From Damaris Pierce’s Blog:

Like many coastal cities, South Carolina’s Charleston has a fabulous covered market that offers all sorts of tempting creations fashioned by local (or not so local) artisans. On a rainy day it’s a great destination in the heart of downtown. Prior to venturing through the long market, Ricki and I had lunch at the Noisy Oyster, a fabulous seafood restaurant directly across the street, when we spotted a strangely decorated pole right out front. Upon closer examination (luckily after our lunch had well settled…), we discovered the colorful spots up and down the pole to be nothing other than… CHEWING GUM!

While this seems, at first sight, absolutely disgusting, I can’t help but being drawn to this sort of spontaneous, urban art, created by many, anonymously and with readily available materials. I sorta wished I had some gum to add… Best part is to watch people’s faces as they unsuspectingly walk up to it, look for a moment, then realize what it is and either crack up or walk away with stern disapproval. Simplicity, surprise, constant interaction with the viewer… a perfect piece of public art!

Television Spots

Check out the commerical for Raisin Brahms.  There’s another video for Van Goghurt, but it weirds me out a little.  Below is the video on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7u8-stngXKs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GF3HjoFzfVc

 Radio Spots

They’ve got a lot of spots for radio but I think I like the Boring Boy and Dancing Girl the best.

Web Banners

I LOVE these and as soon as I can, I think I’m going to try to add them to the Arts Council’s website. 

Print Ads

I think I like Louis Armstrong and Caravaggio the best, although the Walt Whitman and Homer ones are pretty funny too.

 Which do you like?

Five bands from the Triangle region have been selected for the Clayton Town Square Concert Series “Battle of the Bands” on September 18. A dozen bands from Boone to Rocky Mount applied for the five slots in which only the top 3 bands will receive the prize money of $1000, $500, and $250 respectively.
The bands, in alphabetical order, are:

Hip Sauce Fuquay-Varina
Sandbox Band Raleigh
South Station Raleigh
The Grey Area Raleigh
The Whistlestop Apex

The Clayton Town Square Concert Series is presented by the Clayton Downtown Development Association. All concerts begin at 7:00 pm and the final concert of the series will feature a Battle of the Bands on September 18.

Refreshments available at the Town Square include pizza, hot dogs, beer, wine and soft drinks. Although folding chairs and blankets are encouraged for people to sit on, coolers are not allowed.

Sponsors for the concert series include Town of Clayton, Time Warner Cable, Clayton News Star, Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals, and Clayton Steak House. Contributing sponsors include Avent-Permenter Group Appraisals, Clayton Glass & Mirror, Hometowne Realty, Matthews Motors and True Line Surveying.

If you plan to attend the concerts, consider dinner out before the music begins. Downtown Clayton offers a variety of restaurants for an enjoyable pre-show meal. Consider The FlipSide on 408 E Second Street, 553-0123, Clayton Steakhouse, 307 E Main Street, 553-2299; Mulberry on Main Italian Restaurant 217 E Main Street, 550-7400 or El Sabor de Oaxaca, 226 E Main Street, 359-1477 for traditional Mexican cuisine. All are in the heart of downtown and within walking distance of the Town Square.

The Town Square is in downtown Clayton and sits between West Main Street and S. O’Neil and Fayetteville streets. For more information and updates keep checking this blog. For further information call (919) 553-1545. (more…)

Villani is communications director with the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and a former art critic with The Arizona Republic newspaper.

This is the fourth installment of his book, published by Countryman Press and distributed by W.W. Norton. Villani traveled extensively around the U.S. The listings are in alphabetical order, not by any rank, and include such areas as Newport, RI; Woodstock, NY; Burlington, VT; North Adams/Great Barrington, MA; Teluride, CO; and Carmel, CA.
Villani called Carrboro “one of the best examples I’ve found. It oozes art from every alley and open space. I understand why artists want to live there.”

The Johnston County Arts Council receives funding each year from the North Carolina Arts Council through the Grassroots Arts Program, which allows the Johnston County Arts Council to disperse funds to local organizations. The North Carolina Grassroots Arts Program is the only program in the United States that insures every North Carolina resident has access to the arts. The amount awarded in 2008-09 is an increase of $8,163 from 2007-08.

The North Carolina Arts Council will invest $7,427,425 in grants for arts programs and projects across North Carolina during 2008-2009. (more…)

She began drawing at the age of five. After attending her first art class in high school, she decided to regard her talents more seriously. She continued drawing, but started to incorporate more independent study of the different art forms, styles, and techniques.

Mary spent five years in the Air Force, much of that time overseas in Japan and England. In her travels and foreign experiences, she developed a deep admiration for antiquity and classical art. It was during these years of travel (more…)

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The Arts and the Armed Forces each employee 2 million people in the US!

Other interesting numbers:

• Between 1970 and 1990 the number of artists doubled in the United States
• Women outnumber men only among dancers, designers and writers
• The only kinds of artists declining in numbers are fine artists, art directors and animators
• About 1 in 3 artists are self-employed
• More Americans identify their primary occupation as artist than as lawyer, doctor or police officer
• Median income for artists was $42,000 for men and $27,300 for women
• Artists are twice as likely as the overall labor force to have graduated from college

The definition of artists is rather broad (see the graphic to the left).

This was from a new report “Artists in the Workforce” just published the the National Endowment for the Arts. You can download a free PDF of the 150 page report by clicking here.

Festival events will include the Arts and Fine Crafts Marketplace, the Ava Gardner Film Festival, live music on the main stage, and special exhibits. Artists will have the opportunity to display and sell their work to visitors from around the United States. Our goal is to showcase regional talent and promote North Carolina’s artist community.

Profits from the Art and Fine Crafts Marketplace help support the mission of the Johnston County Artists Guild. Any profits from other Festival events help support the Ava Gardner Museum’s mission of preserving and displaying memorabilia from the life and artistic career of Ava Gardner.

The Johnston County Artists Guild is a non-profit organization founded in August 2005. It is an organization of artists dedicated to the education, development and sustainment of the visual arts in Johnston County and neighboring counties in North Carolina. Membership may be obtained at http://www.myspace.com/jocoartistsguild.

To register for the Arts Marketplace, please visit the Johnston County Arts Council website www.johnstoncountyarts.org

Through financial support, these banks are demonstrating their commitment to making the arts accessible to every student. Jeff Lewis of Wachovia stated that “Wachovia appreciates the efforts of the Johnston County Arts Council and is proud to be able to contribute toward the future development of our young people.” Jason Hardy of KS Bank echoed these sentiments by stating that “KS Bank is proud to continue its support of the Arts in Johnston County.  We recognize that by making an investment in the Johnston County Arts Council, we are supporting the development of children throughout the county.”

Available for all students grades K–12 at each of Johnston County’s 38 public schools, the Artists-in-the-Schools program focuses on using the arts as a tool for learning and cultural enrichment. Supported by a strong community partnership between JCAC and the Johnston County Schools (JCS), over $1,000,000 has been raised since the program’s start in 1999. Through public, private, corporate, and individual support, the Artists-in-the-Schools is able to utilize the arts to reinforce and expand basic curriculum through exposure to performances, hands-on workshops, and residencies with professional artists.