forms and wood-fired groundhog kilns come alive in full color photographs mixed with vintage images of potters and their work.

With a forward by Dr. Charles “Terry” Zug, and contributions from scholars Scott Smith, Jeff Pruett, and Barry Huffman, “Valley Ablaze” spotlights over 1,000 pieces of masterfully crafted utilitarian forms from the Catawba Valley’s earliest documented potters and face jugs of Burlon Craig, nationally-recognized folk potter from Lincoln County who kept this pottery tradition alive from the 1960s through the early 1980s.  Also showcased is the work of contemporary potters who directly or indirectly learned traditional methods of production from Burlon Craig, and a new group of potters who are continuing the tradition while adding their own unique and special adaptations to utilitarian forms.

The book signing, presentations, and reception will be held at the Hickory Museum of Art, 243 Third Avenue NE, Hickory, NC, on Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013, from 2-4pm. The event is free and open to the public.  The Museum is open on Sundays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

The retail price of the “Valley Ablaze” is $49.95. For the Hickory Museum of Art panel discussion and book signing event, the book will be available at the discounted price of $45.00, including tax. The dozen special commemorative pieces of Catawba Valley pottery will be raffled at the end of the event. Raffle tickets are free with a book purchase or available for sale.

For more information, including ordering copies of the book, payment methods, and upcoming book signings, please visit the “Valley Ablaze” website at (www.ValleyAblaze.com) or contact us via e-mail at (info@valleyablaze.com). You can also visit our “Valley Ablaze” Facebook page.

Visit the Hickory Museum of Art at (www.hickorymuseumofart.org) for information to learn more about museum’s location, exhibitions, and special offerings.

Felice Designs To Be Featured In Hickory, NC, Trunk Show – Nov. 9 & 10, 2012

Felice Designs of Charleston, SC, will be featured at a Hickory, NC, Trunk Show, hosted by Anne and Bethany Beach, on Friday, Nov. 9, 2012, from 1-6pm and Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012, from 10am-3pm. The event takes place at 504 32nd Avenue Drive, NW, in Hickory.

For further info call 828/324-4349. To see works by Felice Designs at (www.felicedesigns.com).

15th Annual Catawba Valley Pottery and Antiques Festival Takes Place in Hickory, NC – Mar. 23 and 24, 2012

The 15th Annual Catawba Valley Pottery and Antiques Festival will take place at the Hickory Metro Convention Center in Hickory, NC, on March 23 & 24, 2012. It is a non-profit event benefiting the Catawba County Historical Association in Newton, NC, and the North Carolina Pottery Center in Seagrove, NC.

Works by Kim Ellington

To read an earlier post click this link.

For further info visit (http://www.catawbavalleypotteryfestival.org/).

Hickory, NC’s Oktoberfest 2012 is Accepting Applications for Arts and Crafts Vendors – Deadline Sept. 1, 2012

Hickory, NC’s Oktoberfest 2012 is now accepting applications for Arts and Crafts vendors. Celebrating its 27th year, this annual festival will be held Oct. 12, 13, and 14, 2012, in Downtown Hickory. Estimated attendance is more than 100,000 for the three day event.

Hickory’s Oktoberfest is a three-day, outdoor festival held annually on the second weekend in October.  It features five stages of non-stop live entertainment ranging from traditional polka to rock & roll, two beer gardens, amusement rides and carnival games, a juried arts and crafts show, along with food and commercial vendors.

Oktoberfest hosts more than 100 vendors, including food from around the world, commercial vendors and non profit organizations. The Juried Arts & Crafts include paintings, sculpture, pottery, handmade swings and furniture, jewelry, photography candles and much more.

Oktoberfest’s Arts and Crafts show is a juried event, with prizes given for the top three artisans. Booth spaces are 10 x 10 and limited to one craftsperson per booth. Early registration (postmarked by Aug. 1, 2012) is $100.00. Regular registration will be accepted until Sept. 1, 2012 and is $150.00. Late registration, if space is still available (postmarked after October 1, 2012) is $250.00 Electricity is available for an additional $25.00. Applications are available on line at (www.hickoryoktoberfest.com).

Applications for commercial and non profit organizations are also available online at (www.hickoryoktoberfest.com).

For more information on Oktoberfest 2012, applications and guidelines or sponsorship information please visit the website or e-mail to (info@downtownhickory.com).

Hickory Downtown Development Association in Hickory, NC, Calls for Participation for 2012 Downtown Hickory Art Crawl – Deadline Apr. 15, 2012

The Hickory Downtown Development Association is seeking artists interested in participating in the Thursday, May 17, 2012 Downtown Hickory Art Crawl. The Downtown Hickory Art Crawl is a Juried Show. Artists will be selected by a committee.  Based on the medium of art and the style of the work, artists will be either placed in participating businesses to complement the merchandise of the business or placed in the Union Square Farmers Market Pavilion.

A participation fee for each artist is $25.00. Artists will not be required to pay any commissions for work that is sold during the Art Crawl. The Art Crawl is planned from 5:30 to 8pm, with a kick off party at Full Circle Arts at 5pm.

There will be room for up to 30 artists. HDDA reserves the right to determine where the artists are located. The committee strives to place artists in a business that will complement both the artist and the business, so please follow the application process closely.

To apply, please send photos of your artwork, a short bio and any other relevant information to:
HDDA, PO Box 9086, Hickory, NC 28603
or e-mail to Barbara at (blsinclair1@bellsouth.net) or Connie at (info@downtownhickory.com).

Please include your name, address, e-mail address and phone number. Incomplete applications will not be accepted or considered.

Deadline for the May 17 Downtown Hickory Art Crawl is Apr. 15, 2012.

The Downtown Hickory Art Crawl is also looking for musicians to play during the event. This is a non-paying venue, but CD sales are permitted during the hours of the Art Crawl. To apply, send a tape or CD with your band’s music, bio on the band members, photograph of the band and any other relevant information to the above address. You may include a website link that has music clips to send the information by e-mail. Again, incomplete applications will not be accepted or considered.

The Downtown Hickory Art Crawls are sponsored by the Hickory Downtown Development Association and the United Arts Council of Catawba County. The United Arts Council of Catawba County is committed to advancing the cultural life of Catawba County through grants, marketing, fundraising and facilities management. The council strives to provide awareness of the cultural activities in our area, as well as grant and contribution opportunities. For further info visit (http://www.artscatawba.org/).

For more information on The HDDA, membership, businesses, other events and downtown Hickory, please call 828/322-1121 or e-mail at (info@downtownhickory.com). Please visit the website at (www.downtownhickory.com).

Plan Now to Attend the 15th Annual Catawba Valley Pottery and Antiques Festival in Hickory, NC – Mar. 23 and 24, 2012

The 15th Annual Catawba Valley Pottery and Antiques Festival will take place at the Hickory Metro Convention Center in Hickory, NC, on March 23 & 24, 2012.

The Friday Night Preview Party will take place Mar. 23, from 7-10pm. The main Festival takes place on Mar. 24, from 9am-5pm.

Preview Party Tickets: $40.00/person (reserve by March 16); Festival Tickets: $6.00/ Adult; and Children 12 and under $2.00. For ticket information or questions call 828/324-7294.

Proceeds from this event benefit the Catawba Valley Historical Association and the North Carolina Pottery Center.

This year, potter Daniel Johnston will speak on his travel experience and apprenticeship with Thailand potters, and how this knowledge has influenced his works. The lecture will be held at 11am, and is included in the Saturday ticket price. An exhibition of pottery complimenting Johnston’s talk will be on display during the Festival on Saturday. The exhibit is called, Committee’s Choice: Pots from the Festival Organizers.

Also on Saturday, in celebration of the Festival’s 15th year, a verbal appraisal event will be presented by noted auction and appraisal experts, Brunk Auctions out of Asheville, N. C.

For further info visit (http://www.catawbahistory.org/catawba_valley_pottery_and_antiques_festival.php).