Chicago-Based Sound Artists To Transform Elsewhere’s Museum Into An Architectural Music Box This Summer

"(Greensboro, NC) - Elsewhere, a living museum and artist residency set within a former thrift store, is pleased to announce Museum : : Instrument, a curated sound art residency produced by Elsewhere and ThreeWalls of Chicago, IL. During a month-long special residency, artists will create new installation and performance based sound works that transform the museum’s 100-year old building into an architectural music box.

The works will premiere on July 3, during a First Friday opening event where performers and the public "play the museum," by using the building as amphitheater, music box, instrument, and speaker. A limited edition vinyl LP will collect and document the work made throughout the residency. This special residency offers museum audiences a unique opportunity to engage in sound art production, which is gaining public attention and recognition.

Artists Jon Brumit, Michael Milano, David More, Troy Briggs, and Jeff Kolar and Meredith Kooi of Radius will be in residency at the museum from June 10 - July 5. This group has been curated by  Shannon Stratton--an Independent Curator and Executive Director Emeritus of ThreeWalls-- and Joe Jeffers--musician, producer and Director of 8550 Ohio. While in residence they will produce new sound works that feature electronics, found-objects, interactive instruments, field recordings, and experimental radio broadcasting that alter, enhance, and draw attention to the sounds of the museum as a resonant architectural chamber. Their building-wide sound art interventions will invite audiences to consider the museum as a comprehensive and interconnected artwork, using electronic and auditory media to connect architectures seen and unseen.

Elsewhere will also host free, artist-designed public workshops on June 27-28. These 'hacker-workshops' will bring to life the tangible and creative aspects of sound art production, introducing workshop attendees to new skills and ideas for working with electronic materials, found objects, and toys to explore and create sonic environments.

Now in its 11th year, the residency program at Elsewhere offers creatives and researchers from around the globe opportunities to create projects on site that further their personal practices and engage Elsewhere’s core concepts of creative collaboration and working from at hand resources. Residents evolve their projects to meet the spaces and social ecologies of the museum and its communities, working with our enormous collections of textiles, toys, books, consumer technologies, thrift store shrift, and rooms full of vintage clothes and our ever-changing inhabitants. Museum : : Instrument is the first in a new series of intra-city curated residencies dedicated to providing in depth exploration of the methods and media of contemporary art production at Elsewhere for artists and the public. 

About Elsewhere
Elsewhere is an artist-run, non-profit living museum and artist residency, set in a former thrift store in downtown Greensboro, NC. Utilizing the massive 58-year inventory, Elsewhere’s environment of art and everyday objects invokes new modes for creative response, living, doing, and exchanging in our downtown neighborhood and across the world.

Elsewhere is funded in part by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, ArtPlace America, The National Endowment for the Arts, The North Carolina Arts Council, ArtsGreensboro, the Fund for Democratic Communities, the Future Fund of the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, the Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, Tannenbaum Sternberger Foundation, Guilford Green Foundation, the Harpo Foundation, the Gallucci Creative Fund, Lincoln Financial Foundation, The Phillips Foundation, The Carol & Seymour Levin Foundation, Art Matters & friends like you."

- A Press Release

National Folk Festival Makes Two Important Announcements: VF Corporation Will Sponsor a Stage, and First Set of Eight Performers Unveiled

One of seven outdoor performance venues, the Wrangler® Stage will anchor the northern end of the National Folk Festival

Greensboro, N.C., May 20, 2015  — The National Folk Festival announced today that VF Corporation will sponsor the “Wrangler Stage” at the 2015 Festival, which will feature 300 artists on seven stages over three days in downtown Greensboro from September 11 – 13, 2015. The Festival is FREE; no tickets are necessary.

A large “street stage” located in the 400 block of North Elm Street in downtown Greensboro, the Wrangler Stage will anchor the northern end of the Festival. At any time throughout the Festival, as many as 5,000 attendees will be able to enjoy performers on this stage, which will operate day and night. Food and beverage vendors will be located on the Wrangler property adjacent to the stage.

Making the announcement today at the Wrangler facility in Greensboro were Anita Graham, Vice President – VF Global Human Resources; Scott Baxter, Vice President – VF Corporation and Group President – Jeanswear, Imagewear and South America; Florence Gatten, Board Chair – ArtsGreensboro; Tom Philion, President and CEO – ArtsGreensboro; Julia Olin, Executive Director – National Council for the Traditional Arts; and Greensboro City Council Member-At-Large Marikay Abuzuaiter.

“We are thrilled to announce that VF Corporation—with its corporate headquarters right here in Greensboro—is making a major commitment to the 2015 National Folk Festival,” said Philion. “With this investment in the Wrangler Stage, VF is providing an opportunity for tens of thousands of people to enjoy performances by some of our nation’s outstanding traditional artists during the Festival.”

“VF and Wrangler are proud to support the National Folk Festival in Greensboro, the place we call home,” said Scott Baxter, Vice President – VF Corporation and Group President – Jeanswear, Imagewear and South America. “By presenting some of the nation’s best traditional artists on the Wrangler Stage during the National Folk Festival, we have a unique opportunity to celebrate the arts and American heritage, something that is also at the heart of Wrangler.”

Approximately 300 artists—musicians, dancers, puppeteers, storytellers, and craftspeople—will appear during the National Folk Festival, with at least 30 different musical groups performing on the Wrangler Stage and six other outdoor performance venues throughout downtown Greensboro.

Following the announcement of VF’s sponsorship of the Wrangler Stage, Julia Olin, Executive Director – National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA), which awarded the National Folk Festival to Greensboro and is co-producing it with ArtsGreensboro, announced the first set of eight artists performing at the Festival. Those artists include:

·      Dale Watson – Honky-Tonk & Country

·      Marquise Knox – Blues

·      Los Tres Reyes – Trío Romántico

·      Mythili Prakash Dance Ensemble – Bharata Natyam

·      The Dardanelles – Traditional Music of Newfoundland

·      Sheila Kay Adams – Appalachian Songs, Stories, and Ballads

·      Babá Ken Okulolo & the West African Highlife Band – Highlife

·      Yuqin Wang & Zhengli Xu – Chinese Rod Puppetry

Over 40 people of different backgrounds—and with a deep knowledge of traditional music and art forms—came together from across North Carolina to serve as the local Festival Programming Advisory Committee. “I was thrilled to work with the local Programming Advisory Committee whose input was so valuable to the Festival programming process,” said Olin. “This first group of performers underscores how diverse and exciting the Festival’s programming will be.”

More performers will be announced over the next two months. Check the newly launched NationalFolkFestival.com website often for updates and information on all the performers.

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About VFCorporation: VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC) is a global leader in the design, manufacture, marketing, and distribution of branded lifestyle apparel, footwear, and accessories. The company's highly diversified portfolio of 30 powerful brands spans numerous geographies, product categories, consumer demographics, and sales channels, giving VF a unique industry position and the ability to create sustainable, long-term growth for our customers and shareholders. The company's largest brands are The North Face^®, Vans^®, Timberland^®, Wrangler^®, Lee^® and Nautica^®. For more information, visit www.vfc.com.

About the 2015 National Folk Festival: Co-produced by the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) and ArtsGreensboro, the National Folk Festival is beginning its three-year residency in downtown Greensboro this year, when it will celebrate its 75th anniversary from September 11 – 13, 2015. The FREE, three-day event is America’s longest-running festival of traditional arts; it will highlight both long-standing traditions and the heritage and culture of North Carolina’s newest immigrant groups, and set the stage for a continuing and permanent North Carolina Folk Festival, beginning in 2018, after the “National” moves on.

With downtown Greensboro as the backdrop, audiences will enjoy seven stages featuring continuous musical entertainment—from rockabilly to old-time to mariachi, and from funk to Cajun to jazz. Attendees will also be able to dance non-stop to a variety of musical genres at the dance pavilion; dine on regional and ethnic foods; experience folk art demonstrations and performances by N.C. artists; and share the fun of the Family Activities Area with their children. nationalfolkfestival.com

About the National Folk Festival: Since it was first presented in St. Louis in 1934, the National Folk Festival has celebrated the roots, richness, and variety of American culture. Championed in its early years by Eleanor Roosevelt, it was the first event of national stature to present the arts of many nations, races, and languages on equal footing. It was also the first to present to the public musical forms such as the blues, Cajun music, polka bands, Tex-Mex conjunto, Peking Opera, and many others. An exuberant traveling festival that embraces the diverse cultural expressions of the American people in the 21st century, the National Folk Festival is FREE to the public, and is produced by the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) in partnership with communities around the country.

About the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA): The National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) is one of the nation’s premier non-profit cultural organizations dedicated to the presentation and documentation of folk, tribal, and ethnic arts in the United States. Founded in 1933, it is the nation’s oldest producing and presenting organization with such a focus. Its programs celebrate and honor deeply rooted cultural expressions—music, crafts, stories, and dance passed on through time by families and communities as well as by tribal, ethnic, and occupational groups. The NCTA stresses excellence and authenticity in presenting artists to the public in festivals, tours, concerts, media programs, exhibitions, recordings, and other activities, and works in partnership with communities across American to establish new, sustainable traditional arts events that bring lasting social, cultural, and economic benefits. www.ncta-usa.org

About ArtsGreensboro: With an annual budget of over $2.9 million, ArtsGreensboro is a catalyst for innovation to build recognition and support for the arts. Through the 17DAYS Arts & Culture Festival, I HEART ARTS Month, power2give, and other initiatives such as the National Folk Festival, ArtsGreensboro is driving the health and vitality of our community by supporting arts education, celebrating the diversity of Greensboro, and driving economic impact through excellence in arts programming. www.artsgreensboro.org"

- A Press Release

Downtown Business Owners Bring Experience and Expertise to new Downtown Venture!

"Area business owners Rocky Scarfone, Paul Talley, Howard Dozier, and Jeffrey Furr are bringing

their experience and expertise together to bring The Great Balls Of Fire Dueling Piano Bar to Downtown Greensboro at 115 South Elm Street.

"Our goal together as a partnership group is to create a synergy on the 100 block of Elm Street that would attract a diverse demographic that would be able to see a show at the Cone Denim Entertainment Center, then after the show go sing along with the piano players at the dueling piano bar or to the multi-faceted nightclub and lounge Limelight, which features Downtown's only rooftop nightclub. There will be no cover at Great Balls of Fire Dueling Piano Bar or Limelight with a ticket stub from Cone Denim Entertainment Center after a show. Great Balls of Fire Dueling Piano Bar will have different touring Piano Players weekly, thus enhancing the customers experience. It will be a fun, laid back atmosphere and one that we believe will become a favorite for bachelorette and birthday parties, or just a night out,” said Scarfone, “as a partnership we wanted to create an affordable night out with a lot of choices and with Great Balls of Fire Dueling Piano Bar situated between the Cone Denim Entertainment Center and Limelight we felt this was a natural to achieve our goal.”

Scarfone is the owner of the local Ham's Restaurants, as well as the Buckhead Saloon, The Underground, and the new Live Nation-affiliated Cone Denim Entertainment Center.

Paul Talley owns the adjoining Limelight Nightclub, Arizona Pete's and the Comedy Zone on Patterson St in Greensboro, as well as the popular Uptown Charlies at N. Church St and Highway 150 in north Greensboro.

According to Talley ,”this is a wonderful opportunity to create an entertainment destination that will appeal to a broad range of people.”

Jeffrey Furr is an Attorney with the law firm King & Spalding and a partner in the Ham's Restaurant in Winston Salem at the Thru Way Shopping Center and a partner in the Cone Denim Entertainment Center. Howard Dozier is a partner in Limelight and the landlord of several downtown locations.

Great Balls of Fire Dueling Piano Bar is set to open on Friday, February 13, with talented and entertaining pianists Joel Randolph and Jerod Brocklehurst, who has opened for and backed up American Idol winners.

Great Balls of Fire Dueling Piano Bar will be open Fridays and Saturdays at 9PM, expanding to Thursdays soon after the grand opening."

- A Press Release

Elsewhere To Host Process Talk With Southern Constellations Fellow Izel Vargas

"Elsewhere — a living museum, studio and school set within a former thrift store on South Elm in downtown Greensboro — will hold a process talk entitled “Constellations & Conversations” with current Southern Constellation fellow and artist-in-residence, Izel Vargas, on Friday, June 27 from 5:30-7 p.m. Vargas will be presenting on the process of his current project while in residency at Elsewhere. The event is open to the public and free with admission to the museum. Attendees are invited to stay for dinner immediately following the event; the cost of dinner is $5 for museum members and $10 for members. Vargas was born and raised in the­ Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. A native of Alamo, TX, his upbringing along the US – Mexico border plays an important role in his art making process. Vargas received his BFA in 2004 from the University of Texas – Pan American and his MFA from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill in 2007. Now entering its second year, Southern Constellations seeks to bring in artists from the South to create experimental site-specific artwork using Elsewhere’s extensive “Collection” of materials. There are six 2014 Southern Constellation fellows who will participate in process talks, exhibitions, member events, public studios and First Friday events at Elsewhere throughout the year. The program will culminate with a gathering of regional curators, artists and returning fellows to discuss connections between art and experimentation in the South. This year’s program was collaboratively designed and curated by Jina Valentine — an artist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Art at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill — and Elsewhere’s Production Curator, Jennie Carlisle. Southern Constellations is funded in-part by the National Endowment for the Arts. For more about the program please visit http://goelsewhere.org/south.  About Elsewhere: Elsewhere is an artist-run, non-profit organization and residency program, set in a former thrift store in downtown Greensboro, NC. Utilizing the massive 58-year inventory, Elsewhere’s environment of art and everyday objects invokes new modes for creative response, living, doing, and exchanging in our downtown neighborhood and across the world. For more information visit http://goelsewhere.org." A Press Release