Carolina Beach Street Arts Festival Annual Art Auction Dinner

Come enjoy the spirit and spectacle of Mardi Gras while supporting the arts in Pleasure Island!

The Annual Carolina Beach Street Arts Festival Art Auction is a fun- and art-filled event to help support the overall Festival. With costumes, music, appetizers, raffles and opportunities to bid on fantastic works of art from all around the country, it's no wonder the event has already sold out of advance tickets! But don't worry -- tickets will still be available at the door.

Art Appreciation Along Pleasure Island…

Many are often surprised to discover that Pleasure Island is a mecca for artists and those in search of artistic pursuits.

Watercolor Wednesday

Join Kure Beach's own award-winning, international artist Ken Withrow for Watercolor Wednesday at the Community Center from 12:30-3:30pm on September 23 and 30.

The cost to participate is $30 per person per 2-week session. Please register at Kure Beach's Town Hall or print and bring your completed registration form and payment to the first class.

All levels of aspiring painters are encouraged to register.

Supply List:

• 1 Sheet Watercolor paper: Arches 140 lb. cold press (22” x 30”)
• 1 Watercolor brush: FLAT 5/8” or 3/4”
• 1 roll of paper towels or tissue
• 1 small water container
• 1 tube of Paynes Gray watercolor paint
• 1 tube of Burnt Sienna
• 1 tube of Burnt Umber or Sepia
• 1 tube of Hookers Green (dark)
• 1 tube of Prussian Blue
• 1 tube of Yellow Ochre
• 1 tube of Alizarin Crimson
• 1 palette with mixing area (or paper plate)
• Sketch Pad
• Pencil

Sip and Paint at the Aquarium

Uncork your inner artist at the new Sip and Paint series at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher.

Painting sessions run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.  Sessions include paint, canvas and easel use and cost $45 per person. NC Aquarium Society Members receive a 10% discount.  Upcoming themes and schedule is as follows:

CrabaQUARIUM
July 8 - Sip and Paint (Adults Only)

Sharks
July 15 - Family Paint Night (No Alcohol)

Octopus
July 29 - Sip and Paint (Adults Only)

Jellies
August 5 - Family Paint Night (No Alcohol)

2015 Carolina Beach Street Arts Festival: Interactive Festival “Be Part of the Arts”

The Carolina Beach Street Arts Festival is an all-day event with more than 100 artists providing exhibitions, performances and many hands-on activities. The event builds upon the arts community to bring people into the creative processes so they can gain a greater understanding and appreciation for the many forms of art.

The festival is the flag ship event for the Island Arts and Culture Alliance (IACA), a non-profit, community-based organization. IACA’s mission is to promote awareness, understanding and appreciation of the literary, visual and performing arts in the island community, in order to enhance the quality of life in our area.

The IACA’s ongoing goals are to champion the arts on Pleasure Island, to support practicing artists and local art organizations, to encourage economic development through the arts, and to facilitate the growth of our community into a regional arts destination These activities inspire and enrich residents of and visitors to Pleasure Island and the surrounding communities.

This year’s festival includes over 100 artists from around our region and takes place May 16th from 10am to 5pm on Cape Fear Blvd. on Carolina Beach. 

The Festival has three interactive areas – visual arts, performing arts, and culinary arts.

Visual Arts – Artist will have their fine arts and crafts available for sale and many will demonstrate their creative processes. Festivalgoers will find beautiful one-of-a-kind pieces in sculpture, glasswork, functional and decorative pottery, handcrafted jewelry and stunning paintings in bold acrylics, vivid oils and delicate watercolors.

Culinary Arts – The Culinary Arts Tent will feature cooking demonstrations and educational programs conducted by local chefs, restaurants, and shops. Uncle Vinny’s will show the proper way to throw a pizza pie and Sweet Morning Farm will show how to make artisan bread in 5 minutes!

Performing Arts – Performances include an up and coming blues singer, Chaquis Maliq, songwriter-singer & 1 woman band, Beaches and Boots line dancers, Cape Fear Dance Studio and many more local performers.

The Feature Event is a community-made collage directed by Lynette Ashby and Ann Krier, locally known collage artists. Festivalgoers can help create a beautiful collage picture while learning the creative process for paper art.

The Festival’s objectives are to:

• Increase appreciation for the arts by involving the public in the creative process through demonstrations, hands-on-programs, and access to art in different mediums, 
• Increase awareness of the area’s artist community and family friendly accommodations, and 
• Attract visitors from around the region and around the country to the island and the Central Business District. 

The Festival is in the heart of the Carolina Beach business district with access to the fun carnival rides, great restaurants and shopping.

For more information about the Carolina Beach Street Arts Festival, contact Christine Higgins 610.909.7643 or email Chris@ArtfulLivingGroup.com

The NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher - Ocean Art

A new art installation at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher’s Spadefish Gallery showcases the Coastal America Learning Center Network’s 2014 North America Ocean Art Contest winners.

The exhibit is intended to provide a visual expression of the link between humanity’s impact on the ocean and the ocean’s critical importance to humanity. The combination of art and science provides a powerful tool for making emotional connections with the ocean.

The winning art was selected by a panel of judges from entries submitted to members of the Coastal America Learning Center Network. Finalists were selected and judges chose the most expressive pieces to comprise the traveling exhibit. The network is a collaboration of 25 aquariums, museums and science facilities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. These centers work to educate and involve the public in protecting coastal and marine eco-systems.

The installation will remain at the Aquarium at Fort Fisher through February 2015. The Spadefish Gallery showcases North Carolina artists throughout the year. Artwork that coincides with the Aquarium’s mission of inspiring appreciation and conservation of North Carolina’s aquatic environments is located on the second floor of the Marine Building.

WILMINGTON ARTIST HARRIET M. FORBIS SELECTED 2014 SEAFOOD BLUES & JAZZ FESTIVAL POSTER CONTEST WINNER

“Jazz: The Soul of New Orleans” by Wilmington Artist Harriett M. Forbes, 2014 Seafood Blues & Jazz Festival Poster Winner

This year’s Artist for the 21st Annual Pleasure Island Seafood Blues & Jazz Festival is Wilmington artist Harriet M. Forbis with her New Orleans Jazz-inspired tuba performer with a glow in his rainbow-cloaked eyes.  Harriett states that on a 2010 venture to the Delta City of New Orleans, she came across a unique and sizable performer at Café Du Monde that inspired this wonderfully kaleidescoped rainbow piece entitled “Jazz: The Soul of New Orleans”.  Harriet is a former resident of Winston-Salem, NC and relocated to southeast North Carolina three years ago.

Harriet worked for the State of North Carolina as a teacher of children with disabilities and as a consultant with the North Carolina Assistive Technology Program.  With retirement, Harriet picked up her passion for photography and took additional classes in drawing and painting, specializing in flowers and nature scenes.  This led to more classes and workshops (including lessons from famed artist Carol Ann Herring in her Statesville Studio).  Harriett has moved up into teaching her own classes, recently at the Florence Art School in the North Carolina Mouintains. 

Harriet M. Forbes, 2014 Poster Winner
with Chamber President Gail McCloskey 
with the winning entry and the Festival Poster.

Harriett is a member of the Wilmington Art Association and has been part of their juried Spring Art Show the past three years.  In 2013, her painting “Pink Organdy” was selected as the winner of their poster contest  In addition, her painting “el turista” won Best of Show at the 2014 Southport Summer Regional Art Show which was juried by nationally recognized water colorist Judy Betts.

This year we had a total of nineteen entries which made for a difficult decision for the judges.  All of the entries were very colorful, fanciful and energetic.  The kinetic brightness and colorful presentation of Harriet’s piece set this year’s selection apart from the others.

We are proud to have Harriet Forbis represent the 21st year of this great Festival.  Harriet will be attending the Festival where she will be signing posters, discussing her inspiration for this piece and offering additional selections of her musically-inspired, colorful and unique artwork in the Arts and Wine Garden.  Posters and T-shirts will be on sale soon at the Chamber offices and will be available at the Festival as long as supplies last. Again, Congratulations Harriett!!

For more information please call the Chamber at 910-458-8434 or email at greg@pleasureislandnc.org.