Bakersville, NC

Tracy Booth Exhibit at Anita's Atelier

Anita Connelly of Anita’s Atelier in downtown Bakersville is proud to announce the upcoming Special Exhibit of the exciting art of Tracy Booth of Marshall, NC. 

Tracy, formerly of Bakersville, NC, has resided in the southern Appalachians for most of the past 18 years, and draws much of her inspiration from her beautiful surroundings.  She left a career in theatre several years ago to become a full time artist.  A primarily self-taught artist, Tracy has attended classes at the Penland School of Craft and Ringling College of Art and Design’s Wildacres Retreat. 

Tracy’s lively and colorful paintings are an invitation to explore her sense of whimsy and fascination with nature.  Surround yourself with bees, flowers, trees, and tiny houses! 

The public is cordially invited to attend and meet the artist on May 29, 2010, at 6 p.m. at Anita’s Atelier, 14 N. Mitchell Avenue, Bakersville, NC.  Refreshments will be served.  For further information you may reach Anita at (828) 688-1717.

Mitchell County Historic Courthouse Grand Opening Celebration

A barbecue cook-off, local musicians, the Mitchell High School Drama Department students & 52-member Marching Band, state-level politicians, and all the people of Mitchell County will converge on the Historic Courthouse in Bakersville on Saturday 22 May to celebrate the official opening of the renovated building.

Tours of the building including demonstrations of the state-of-the-art teleconferencing systems, Mayland Community College classrooms, previews of Mitchell County Cooperative Extension Service workshops for agricultural workers, and the new Mitchell County Historical Society offices will begin in the morning and continue throughout the day.

The dedication ceremony will begin at 1 pm at the Courthouse with music and other activities in Phillips Hall (the renovated courtroom) throughout the afternoon. On the Creek Walk, there will be a "Barbecue Smackdown" among well known restaurants and private caterers with celebrity judges picking the best barbecue in Mitchell County.

The Mitchell County SECU Virtual Learning and Communications Center, as the overall effort is known, has come from the tireless efforts of the Mitchell County Historic Courthouse Foundation who have raised over a million dollars, with less than 1% from local tax funds. Funders include the State Employees Credit Union, the North Carolina Rural Center, the Samuel L. Phillips Family Foundation, the Janirve Foundation, the Cannon Foundation, and many contributions from the people of Mitchell County.

The latest information on the celebration including performers, times, and other activities can be found at http://bakersville.com.

Ronan Kyle Peterson, Gillian Park & Brooke Noble at CLG

On May 1, 2010 Crimson Laurel Gallery in Bakersville, NC presents "Contextures," the pottery of Ronan Kyle Peterson and Gillian Park and also ceramics by Brooke Noble.

The vessels created by Ronan Kyle Peterson provide a ceramic comic book view of the natural world and its processes of growth and decay. His works feature interpretations of natural phenomena including insects and other critters, leaves, bark, lichens and other elements of nature.  Gillian Parke combines elements of manufactured porcelain and Japanese pottery to create unconventional works of art

Brook Noble's intention in her work is to be a catalyst, allowing people to become engaged with objects and aware of the moment.  She frequently references the house as a metaphor and she is also motivated by the sense of naïveté and the sensations of wonder and discovery that come with her impression of what childhood was, is and should be.  Her work is a culmination of traditional craft methods, industrial processes, modern design and unconventional fabrication.

The exhibition opens on May 1st and will remain through June 30th. Join us for an artists reception on May 8 at 6pm.  For more information contact Crimson Laurel Gallery at 828-688-3599 or visit www.crimsonlaurelgallery.com.

Spruce Pine Montessori Fundraiser

You are invited to Spruce Pine Montessori School’s annual fundraiser Sweet Rewards on Saturday, May 8th from 5:30-9:00 PM at the Cross Street Building in Spruce Pine.

Sweet Rewards is a fun-filled auction where parents and community members donate services, talents, food gifts, and art to benefit the children and programs at SPMS. Donations include fly fishing instruction, handcrafted glass, spa treatments, pet baths and boarding, gift certificates, goodie baskets, and more! The event is not only an important fundraiser for the school; it is also a friend raiser!

Pirates of the Blue Ridge, a great band from Fletcher, join the event as well as Jeff Goodman, a wonderful auctioneer from Celo. Tickets are $20 and are available at the door. Tickets include heavy hors d’oeuvres, beverages, desserts, and all the dancing and bidding your heart desires! Please call SPMS at 765-7779 if you would like more information about this great event!

Authors Alan Jabbour & Janet Singer Jabbour to Speak at Historic Courthouse

On May 6, 7pm, at the Mitchell County Historic Courthouse, join us for a special reading and presentation by Alan Jabbour & janet Singer Jabbour, authors of Decoration Day in the Mountains.

Decoration Day is a late spring or summer tradition that involves cleaning a community cemetery, decorating it with flowers, holding a religious service in the cemetery, and having dinner on the ground. These commemorations seem to predate the post-Civil War celebrations that ultimately gave us our national Memorial Day. Little has been written about this tradition, but it is still observed widely throughout the Upland South, from North Carolina to the Ozarks.

Written by internationally recognized folklorist Alan Jabbour and illustrated with more than a hundred photographs taken by Karen Singer Jabbour, Decoration Day in the Mountains is an in-depth exploration of this little-known cultural tradition. The Jabbours illuminate the meanings behind the rituals and reveal how the tradition fostered a grassroots movement to hold the federal government to its promises about cemeteries left behind when families were removed to make way for Fontana Dam and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Folklorist Alan Jabbour, former director of the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress, has published widely on folk music and folklore. For decades he and his wife, photographer Karen Singer Jabbour, worked together to document grassroots culture in the American South. Since 2004 they have documented Decoration Day from North Carolina west to the Ozarks.

Sponsored by the Mitchell County Public Library and the Mitchell County Historical Society. For more information please call 828-688-2511.

Guided Art Tour of Bakersville on April 24

Artistree, www.artistreenc.com a company that promotes the artists of Western North Carolina, through guided art and craft tours, will be bringing their first tour of the season, featuring Painting and Photography,  to Bakersville on Saturday, April 24^th. 

The licensed and insured van will bring approximately 10 art patrons to the studios of Billie Ruth and Doug Sudduth, Anita Connelly at Anita’s Atelier and Mary Vogel Photography.

Seats are still available for this tour, please call today and reserve your seat at (828) 675-5868 or email [email protected]

Painting and Photography Tour Itinerary for Saturday, April 24^th 9:30 -5:00

Co-sponsored by Design Gallery in Burnsville, NC

Times Studio/Gallery Location Mediums

9:30 to 9:55 Vans will leave from this location	Design Gallery Kay Workman		Burnsville	Coffee & muffins Painters/photographers
Travel from 9:55 to 10:00
10:00 to 11:00	Blue Ridge Artists Guild @ Sandra Gates Studio		Burnsville	8-10 painters
Travel from 11:00 to 11:30
11:30 to 12:00	Carl Peverall		Celo	Paintings, Pastels, Clay & Sculpture
Travel from 12:00 to 12:30
12:30 – 1:15	Lunch –Upper Street Café Joanne Wainwright		Spruce Pine	Paintings
Travel from 1:15 to 1:40
1:40 to 2:10	Doug Sudduth & Living Treasure Billie Ruth Sudduth		Bakersville	Photography Basketry
Travel 2:10 to 2:15 walking
2:15 to 2:2:45	Anita Atelier Bakersville Emporium		Bakersville	Painting & Antiques
Travel from 2:45 to 3:00
3:00 – 3:30	Mary Vogel Studio		Bakersville	Photography
Travel from 3:00 to 3:45
3:45 to 4:15	Cecile Brion David McRary TRAC Gallery		Burnsville	Photography
Travel 4:15 to 4:20
4:20 to 5:00		Design Gallery	Burnsville	Painters/Photographers Snacks and beverages

Twilight’s Appalachian Roots at the Courthouse

Yes, some of the vampire characters in one of the nation’s most popular books have ties to the Appalachian Mountains! Twilight fans of all ages will enjoy an evening with Elizabeth Baird Hardy who will put the life of Jasper Hale, the Oldest Living Confederate Veteran, and perspectives of Emmett McCarty Cullen into a lively and story filled evening.

Join us at twilight (6:30pm) in Phillips Hall at the Mitchell County Historic Courthouse in Bakersville on April 16th for this exciting and fun event.

Elizabeth has selected this evening to kick off celebrating her contributions to the new book, Twilight and History (Wiley, 2010), the first look at the history behind Stephenie Meyer’s bestselling Twilight series timed to release with the third movie, Eclipse, on April 12th. Elizabeth is a Senior Instructor at Mayland Community College who brings to life history, literature, and Appalachian culture for students and audiences of all sizes.

Winners of the Crystal Egg Hunt Prize

The winners of this year's Crystal Easter Egg Hunt are Amy Barron, of Huntersville, NC, and Maddie Day, of Bakersville, who worked together as a team to solve the clues and find the egg.

Amy returned her $150 share of the cash prize to the Bakersville Improvement Group.

The clues to the Egg's location were as follows [answers in RED]:

1. Bakersville was not the location of the first county seat of Mitchell county.  That honor went to the community of...[DAVIS]..., also known as... [CHILDSVILLE].
2. [J.W. BOWMAN]...in 1868 introduced a bill in the State Legislature to allow people in his county to vote on the location of their seat of government.
3. In 1893, events evolving around the...[WHITSON]...brothers, charged with murder, escalated in national newspapers including the New York Times to become known as the... [BAKERSVILLE RIOT].
4. In the 1870's, the Bakersville newspaper of record was entitled... [THE ROAN MOUNTAIN REPUBLICAN].
5. A Bakersville native,...[WAITS ANDERSON]...,was convicted of murdering 3 men, escaped jail and later became a Secret Services agent who guarded President William McKinley.
6. Unscramble the following Word Jumbles:
   
   L - B - W - O - E - B 
   [ANSWER: W - O - B - B - L - E]
    
   O - L - F - K - C 
   [ANSWER: F - L - O - C - K]
   
   E - C - E - M - E 
   [ANSWER: E - M - C - E - E]
   
   L - X - E - A - R 
   [ANSWER: R - E - L - A - X]
   
   Use the [highlighted] letters to solve the final clue:
   
   Look in the ... M - C - B - E - E ... F - L - O - W - E - R ... B - O - X ...  [outside the Historical Society].
   

14th Annual Bakersville Easter Egg Hunt

Prizes! Games! Face Painting! Free Balloons!

Games & activities begin at 12 noon and the Egg Hunt at about 1pm. There will be 2 age groups for the egg hunt: Toddlers through Kindergarten [ages 1-5] & First Grade through Fourth [ages 6-10]. Pick up the 1st clue and guidelines for the 3rd Annual Crystal Egg Hunt at approximately at 1:30 at Gouge School.

The Easter Bunny will be there for free photo opps!  Hamburgers, hot dogs, and drinks will be available for purchase.  Proceeds will go to the Bakersville Improvement Group, the sponsor of the event.

Guidelines for the Easter Egg Hunt:

- bring your own basket
- each child must be accompanied by a parent, older brother/sister, grandparent, or guardian
- two areas will be designated for the hunt, based on age group
- eggs should be opened after the hunt to collect prizes
- eggs may be taken home

This year the Bakersville Improvement Group [B.I.G.] and the Bakersville merchants will sponsor the 3rd Annual Crystal Easter Egg Hunt.  Richard & Jan Ritter have supplied the Crystal Egg.  Geared primarily for adults and families, the sponsors will "hide" the Crystal Easter Egg somewhere in Bakersville.  Participants then will receive clues from various merchants that ultimately lead to the location and the $300 cash prize.  The Treasure Hunt will be limited to the first 200 participants.  You MUST have a valid driver's license or a parent present to participate.  Members of the same family are not eligible to win the prize two years in a row. Join us at Gouge School at 1:30 to receive your first clue!

Historic Courthouse Foundation Receives $239,000

At the Spring Quarterly meeting of the Mitchell County Historic Courthouse Foundation, the announcement was made that the group has been awarded funds that will cover the cost of telecommunications and computer technologies for the Mitchell County SECU Virtual Learning and Communications Center.

The funding comes from an NTIA grant, Broadband Technology Opportunity Program, made possible by ARRA legislation. The proposal was selected from over 1800 submitted nationwide and sent forward from North Carolina by Governor Perdue as her first choice for funding. Other proposals from North Carolina included those from Chapel Hill and High Point among others.

Charlie Pittman from the e-NC Authority said that the competition was great and that the Foundation should be proud to have been selected. The technology will mean that Mitchell County will be among seven Business and Technology Centers statewide that provide distance learning, teleconferencing for farmers and small business people, and continuing education and conferences for government and emergency workers. Julie Sitton from the Governor’s Western Office congratulated the Foundation and indicated that the Governor selected the project because it will have a positive impact on economic development, education, and jobs for Mitchell County and the surrounding area.

Also in attendance was Senator Joe Sam Queen who has been a strong supporter of the NC Rural Center who provided funding to the Foundation early on to help restore and renovate the Mitchell County Historic Courthouse. Other state and national political leaders who also have supported the work of the Foundation were invited, but were not able to attend because of previous engagements.

The meeting was preceded by music provided by Ray Dellinger and William Ritter played on instruments made by Mr. Dellinger on a stage that has seen the likes of Bill Monroe, Carl Story, and Roy Acuff. Sallie’s Mountain View catered the event and Joe Young provided a blessing for the gathering and the building. Other invited guests included members of the three Courthouse Committees appointed by the County Commission, current Commissioners, Bakersville and Spruce Pine Town Councils, Mayland Community College Administration and Basic Skills, and NC Cooperative Extension Office.

Dr. Daniel Barron, Chair of the Foundation said “this event is really a report to the stock holders, to celebrate the people who have helped make this dream possible and let them know what we will be doing with their investments.”

A much larger open house and celebration will take place on May 22, when the technology applications will be in place and can be demonstrated and the entire community will be invited to participate. In the meantime, Mayland Community College and the Mitchell County Historical Society will begin moving their furnishings into the building.

The event took place in Phillips Hall named in honor of a contribution by the Samuel L. Phillips Family Foundation. Additional support for the project has come from the Janirve Foundation, HandMade in America, Ms. Carolyn Morphy, the Cannon Foundation, the NC Rural Center, State Employees Credit Union, United Community Bank, and the Mitchell County Historical Society. Less than 1% of the funding has come from local tax dollars and that was from the Town of Bakersville, to help stabilize the rear wall prior to the renovation process. The Foundation also expresses deep appreciation for the many other dollars that have been contributed privately by residents of the County for their Historic Courthouse.