GRASSROOTS PRODUCTIONS LIMITED WINDS DOWN OPERATIONS AND HANDS OFF FESTIVALS AND EVENTS

"GREENSBORO, N.C. – Grassroots Productions Limited, Inc., the organization that has staged the Fun Fourth Festival and Festival of Lights for 23 years, will wind down operations by late summer 2016, according to Sam Hummel, president of the group´s Board of Directors.

The community festivals and events the group has presented will be handed over to others thanks to partnerships cultivated over the years.

"Grassroots was established in 1979 to celebrate the Bicentennial of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse" said Hummel. "At the time, no other organization existed to do this. “

Grassroots held a national playwriting competition in 1980 and in March, 1981, celebrated the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse with its production of the original play "Rise and Fight Again," which interpreted the battle period. Following the successful Bicentennial celebration, Grassroots continued with initiatives that foster interest in Guilford County history and civic events.

"Grassroots' Executive Director Betty Cone, a tireless volunteer, has spearheaded operations, raised community funds for events, involved thousands of volunteers, and overseen two full-time staff and many contract employees in order to stage downtown festivals and events," according to Hummel. "After 36 years, she is ready to retire," he  added.

"The fact that there are many entities in town able to carry on aspects of what our organization has done is testament to the vibrancy and vitality of our city," says Cone. "To see individuals and families enjoying the various Grassroots-produced events in Downtown Greensboro has brought me immense personal joy."

Grassroots plans to give the City of Greensboro and Downtown Greensboro, Inc., the holiday decorations it has acquired, including 205 illuminated snowflakes, as well as banners and flags it has used to celebrate various community events. The City of Greensboro and DGI will continue the holiday decorating and the banner program.

Festival of Lights holiday event, which annually brings some 35,000 people to downtown, will continue under the direction of Downtown Greensboro, Inc. Highlights of this First Friday event in December include the lighting of the Community Tree given to Center City Park by the Joseph M. Bryan Foundation, the Community Sing-a-Long, live entertainment throughout downtown, and the chance to visit with Santa in Hamburger Square.

The Fun Fourth Festival, begun in 1975, now includes the Freedom Run & Walk, the Independence Day Parade, a day-long downtown street festival, and a pops concert with spectacular fireworks at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. In 2015, more than 90,000 people participated in these events. Grassroots is seeking community organizations interested in carrying on these events.

Center City Park programming, event management, and maintenance oversight, another aspect of Grassroots' work, will become the responsibility of the new organization that will oversee both Center City Park and the Carolyn & Maurice LeBauer Park beginning in mid-summer 2016.

Through the years, Grassroots has been governed by a Board of Directors of nine individuals. Advisory boards, composed of local business and civic leaders, have overseen the planning of each Grassroots initiative. The City of Greensboro has co-sponsored these events. More than 100 local businesses and organizations have helped with financial support. Annually, over 1,000 volunteers have helped stage the Fun Forth Festival and the Festival of Lights for the enjoyment of the community.

“Grassroots Productions, by emphasizing family fun for the entire area, has enticed tens of thousands of people to come to Downtown Greensboro to experience events and festivals with their family, friends, and neighbors. It has established a foundation and mark of excellence for all other Downtown Greensboro festivals, including the National Folk Festival,” according to City Council Member Nancy Hoffmann, who also serves on the Advisory Board for the Fun Fourth Festival. “Grassroots Productions has encouraged us to celebrate the diversity of our city in Downtown, the heart and soul of our city which belongs to everyone.”"

- A Press Release

Downtown Greensboro Inc. Honors Key Leaders

"Downtown Greensboro Incorporated honored three leaders for their efforts to revitalize the center city at its Annual Report to the Community on October 22, 2015. Andy Zimmerman, owner of AZ Development, was given the The Jim Roach Downtown Person of the Year Award. The Jim Roach Downtown Person of the Year Award is presented annually to a local person who has had a major positive influence or impact on the center city over the past year. Zimmerman was selected for his creativity in the revitalization of properties in downtown, including the former Steel & Vaughn building, now home to Crafted: Art of the Street Food and Preyer Brewery and along Lewis Street, where HQ Greensboro, the Forge, and Gibbs are located.  Past winners include: Milton Kern, 2005; Roy Carroll, 2006; Betty Cone, 2007; John Lomax, 2008; Jim Melvin, 2009; Skip Alston and Earl Jones, 2010; Chris Lester, 2011; Chester Brown, 2012; Kathy Manning, 2013, and Jim Budd and Nick Piornack of Momentum Development Group, 2014. Bryan Toney, Associate Vice Chancellor of University of North Carolina at Greensboro, was presented with the Ed Kitchen Leadership Award. The Ed Kitchen Leadership Award is given to a local individual who through their leadership, vision and dedication has been a champion for downtown Greensboro. Toney was given this award for his efforts to expand UNCG’s campus to downtown through Union Square and the entrepreneurial spirit at HQ Greensboro. Toney was a key leader in the City being awarded the InnovateNC grant as well as the SC2 grant for the Global Opportunities Center. Past recipients of the Ed Kitchen Leadership Award include: Ed Kitchen, 2005; Mike Bumpass, 2006; Jimmy Black, 2007; Ray Gibbs, 2008; Susan Schwartz, 2009; Rich Whittington and Preston Lane, 2010; Trip Brown, 2011; Walker Sanders, 2012; George House, 2013; and Dawn Chaney, 2014. This year Downtown Greensboro Inc. presented a special honor to Betty Cone in recognition of her tremendous service and dedication to downtown Greensboro. Cone has served the greater downtown in many areas including leading the planning and management of the Fun Fourth Festival, Festival of Lights and her leadership within the Carolina Theatre. “Downtown revitalization is a true team effort that needs everyone’s help. Andy Zimmerman and Brian Toney stood out for their remarkable focus over the last year. Mrs. Cone has put forth so much for our downtown, has served as a mentor to many and a passionate leader throughout.  Our organization wanted to say a thank you for all she has done for Greensboro,” stated Zack Matheny, President of Downtown Greensboro Inc. About Downtown Greensboro Incorporated - Downtown Greensboro Incorporated (DGI) is an economic development organization focused on stimulating investment and activity in the center city. DGI’s primary focus is to lead the development of Downtown Greensboro as a prosperous and vibrant urban center, memorable and meaningful for those who choose to live, work, play and invest here." - A Press Release

ArtsGreensboro to Present Betty Cone Medal of Arts Today to Stephen D. Hyers

Greensboro  — ArtsGreensboro will present the Betty Cone Medal of Arts today to the family of Stephen D. Hyers, former Managing Director of Greensboro City Arts Drama Center. Hyers died in October 2014 after an 18-year battle with a brain tumor.

Hyers’ wife, Ashley, will accept the award posthumously, along with her daughter, Page, and Stephen’s mother, Barbara. The award will be presented by local arts champion Betty Cone, ArtsGreensboro Board Chair Florence Gatten, and ArtsGreensboro Awards Committee member Harriette Knox during the organization’s Annual Meeting at 5 pm today at the ACC Hall of Champions at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. Media and the public are invited to attend.

Hyers joined the City Arts Drama team in 1990 as marketing and business manager. He was promoted to managing director in 2005. In this role, he created a wide variety of programs for the community, including:

·      The Greensboro Playwrights’ Forum: Produces three Evenings of Short Plays annually and provides playwrights the opportunity to have actors read their works in progress. Since its inception, the Forum has presented over 300 new plays

·      The North Carolina New Play Project: Annual contest open to any North Carolina playwright

·      Greene Pictures/Teen Greene Pictures: Filmmaking program

·      Improv Club/Soylent Greensboro: Improvisation and improvisation-performing programs

·      The Dramatists’ Playground: An annual one-day event during which “The World’s Newest Play” is conceived, written, and performed

Even more important than the programs he created were the lives Hyers changed forever—from children and teens who developed a love for the arts and discovered their own talents to adults who were able to find their voices through writing and producing. As one of his nominators explained, “[Stephen] gave people the opportunity to develop and showcase their talents. In some cases, he helped people find talent they never knew they had.”

First awarded in 1999, the Betty Cone Medal of Arts is the highest local award presented to artists. It recognizes artists who have achieved clear excellence in their disciplines and/or have made extraordinary contributions to their field or to the community at large through their artistry or expertise.

In addition to Hyers, ArtsGreensboro will recognize its other 2015 award recipients who received their awards at other events:

·      Kathy Manning, 2015 O. Henry Award

·      Tate Street Coffee, 2015 Arts in Business Award

·      2015 Arts Educators of the Year

o   Donnie Walter, Northwest Guilford Middle School

o   Cassy Whitley, The Academy at Lincoln

o   Mike Connors, Penn-Griffin School for the Arts (Runner-Up)



- a press release