The Shalom Project announces The Big Chill annual fundraising event Sunday July 17th, 2016, 3-6pm Grace Court Park

"Ice Cream and Music Lovers alike will enjoy Winston-Salem’s biggest National Ice Cream Day event, “The Big Chill”, featuring dozens of homemade ice cream samplings from participating community organizations and talented musicians from our city. The fun filled, family friendly festival, presented by The Shalom Project, will run from 3pm until 6pm at Grace Court Park on Fourth Street with all proceeds going to support the programs and initiatives of The Shalom Project.

The day’s events include fun for all ages. Live music will performed by Laurelyn Dossett, The Matt Kendrick Trio and Nishah DiMeo.  A kids fun area will have games and activities hosted by the Summer Non Profit Interns of Wake Forest University’s Pro Humanitate Institute. Local foodie celebrity judges, Michael Hastings of the W-S Journal, Ciska Weber owner of Café Gelato and Janis Karathanas of Providence Restaurant and Catering, will judge their favorite flavors.  Homemade ice cream will be sampled, presented by many community groups and religious organizations as well as the newly opened Providence Restaurant. And this year, we are happy to announce that Publix Super Markets has signed on as a corporate sponsor, not only making a generous first time donation but also bringing their delicious ice cream to share. Community leaders will be sitting on blocks of ice making calls to get donations in before they get too cold.  

“We are excited for another successful event on a beautiful summer day to raise funds and awareness for the work of The Shalom Project and are grateful to our friends who are participating in the event. We are hoping for a large turnout from the community to share the fun with” says Lynn Brown, Exec. Director of The Shalom Project. The Shalom Project continues its work of challenging the cycle of poverty in Winston-Salem through its various programs that assist with basic needs, the Circles program that trains and mentors families as they work their way out of poverty, and its Peter's Creek Community Initiative, working to revitalize Peter's Creek Parkway through lobbying for change and improvements along this busy thoroughfare and main artery of our city.

For more information call 

Marsha Strauss or Laurie Kenyon, The Shalom Project , Phone: 336-721-0606

- A Press Release

David Holt’s State of Music – a PBS Show with Roots in North Carolina – Has Rapidly Growing National Audience: David Holt to Perform in Winston-Salem on April 17 and Greensboro on April 18

"WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (APRIL 12, 2016) – David Holt’s State of Music, which debuted on North Carolina Public Television (UNC-TV) in early 2015, is expanding during April to be aired on public television stations across America, distributed by PBS. Although the show’s audience is rapidly growing, four-time Grammy winner David Holt will keep the show’s roots firmly planted in the traditional music of North Carolina’s mountains and foothills.

“The focus of State of Music is to showcase the incredible talents of modern musicians who perform traditional music,” Holt said. “We want to get people fired up about enjoying wonderful old-time and bluegrass music. Our show features performers who we believe are the future breakout artists of traditional music.”

Holt says no one personifies the next generation better than breakout star Rhiannon Giddens, a founder of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, who is featured during Season One of David Holt’sState of Music. Other artists showcased during season one include phenomenal guitar player Bryan Sutton, multi-instrumentalist and singer Josh Goforth, fiddle virtuoso Bruce Molsky, African-American gospel torch bearers Lena Mae Perry and Wilbur Tharpe (The Branchettes), and bluegrass super group Balsam Range.

“David Holt has devoted his lifetime to preserving and promoting the musical heritage of America,” Balsam Ridge banjo player Marc Pruett said. “His quest to dig deeper into the culture is apparent in his new effort, David Holt’s State of Music. We should all rally around this good man who uplifts and offers a current vision into those who are creating new music, as well as carrying our musical heritage forward.”

In every episode, each performer is presented in a setting that nurtured the music. Season One was shot on location across North Carolina: Bearwallow Mountain in Henderson County, Asheville in Buncombe County, Marshall in Madison County, Spindale in Rutherford County, Low Gap in Surry County, Canton in Haywood County and historic Horne Creek Farm in Forsyth County.

“The funny thing is that many of the artists on our show, who are among the finest musicians in the world, are not known to the general public nationally. We want to change that by presenting them in a relaxed, informal context and by filming in places that are important to the music,” Holt said. “Time and time again, those who see the show come away amazed by the depth and power of these performances and the stories we share.”

To celebrate the national launch of David Holt's State of Music, David Holt will appear with Jeff Little and Will McIntyre live at Muddy Creek Music Hall, 5455 Bethania Road in Winston Salem on Sunday, April 17 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $32.64 and can be bought here: http://www.muddycreekcafeandmusichall.com/#!blank/tsjcp

The celebration continues the next day when David Holt will appear with Laurelyn Dossett, Jeff Little and Will McIntyre live at Triad Stage in Greensboro on Monday, April 18 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $30 and $75. Each $75 ticket-holder will be admitted to the venue at 6:30 and will receive an autographed DVD of David Holt's State of Music. David, Will McIntyre, and director Deni McIntyre will meet with them and talk about the show. Tickets can be bought at (336) 272-0160 or1-866-579-TIXX or http://triadstage.org/series/218/david-holts-state-of-music

A partial calendar of air dates and times of David Holt’s State of Music is available at davidholttv.org/broadcast-schedule.

About David Holt’s State of Music

David Holt’s State of Music premiered on North Carolina Public Television (UNC-TV) in January 2015. It was re-edited as a series of three half-hour episodes for added programming flexibility. The show was produced by the Will & Deni McIntyre Foundation. UNC-TV is the presenting PBS affiliated station. The show received an Emmy nomination for 2015 in the category “Documentary-Cultural” for the MidSouth region.

David Holt previously hosted the UNC-TV/PBS series Folkways that took the viewer through the South visiting traditional craftsmen of all kinds. He also served as host of The Nashville Network’s Fire on the Mountain, Celebration Express, and American Music Shop. He was a frequent guest on Hee Haw,Nashville Now and The Grand Ole Opry. Holt can be seen as a musician in the popular Coen Brothers film, O Brother Where Art Thou? He also hosts Riverwalk Jazz for Public Radio International.

In 2002, David Holt and Doc Watson won two Grammy Awards for Best Traditional Folk Recording for Legacy, a three-CD collection of songs and stories reflecting Doc Watson’s life in music. Doc and David toured together from 1998 until Doc’s death in 2012. More information can be found at davidholt.com.

Season Two of David Holt’s State of Music is now in production. Additional information about the show is available at DavidHoltTV.org or willanddeni.org. For more information, contact Will McIntyre by phone at (336) 399-2080 or email will@macfoto.com."

- A Press Release

TRIAD STAGE EXAMINES MEANING OF ART AND FAMILY WITH RADIUNT ABUNDUNT

Kate Goehring (back), Beth Ritson (left), and

Lisa Kitchens (right) in Triad Stage’s

Radiunt Abundunt. Photo by VanderVeen Photographers.

The World Premiere drama by Preston Lane and

Laurelyn Dossett  runs Feb.  21 – Mar. 13, 2016

(Greensboro, NC) — Triad Stage’s 15^th season continues with an exploration of art, family and love in the world premiere of Radiunt Abundunt by Preston Lane, with original music by Laurelyn Dossett. Two women are searching for a missing family member. An art collector discovers a new visionary artist. A desperate young woman seeks to build a home in the most unlikely place. And an artist with a secret past struggles to preach her faith with shape and color. This new contemporary North Carolina drama by the creators of Beautiful Star and Snow Queen weaves together music, story, and outsider art. Come along as these five women each discover what they thought was lost forever. Radiunt Abundunt runs February 21 – March 13, 2016. Opening Night is Friday, February 26.

About the Production

“This is a continuation of the work Laurelyn and I have been creating for Triad audiences for a decade now,” says Preston Lane. “But it is also a real departure as we seek to radically reimagine the intersection of music, theater and the stories of our region.  This is our first contemporary story and it is both the story of family divided but also a exploration of what drives creativity.”

The creative team includes: designer Anya Klepikov costume designer Bill Brewer, lighting designer Jiyoun Chang, sound designer Taylor Dankovich, and projection designer Nicholas Hussong. The dramaturg is Bryan Conger, Christine Morris is the resident vocal coach, Denise Gabriel is the resident movement coach, Cindi Rush is the casting director, and the stage manager is Emily J. Mails.

The Cast

The cast includes Kate Goehring (Triad Stage: Wit; Underneath the Lintel; The Glass Menagerie; The Blonde, The Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead; and The Little Foxes), Lisa Kitchens (Triad Stage debut), Dori Legg (Triad Stage: Brother Wolf, Snow Queen), Madelynn Poulson (Triad Stage: A Christmas Carol (2014-2015), All’s Well That Ends Well), Beth Ritson (Triad Stage: A Christmas Carol (2013-2015), All’s Well that Ends Well, Steel Magnolias, Night of the Iguana, Picnic, Bus Stop, Brother Wolf, Tobacco Road and The Rainmaker) and Lizzie Wouters (Triad Stage: Common Enemy).  The musicians playing alongside Laurelyn Dossett are Gailanne Amundsen, Shona Carr, and Julie Chiles.

Biographies of the cast and creative team, and more information on the production can be found online at www.triadstage.org.

Performance and Special Event Information

All performances are at Triad Stage at The Pyrle Theater, located at 232 South Elm Street in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina (between Market and Washington Streets).

Show times for Radiunt Abundunt are 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings and 8:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday evenings. Sunday matinees are at 2:00 p.m. There are no matinee performances during previews.

Preview performances of Radiunt Abundunt are on February 21, 23, 24, and 25. Opening Night, sponsored by Cone Health, is Friday, February 26 at 8:00 p.m. Pay-What-You-Can performances are Tuesday, March 1, and Wednesday, March 2 at 7:30 p.m. Wine Tasting Friday sponsored by Bernard Robinson and Company is Friday, March 4, prior to the evening’s 8:00 p.m. performance. There will be two Accessibility Performances: on Sunday, March 6 at 2:00 p.m. with services provided by the Greensboro Communication Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and on Tuesday, March 8 at 7:30 p.m. with Arts Access providing services for the visually impaired.

Technically Talking, a behind-the-scenes discussion with members of the design team, is Tuesday, February 23, immediately following the 7:30 p.m. preview performance.

The InSight Series, the free humanities program with a noted expert who will be discussing the world of the play will be held on Sunday, February 28, immediately following the 2:00 p.m. matinee performance. The InSight Series is sponsored by Pennybyrne at Maryfield.

PostScript, a lively, open discussion with the cast, will be held on Thursday, March 3, in The UpStage Cabaret immediately following the 7:30 p.m. performance. The PostScript series is sponsored by Clifford Clendenin & O’Hale, LLP.

About Triad Stage

Triad Stage is a professional not-for-profit regional theater company based in Greensboro’s downtown historic district. All Triad Stage productions are created in Greensboro using the best of local and national talent. Triad Stage gratefully acknowledges the support of its Season Sponsors: Blue Zoom, the North Carolina Arts Council, Arts Greensboro and The Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County. Radiunt Abundunt is presented with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Triad Stage’s 15^th Anniversary Season continues with an American classic Fences, by August Wilson (April 10 – May 1, 2016); and the season closes with a sexy comedy by Moliére, Don Juan (June 5 – 26, 2016).

Single tickets are on sale now.

All Triad Stage productions feature the bold acting and breathtaking design that have been nationally recognized by The Wall Street Journal and by the American Theatre Wing, founder of the Tony Awards^®, which named Triad Stage one of the top ten most promising theatres in the country as a recipient of the 2010 National Theatre Company Grant. Triad Stage has also earned accolades including “Best North Carolina Production of 2010” for The Glass Menagerie by Triangle Arts & Entertainment magazine; “One of the Best Regional Theatres in America”, New York’s Drama League; “Best Live Theater” (nine years running), Go Triad/News & Record and The Rhinoceros Times; and “Professional Theater of the Year” (2003, 2011), North Carolina Theatre Conference. 

To purchase tickets or for performance information on Radiunt Abundunt, call the Triad Stage Box Office at 336.272.0160 or toll-free at 866.579.TIXX (8499), or visit www.triadstage.org."

- A Press Release

ArtsGreensboro Announces $1.1 million ArtsFund Goal and Introduces Honorary Campaign Co-Chairs

Songwriter/singer Laurelyn Dossett and Cone Health

VP Bill Porter will oversee the campaign

Greensboro, N.C., December 9, 2015 — ArtsGreensboro President and CEO Tom Philion announced a $1.1 million goal for the organization’s 2016 ArtsFund campaign.

Monies raised through the ArtsFund enable ArtGreensboro to provide major support to more than 50 arts organizations, artists, and teachers each year. For fiscal year 2016 (running July 1, 2015, through June 30, 2016), ArtsGreensboro will provide local grants and community support totaling approximately $1.03 million. When the National Folk Festival and the Van Dyke Performance Space are taken into account, ArtsGreensboro will invest approximately $3 million in the community in FY16.

At a Campaign Kickoff event held at VCM Studio in Greensboro this evening, Philion introduced the 2016 ArtsFund Honorary Co-Chairs:

·      Songwriter/singer Laurelyn Dossett, who has collaborated on six original Triad Stage productions, including Beautiful Star, which is running through December 24, and

·      Bill Porter, Vice Chair of ArtsGreensboro’s Board and Vice President – Office of Fund Development for Cone Health.

Dossett provided an artist’s perspective. “I write songs to find new ways to communicate timeless concepts of joy and sorrow, love and longing, grief and celebration,” she said. “That’s what artists—no matter their medium—aspire to do.” Dossett underscored how important ArtsGreensboro’s support is to our entire community—especially artists, who receive funding through the Regional Artist grant program, and students, who benefit from dynamic K-12 arts education programs funded by Teacher Art grants, Mission Support grants, and Project Support grants.

Donations to the ArtsFund make all these grants possible.

Porter discussed the importance of the arts from a business perspective. “The arts are the lifeblood of our community and are a catalyst for accelerated investments in downtown. They are a major contributor to Greensboro’s renaissance,“ Porter said. “Businesses want to invest in strong communities—and the ArtsFund strengthens our community every day.”

Philion recognized ArtsGreensboro grant recipients in the audience, telling them how honored ArtsGreensboro is to support their efforts. One grant recipient, David Holley, Artistic Director of the Greensboro Opera, gave an impromptu testimonial for ArtsGreensboro, explaining that the grants awarded to the Opera support its educational programs, including “Meet Cinderella,” an event that took place in conjunction with the Opera’s production of La Cenerentola in August 2015.

Philion closed the evening by underscoring the importance of supporting the ArtsFund. “What many people don’t realize is that the ArtsFund is ‘real-time’ fundraising. ArtsGreensboro has already committed to provide grants this year to more than 50 arts organizations, teachers, and artists. And now—with the leadership of Laurelyn and Bill, and with the community’s help—we must raise the funds to fulfill those critical grants.”

###

About ArtsGreensboro

With an annual budget of approximately $4 million, ArtsGreensboro is a catalyst for innovation to build recognition and support for the arts. Through its ArtsFund-supported grant programs, the 17DAYS Arts & Culture Festival, I HEART ARTS Month, and other opportunities including 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. artsgreensboro.org"

- A Press Release

Laurelyn Dossett hosts a free evening of songs focused on social justice issues and performed by North Carolina’s preeminent singer/songwriters

"Greensboro, N.C., August 24, 2015 — ArtsGreensboro announced today that it will present a free concert, “Songs of Hope & Justice,” at 7 pm on Thursday, September 10, at The Railyard, 106 South Barnhardt Street in downtown Greensboro. Sponsored by O.Henry and Proximity Hotels, this will be the first event in ArtsGreensboro’s 2015 Fabric of Freedomseries.

Singer/songwriter Laurelyn Dossett of Greensboro will host the free concert, which will feature songs that shine a light on important social issues—past and present. Performances will include songs from the folk canon of Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Odetta, and others as well as new and original songs underscoring today’s most pressing social challenges.

Dossett is well known for her own protest songs, including “Vote Against Amendment One” and “My Beloved Enemy,” and others on regional topics such as the Dan River coal ash spill and the loss of textile jobs. She has brought together an outstanding group of performers to celebrate the role of folk songs—specifically protest songs—in America. The performers include:

·      Rhiannon Giddens, of the Grammy-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops, regularly performs traditional folk songs. She also writes stunning protest songs focused on current issues, including “Cry No More,” which she wrote and recorded in response to the June 2015 shooting at “Mother Emanuel” AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina.

·      Bhi Bhiman, a topical, talented singer/songwriter who has toured and collaborated with Giddens, has garnered rave reviews from the New York Times, Washington Post, and NPR.

·      Alice Gerrard, a force in folk music for over 50 years, has spent her career singing traditional and original songs that tell the stories of everyday people, from coal miners to textile workers. A 2015 Grammy nominee for her latest album, Follow the Music, Alice is the founder of The Old-Time Herald, a publication dedicated to traditional music. 

·      Molly McGinn, founding member of Amelia's Mechanics, creator of the ground-breaking Postcards from the Swamp, and one of Greensboro’s favorite performers and songwriters, organized the Raise Your Voices campaign to bring out the Vote Against North Carolina’s Amendment One.

·      Django Haskins, founding member of Durham-based The Old Ceremony, received a 2015-2016 Artist Fellowship in Songwriting from the North Carolina Arts Council in recognition of “excellence and achievement” in his artform. In 2013, Django wrote, “We Are Not For Sale,” a protest song that he performed at a Moral Monday gathering in Raleigh.

·      Preston Lane, Artistic Director of Triad Stage will serve as Master of Ceremonies. Lane and Dossett have written five plays with music, all exploring the region's tradition of folk storytelling and song.

“This special concert is not about ‘showcasing’ artists,” said Dossett. “It’s about a community of artists coming together to shed light on and celebrate the role of songs in our collective social-justice history. There will be a variety of voices and styles, but a commonality of spirit and purpose.”

ArtsGreensboro President and CEO Tom Philion added, “This concert will be a truly historic event. The artists Laurelyn has gathered bring an incredibly deep understanding of the struggles for freedom and equality. ‘Songs of Hope & Justice’ will be a perfect introduction to the Fabric of Freedom themes that we’ll explore throughout the National Folk Festival and 17DAYS.”

Fabric of Freedom programming, funded by an Our Town grant from the National Endowment for the Arts with support from the AJ Fletcher Foundation and Lincoln Financial, will run throughout the National Folk Festival and 17DAYS. The Fabric of Freedom showcases Greensboro’s unique history as a haven in the quest for freedom and a catalyst for social change since colonial times. From the pacifist traditions of the city’s 18^th-century Quaker founders (who nevertheless took up arms during the American Revolution) and the power of the Underground Railroad, through the birth of the sit-in movement and the Civil Rights era of the 1960s, and continuing into the present with the struggle among recent immigrants for standing and equality, the Fabric of Freedom tells Greensboro’s story.

###

About Proximity Hotel, 2015 Hospitality Sponsor for the National Folk Festival: New-world moxie meets old-world hospitality at Proximity Hotel. Custom-designed furnishings, commissioned art, and innovative design fill every corner of the AAA Four Diamond Proximity Hotel, which was the first hotel in America to receive LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Enjoy fresh European flavors at Print Works Bistro with creekside dining, modern loft-like guestrooms, a social lobby with 22-foot high windows, the adjacent greenway, and an outdoor pool.  proximityhotel.com

About O.Henry Hotel, 2015 Hospitality Sponsor for the National Folk Festival: Let elegance and tranquility restore your spirit at O.Henry Hotel. Reminiscent of the grand hotels of an earlier era, the O.Henry Hotel is conveniently situated adjacent to popular Friendly Center shopping village and just two miles from downtown Greensboro. The social lobby overlooking the Cloister Garden is a lovely setting for afternoon tea, pre-dinner cocktails, or Jazz every Thursday and some Saturdays. Guests enjoy informally elegant dining and seasonal foods showcasing old-world European flavors at the adjacent Green Valley Grill. A AAA Four Diamond hotel, the O.Henry Hotel features original paintings and a complimentary Southern-style breakfast buffet. Enjoy gracious amenities and an attentive staff. ohenryhotel.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.

Belk is the presenting sponsor of the 2015 Festival. 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 17DAYS

Entering its fifth year, 17DAYS, hosted by ArtsGreensboro, has become the state’s largest collaborative arts and culture festival, featuring more than 100 events, exhibitions, and performances produced by more than 70 organizations, artists, and venues. In 2014, over 100,000 people attended 17DAYS events. With the addition of the 75^th National Folk Festival, which runs during 17DAYS’ opening weekend, September 11 through September 13, and is expected to draw up to 100,000 people, 17DAYS is poised to have its biggest year ever. The 2015 festival will take place from September 11 through September 27. 17DAYSGreensboro.org

About ArtsGreensboro

With an annual budget of approximately $4 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 opportunities including 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. artsgreensboro.org"

- A Press Release