WAC Gallery Information for April 2008

The Jones House Community Center galleries of the Watauga Arts Council offers two group exhibits for the month of April.

In the Mazie Jones Gallery, illustrations from the 13th edition of “Branches,” Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute’s (CCC&TI) literary and arts magazine, will be on display. Free copies of the magazine, which is comprised of selected poetry, prose and art by Watauga and Caldwell County residents, are also available in the gallery. Magazine entries were judged by a panel of CCC&TI’s faculty and community members. This year, Lauren Tucker won first place in art for "The Audience," Forrest Yerman took first prize in the poetry contest for his piece "Life," and Liz Ammerman won in the prose category for her piece "The Glorious Mundane." The magazine is funded by the Foundation of Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute. Free copies of the magazine are also available at both campuses of CCC&TI.

In the Open Door Gallery approximately 140 Two Rivers Community School (TRCS) students are exhibiting in a variety of media to include painting, paper sculpture, drawing, puppetry, rock sculpture, paper mache masks, and quilting. The themes of much of the work relate to past and present expeditions. Governed by a Board of Directors, TRCS incorporates a curriculum of project based Expeditionary Learning as the framework for it's instructional programs. Teaching and learning at TRCS is guided by research based, best practices. The curriculum engages students and is designed so that students and teachers develop meaningful relationships based on trust and mutual respect. The Expeditionary curriculum allows them to work collaboratively over time to guide the students' learning, develop and achieve their goals, and live in the world as engaged citizens.Two Rivers recognizes the community as one of it's greatest resources. The community is the main setting for students' learning expeditions and the focus for service projects. Learning to interact and utilize community resources is an integral part of the program at TRCS. Artwork to the right is by 6th Grader Josiah Cazier. Artwork below is by Lauren Tucker.

Both exhibits are on display from Tuesday, March 31 until Friday, April 24 from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays. The Arts Council galleries are also open Thursdays from 7:30 to 11 p.m. during the acoustic jams at the Jones House .

The gallery reception to welcome these exhibits and to release the “Branches” magazine is Friday, April 3 from 6:30-8 p.m. and is held in conjunction with downtown Boone’s First Friday Art Crawl. The reception will include readings of some of the published authors works as well as musical performances by Two Rivers Community School students.

CCC&TI will hold a second reception to kick off the call for submissions for the 14th edition of Branches on Thursday, August 21, at the Seila Art Gallery on the Hudson Campus of CCC&TI.

The Watauga Arts Council galleries are sponsored in part by Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff and Grassroots Funds of the North Carolina Arts Council. The WAC’s offices and galleries are located in the Jones House Community & Cultural Center, owned by the town of Boone.