Chatham Arts Council Brings Professional Artists to All 20 Chatham County District Schools for Second Consecutive Year 2026–2027 Artists-in-Schools season brings flamenco, jazz, poetry, theater, African drumming, beatmaking, dance and more directly into classrooms Get ready for another year of creativity in Chatham County classrooms. The Chatham Arts Council’s 2026–2027 Artists-in-Schools season will once again… Read More →
Artists-in-Schools 2025–2026: A Year Filled with Rhythm, Stories, Movement, and Magic
If you listened closely across Chatham County this year, you might have heard the beat of a djembe drifting down a hallway, the stomp of flamenco shoes echoing through a gymnasium, a student poet finding their voice at the microphone, or a newly created beat pulsing through a classroom. That’s because the 2025–2026 Artists-in-Schools season… Read More →
“How do I join your band?” John Brown’s Big Band in Action
Like a New Orleans big band on the move, members of John Brown’s Little Big Band sauntered down the aisles of Jordan-Matthews High School—horns up, energy high—playing a jazzy rendition of “When the Saints Go Marching In.” You could feel it immediately: surprise, curiosity, a few wide eyes—and then smiles. For some students from Chatham… Read More →
Grassroots Arts Grant Recipients 2025-26
The Chatham Arts Council is proud to celebrate the recipients of the 2025–2026 Grassroots Arts Grants—totaling $29,600 in state and local funding to support arts programming across Chatham County. From festivals that celebrate culture and community to arts education initiatives in local schools, this year’s grantees are using the arts to connect, uplift, and inspire…. Read More →
Celebrating the Life of Clyde Jones
“Always remember: Deep down, each of you has something you can do to make other people happy. I want you kids to look inside and find what that is and go out and do it.” – Clyde Jones This is how we will remember our dear friend, arts advocate, and Bynum folk art legend Clyde… Read More →
They Were Poets and They Didn’t Know It!
From December 1–12, poet and teaching artist Phillip Shabazz led a powerful poetry residency with 7th grade students at Chatham Middle School, guiding students through the craft of writing, the courage of self-expression, and the belief that words matter. “The pen is mightier than the sword. What does that mean?” He asked the students on… Read More →