Art From the Heart
Annual Art Exhibit
by Patrick Keough
Its hard to believe the Arts Council of Carteret County just wrapped up its 18th Annual Art From the Heart members exhibit. These shows just keep getting bigger and better every year. I can remember helping coordinate and hang the first Art From the Heart fine arts exhibit in 1991. Seems like yesterday when local artist and ACCC VP Nancy Gore and I brought up the idea to the board as a way to increase membership in our fledgling organization and nurture the arts (and encourage local artists) in Carteret County. As the newly elected President of the Carteret Arts Council I was pleased and excited that the board voted to put on the show at Valentines Day, however Nancy and I had no idea how much work it would be to market, coordinate and actually hang a major art show. Especially when we didn’t even have a building to exhibit the work in. Luckily we were able to use the then vacant Silver Building for that first show.
Local artist Duarte Dunn poses with his award winning paper mache sculpture “Lenora” - Duarte won the Peoples Choice Award last year.
Things somehow turned out well 18 years ago and the same holds true this year. Not only did Art From the Heart 2008 have a record number of art entries (340 works of art) we also had record numbers of “art enthusiasts” come out to view and enjoy the show and reception catered by Amos Mosquito’s. Over 500 people came out between the hours of 6-8 on Saturday night, February 16th night to enjoy the various mediums of very creative local art and meet the artists.
This years exhibit was judged by ECU School of Art Photography Professor Henry Stindt. Mr. Stindt has taught photography and graphic design at the School of Art for over 20 years and also owns and operates his own photography studio Stindt Photographic in Greenville, NC. The show itself was hung by photography and art students from Carteret Community College.
ACCC President Pam Cooper stated the following about this years show, “The Arts Council has been able to host ‘the Student Art Show’ in conjunction with Art from the Heart the past two years because of the generous donation of the old Carteret County News times building by Walter and Lockwood Phillips for the month needed to set up , show and take down the two exhibits. We have never had a better venue for Art From the Heart and never so much enthusiastic support from the community.”
The Arts Council of Carteret County has come a long way since those early days. The board is organizing an Arts Camp for middle school students this summer, a juried art show and festival during the Big Rock Tournament and has launched a very successful Adopt aN Artist program.
