In the deep woods of Chatham County, sparked by his keen sense of the natural world, Andrew Wilson is exploring multiple pathways to creating art, among them photography, painting, wood-working, woodland gardening and jewelry-making. Most recently, he has taken on one of nature’s boldest elements – electricity. “In 2012, I created a spiral earring for… Read More →
About Bett Wilson Foley
Meet This Artist: Antonio Lynn is Drumming to the Sound of Success
Antonio Lynn, it seems, was born with a drumbeat in his soul. He remembers playing drums at the early age of two. When he was three, his grandparents, Albert and Susan Alston, gave him a full junior-sized drum set for Christmas. By age five, he was playing in his church’s Junior Petite Choir. Now, as… Read More →
Meet This Artist: Experience Bluegrass with bass fiddler Snuffy Smith
Thomas Lee “Snuffy” Smith, bass fiddler with the Bluegrass Experience, grew up on a one-horse tobacco farm in rural Lee County listening to his father play guitar in a square dance band. “He showed me some chords so I started messing with the guitar,“ he said. In addition to playing music, living on the farm… Read More →
Meet This Artist: Screen printer Vidabeth Bensen is inspired by her world travels
While Vidabeth Bensen was studying art at Brooklyn College in the 1950’s, some actor friends asked her to make posters for upcoming plays they were performing in. Creating multiples of posters by hand using pens, brushes, paint and India ink was very tedious so she did a bit of research on silk screen printing. “My… Read More →
Meet This Artist: Dorrie Casey is giving art to support art for children
Since she was a child, Dorrie Casey was all about theater – writing, performing, designing, and making music. Then, quite by chance, a new art form grabbed hold of her and even kept her up at night. “It was as though something inside me had been sleeping a deep sleep and it suddenly woke up,”… Read More →
Meet This Artist: Derrick Ivey is master-of-many theater magician
This month’s Meet This Artist is by guest blogger Elisabeth Lewis Corley. Native North Carolinian Derrick Ivey was a Radio, Television and Motion Picture major at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, studying journalism and screenwriting. He moved to Atlanta briefly then returned to Chapel Hill and settled in Chatham County where he… Read More →
Meet This Artist: Bluegrass icon Tony Williamson overcomes pain, finds purpose on his farm
Born into a multi-generational family of musicians, Tony Williamson and his brother Gary quickly earned the title of “child sensations” on the national bluegrass stage. Back home at their school in rural Randolph County, however, their music earned them some teasing from their classmates. Tony and Gary were undeterred. “Music was such a fun… Read More →
Meet This Artist: Ruth Moose is serving up words, ideas, memories
Ruth Moose was only three years-old when she first tried her hand at writing. “My grandfather was a Baptist preacher – tall, very charismatic. He baptized a lot of people, traveled across North Carolina and preached at various churches and revivals,” she said. He left a sermon – in progress – on his writing table…. Read More →
Meet This Artist: Ash and clay become art in the hands of Lara O’Keefe
Oak tree ash from her wood stove, red clay from the earth – there is a bit of Chatham County in nearly every piece of pottery Lara O-Keefe creates.* As someone who grew up here before heading out into the world, this represents a literal return to her native roots and soil. “I spent my… Read More →
Meet This Artist: Pain fueled creativity & spirit for Onicas Gaddis
Onicas Gaddis has only one photograph from his childhood. “This is me and my two brothers, Bart and Phillip, and my sister Josephine – before I was taken away,” he said. The photo is blurry, his siblings’ faces like a misty dream. When he said good-bye to his family, he had only his memory to keep… Read More →