Murphy – In its inaugural fundraising gala, the Cherokee County Arts Council hosted a Starry Night with ambient music, an auction of curated and donated works, a locally catered sit-down dinner and open studio demonstrations with featured artist meet-and-greets along with storytelling Saturday night.
Director David Vowell said, “Hopefully, realistically this is the first of what becomes an annual event. We hope to raise enough funds to help with our regular programs in both local schools and the community and also to help augment our assistance to other arts organizations as well as working artists’ support along with our endeavor to procure this establishment as the permanent home for the Arts Council.”
With an ever-growing dearth of arts funding at both state and national levels, the council hopes to reach Cherokee County through both its programming for schools and youth as well as offering an outlet for working artists to supplement their exposure to larger populations.
Vowell emphasized that North Carolina in particular will see a potential deficit for spending for the arts given the necessary funds for infrastructure following the devastation from Hurricane Helene in several neighboring western counties.
“While we have many advocates for our funding at the state level, it is just a necessary understanding that many of the funds at both state and federal levels will be impacted because of the immediate and long-term needs so we will feel the shift and the impact for our funding and our offerings,” Vowell said.
With a crowd of more than 75 attendees, including Arts Council members and artists in support of arts, education and enjoyment of each, the gala offered a chance for the community to engage with both patrons and producers of the arts.
Featured artist Bobby Choe-Henderson with his exhibit “Free Bird” was on hand to discuss his traditional Korean paper artworks, known as “hanji,” which is the use of handmade paper created from elemental materials through several processes into a malleable form which evolved into several of his installments, the most striking of which was dedicated to his aunt, experiencing dementia, and his experience in relating to her in both familial and caregiver roles.
“Childhood Reversion,” constituting one of the central installment series’ pieces stems from his giving life in layered paper texture to the story of his aunt and mother having to leave Seoul “in the first wave of evacuees during the invasions from the North.”
“They were caught on the one bridge out of Seoul, with the Han River being frozen over,” Choe-Henderson said. “They were incredibly fortunate to make it over that river, so I wanted this installment to indicate water, movement, a way of transitioning through time and space and memory, as a river flows.”
While Choe-Henderson, a self-described “ethno-based artist” who began his career at Tri-County Community College, was center stage to discuss his works, other artists were on-hand to provide hands-on demonstrations including Chris Jones, member of Mountain Potters Network. Jones, a 12-year resident of Cherokee County, has taught at John C. Campbell Folk School as well as featuring his work at various regional craft shows and permanently at the Arts Council’s studio.
Working at his wheel with various onlookers, Jones described his work as “what the clay wants” and “while not best for being mobile, I do enjoy larger works” such as the varying sizes of his urns and vessels displayed.
Another style of turning demonstration was also available as Mark Taylor, vice president of Brasstown Woodturners, was on site with his lathe fashioning small bowls amongst his other signature pieces which have included “even an urn for ashes, a recent commission I received.” Taylor, whose works also reside in the Arts Council studio, said he was glad to show others his lathe, his electric spinner churning shavings out into the workspace as a testament to the evolution of an ancient art into one that lives on in the 21st century.
While tactile arts are tantamount to the creative experience at the CCAC, the lost arts of conversation and storytelling are alive as well as noted storyteller Amanda Lawrence of the Georgia Mountain Storytelling Festival regaled the audience with a Scottish folk tale, “The Dream Makers≤” also known as “The Keepers of Dreams.”
A tale of a young lass lost on a berry-picking adventure which turns from one day into a somewhat unwilling year-long journey of reflection and self-discovery, the story ends with the girl willingly stepping out of her “comfort zone” to embark upon a new chapter of life.
When discussing why she chose this story in particular, Lawrence said it resonated because the girl in the story “chose to step out, both
voluntarily and when forced to and when faced with a decision to create her destiny.”
“The CCAC offers artists and the community the space to step into that place which allows us to become both the keepers and the makers of dreams,” Lawrence added, leaving the audience rapt with both the broader meanings for the tale to impact those who dream of creating and those who choose to practice those creative pursuits.
Hopefully, those dreams will continue to be realized in an age of ever-increasingly doing “more with less” as the organization’s goal was allotted at $25,000. An auction held at the end of the evening consisted of both items curated from members and donations from the community.
While official totals were not ready at press time, the Arts Council will use this first opportunity as a springboard for more active community fundraising in the future according to Vowell.
The auction, led by Col. Tim Ryan, was heated, with many hands vying for local artisans’ works. Christina Toole, local pianist and teacher, provided the atmospheric soundtrack throughout the attendees’ gallery wanderings. The catered dinner was provided by local food truck The Ark.
Details: The Cherokee County Arts Council is at 33 Valley River Ave. in downtown Murphy. Visit cherokeeartscouncil.org.