Brave New World For Artists & Community

Fine Arts Festival & Moore ArtShare

By Ray Owen

History changes on a dime, and in the ebb and
flow of world events, the arts remain constant. Since 1973, the Arts Council of Moore County has carried the torch of Sandhills culture and in this marked season, the organization moves forward with two special programs for artists and our community.

Fine Arts Festival and Moore ArtShare are programs for artists and the community in this summer of 2020. The festival is a visual arts exhibition presented by the Arts Council, while ArtShare is an online publication of local arts and writings distributed by the Arts Council and Given Memorial Library.

Fine Arts Festival

For the past 40 years, Fine Arts Festival has showcased local and national visual artists at historic Campbell House in Southern Pines, the exhibition being the largest of its kind in the Sandhills region, with last year's event featuring around 275 works.

The festival was created in 1980 to provide incentive for local artists to improve their technique in addition to showing and selling their work. Since that time, the festival has grown into a major exhibition to include artists from all over the country. Artwork is judged in seven categories and over $2,800 in cash prizes and ribbons are awarded.

Artists are invited to submit entries for the festival that will be on display August 7-28, 2020. The competition is open to anyone 16 and older in the following seven categories: Oil, Acrylic, Watercolor, Drawing/Pastel, Photography, Mixed Media/Printmaking, and 3-D.

Each artist may enter up to two original works created after January 1, 2019, and not previously exhibited at Campbell House. Art including frame may not exceed 60 inches in any dimension, not weigh more than 75 pounds, and must be prepared to hang without special handling or installation issues. The Arts Council retains the right to withdraw any work considered unsuitable for public display.

Entries, application and fees will be accepted at Campbell House on July 20-24, 2020 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and on Saturday, July 25 from 2 to 4:00 pm. The fee is $20 per entry for Arts Council members and $30 per entry for nonmembers, and fees are non-refundable.

The judge for this year's festival will be Molly Boarati, Assistant Curator at Duke University’s Nasher Museum of Art. Ms. Boarati holds a Master’s degree from Boston University with a focus on Italian Renaissance art.

In addition to the judge's awards, local businesses and individuals support the artists in the festival by providing a Purchase Award, which is a pledge to purchase artwork prior to the festival. In addition, the public is invited to cast their vote for the Lee Barrett "People’s Choice Award," given in the memory of the late Ms. Barrett for her 21 years of service to the Arts Council.

Fine Arts Festival is free and open to the public at Campbell House Galleries, located at 482 E. Connecticut Avenue in Southern Pines, weekdays August 7-28, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, and Saturday, August 15, from 2-4:00 pm. For public safety, local and state guidelines will be followed, so please check notices on the Arts Council websites for updates: MooreArt.org.


Moore ArtShare — Covid Edition

The world turns to the arts in challenging times for healing, comfort and remembrance. Life has changed suddenly for all of us, and sharing something expressive and meaningful together is a powerful aspect of our humanity. Such thoughts are the impetus behind Moore ArtShare —Covid Edition.

The Arts Council and Given Memorial Library are accepting submissions for new online sharing of creative works that will chronical our community response to the COVID-19 pandemic. All ages are welcome and encouraged to submit work. Based on the response, regular issues will be offered as our account of these unprecedented times.

Moore ArtShare will be distributed through the Arts Council and Given Library’s websites and social media platforms, and by media partners The Pilot and The Sway. Online submissions can be made at MooreArt.org/MooreArtShare, including: artistic tutorials, comics, how-to videos, music, photography, recipes, short films, theatre, visual art, and writing, 500 words or less such as poetry, reviews, short stories, etc.

Entries are received on a rolling submission basis with no deadline, and all content must be original and previously unpublished. Submissions are limited to one per person, per issue, and is limited to Moore County residents. Time to find your medium and chronicle an experience to share.