Chatham Arts Council

We nurture creative thinkers

  • Arts Calendar
  • About
    • Our Who, What, Why, and How
    • Our Past
    • Our Friends
    • Our Press
    • Our Contact Info
    • Employment
  • Resilient Kids
    • Artists-in-Schools Initiative
      • Artists-in-Schools 2025/26 Season
    • ClydeFEST
      • Celebrating Clyde Jones
      • ClydeFEST 2025 was a Joy!
      • ClydeFEST Sponsor Benefits
  • Vibrant Communities
    • Creative Placemaking
      • Farm to Story
      • The Community Indigo Quilting Project
      • Robeson Creek Greenway
    • Grantmaking and Commissions
      • Grassroots Arts Grants (Open for 2026-27)
      • Artist Support Grants (Closed for 2025-26)
      • Emerging Artist Grants (Closed for 2025-26)
      • Arts + Equity Initiative Artists :: 2024-25 Season
    • Meet This Artist
    • Arts Directory
  • GIVE
    • Individuals & Families
    • Businesses & Groups
    • Who Values Arts

Search Chatham Arts Council

May 4, 2016

Save the Date for ClydeFEST: September 24, 2016

Painted Critter Cut-outs 2015. Photo by onfranklinandmain.com.

Judging by the lovely emails and phone calls we’ve been getting, kids and parents from Chatham and beyond have definitely missed their annual visit to Critterville this spring! We are… Read More →

By Cheryl Chamblee | Filed Under: Arts in Education, ClydeFEST, Events | Tagged With: clydeFEST, September 24

March 2, 2016

Arts Education Spotlight: March is Students’ Month to Shine

Arts Education Banner

It’s March! —That special month in the school year when we celebrate all things Arts. Youth Art Month (YAM), Theatre in Our Schools Month(TIOS), Music in Our Schools Month (MIOSM), and… Read More →

By Gina Harrison | Filed Under: Arts in Education, County Happenings, Slideshow Featured | Tagged With: Art Show, Arts education, Arts in Education, Arts Residencies, Bonlee, Chatham Middle, Community, Cultural Events, dance, Horton, Jordan-Matthews, Music, North Chatham Elementary, Northwood High School, Siler City Elementary, Virginia Cross, Visual Arts & Crafts

February 12, 2016

Arts Education Spotlight: Sharon Allen—Bit by Bit, Putting It Together

Sharon Allen, Chatham County Schools' Lead Art Teacher

Chatham County Schools’ (CCS) Arts Education faculty is a group of 42 educators—teaching visual arts, instrumental music, choral music, theatre arts, photography and dance—in 17 schools, in diverse communities, with… Read More →

By Gina Harrison | Filed Under: Arts in Education, Slideshow Featured | Tagged With: Arts Ed, Arts education, Arts in Education, Arts Residencies, Music

October 16, 2015

Meet This Artist: Serena Ebhardt Entertains, Educates & Enlightens

It’s not so much that you wouldn’t recognize Serena. It’s just that when you ask people if they know Serena Ebhardt, you’re likely to get so many different descriptions, you’d think… Read More →

By Gina Harrison | Filed Under: Artist Close-Up, Arts in Education, Meet this Artist, Slideshow Featured | Tagged With: Arts in Education, Arts Residencies, Collaboration, Creative Process, Music, performance, theater

September 16, 2015

Bringing Theatre Residencies to Chatham Elementary School Students

Distinguished Teaching Artists EbzB and Mike Wiley Bring Theatre Residencies to Chatham County Schools This Year

Imagine if Jackie Robinson, the all-star African-American baseball player, were still alive and able to share his first-hand account of how he pushed the color barrier in America. Would we… Read More →

By Gina Harrison | Filed Under: Artists-in-Schools, Arts in Education, ChathamArts News, Slideshow Featured | Tagged With: #ArtsEdWeek, #EncourageCreativity, Arts in Education, theater

September 15, 2015

Chatham Joins State in National Celebration

2015 National Arts in Education logo

In 2010, US House Resolution #275 designated the second week of September as “Arts in Education Week,” a time to focus a national spotlight on arts education and publically recognize… Read More →

By Gina Harrison | Filed Under: Arts in Education, ChathamArts News, County Happenings, Uncategorized | Tagged With: #ArtsEd, #ArtsEdWeek, #CCNC, Arts in Education, Chatham County Schools, Pittsboro, Siler City

June 22, 2012

Annual Meeting: The State of ChathamArts

This is the address given by Board President Lesley Landis during the Annual Meeting for 2012: Welcome to the ChathamArts Annual Meeting. Your presence tonight makes you a shareholder of… Read More →

By Chatham Arts Council | Filed Under: Arts in Education, ChathamArts News, County Happenings | Tagged With: Arts in Education, Bynum Front Porch, Collaboration, Creative Economy, Economic Development, Literary Arts, Media Arts, NCArts Incubator, Siler City

June 20, 2012

An Immersion at the Arts Integration Institute

So I have to admit I was  a little hesitant about going to this year’s workshop at The United Arts Council Arts Integration Institute, provided by the United Arts Council… Read More →

By Chatham Arts Council | Filed Under: Arts in Education, ChathamArts News, Events, Resources for Artists | Tagged With: Advocacy, Arts in Education, Collaboration, Creative Culture, Creative Economy, Creative Process, Cultural Events, Literary Arts, Media Arts, Visual Arts & Crafts

April 18, 2012

Arts Advocacy Part I: Arts in Education

by Molly Matlock, Executive Director of ChathamArts This week, Gina Harrison and I presented to our County Board of Commissioner about the vital role of Arts in economic development, public… Read More →

By Chatham Arts Council | Filed Under: Arts in Education | Tagged With: Advocacy, Arts in Education, Community, Creative Economy, Economic Development

March 13, 2012

Do we know what we mean when we say “Partnership?”

by Molly Matlock, Executive Director of ChathamArts Last night, ChathamArts convened our quarterly Arts-in-Education committee meeting. We learned that about many new arts integration efforts across the county. Of course,… Read More →

By Chatham Arts Council | Filed Under: Arts in Education, ChathamArts News | Tagged With: Arts Residencies, Collaboration, Partnership

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • Next Page »

AIS Stories from the 2023/24 Season

Sparking Creativity: Blackspace’s Beat Making Lab at Chatham Middle featuring Grammy-nominee Pierce Freelon
Photo of Black man with dreads showing 3 middle school students the mixing board

Movement Matters: Silk Hope School and Gaspard&Dancers
Students play a game of making different shapes with their bodies through dance with the help of professional instructors inside a school multipurpose room.

Poetic Pursuits: Phillip Shabazz at Perry Harrison Elementary

Igniting the Flame of Flamenco: Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana at Moncure School

Mike Wiley’s Masterful Residency: Teaching through Theatre at Bennett and Bonlee School

Black Box Dancers Delight Fourth Graders at Pittsboro Elementary
Black Box dancers lead fourth graders in dance at Pittsboro Elementary.

Poet Phillip Shabazz Supports Fifth Graders at North Chatham Elementary
Poet Phillip Shabazz instructs a class of fifth grade students on poetry writing.

Black Box Residency Bursts with Creativity and Collaboration at J.S. Waters School

Diali Cissokho Dives Into Drumming with Siler City Elementary Fifth-Graders
Photo of three smiling boys, two brown and one black, sitting playing drums

Chatham Grove Elementary Students’ Sensational Safari with The Magic of African Rhythm
A young Black boy and a young white girl printmaking in classroom

Diali Cissokho Drums and Dances alongside Fifth-Graders at Virginia Cross Elementary

From the Horse’s Mouth…

Don’t take it from us! See what Chatham County students, teachers and administrators are saying about their Artists-in-Schools experiences.

  • “Children were so excited to write and to share. They all came away talking about writing and wanting to talk about poetry. They looked forward to his [Phillip Shabazz] visits each day.” –Classroom Teacher
  • Photo of black man in sweater vest, seated, assisting a female student.
  • “It felt relieving and comforting to express myself during the workshop.” –6th grade student
  • “I really liked showing my feelings in my work.” –4th grade student
  • “This is my 4th time in this school division participating with an artist residency. They have all been wonderful. It is a great opportunity for students to learn in different ways. My hope is for this to be available to us every year.” –Classroom teacher
  • Photo of Black Box Dance Theatre's Stephen leading Virginia Cross students
  • “It made me feel happy because I got to use my imagination.” –5th grade student
  • “It felt good for me to release all my emotions.” –5th grade student
  • Photo of boy with ponytail, with head thrown back in laughter
  • “The students talked about the experience for a week after.” –Classroom teacher
  • “Watching the kids put their plan into action for the performance and actually dance, all while doing so in front of their peers is the reason we do this…The experience was amazing!” –Elementary Assistant Principal
  • “I have a student that is a newcomer to our school, as well as to our country. She found great comfort in being able to communicate with instructors in her native language and showed such enthusiasm in her willingness to participate. It was beautiful. We would welcome the opportunity again in the future!”  –K-8 Principal
  • Photo of Flamenco performer raising her hand in a choreographed movement, with students following behind her
  • “It felt good to be myself in school.” –6th grade student
  • “I personally saw students who, in my experience, have never been willing to speak in a group, let alone dance, do both without fear or hesitation.  Students who participated have asked to join band – they want to have more opportunities to participate in music.  Students in subsequent meetings have asked to learn more about Senegalese cultures.” –K-8 Music teacher
  • “It felt like the best days ever.” –5th grade student
  • Aya Shabu, in front, leads a group of students in an African dance

PO Box 418
Pittsboro, NC 27312
919-542-0394
Email Us

 

Subscribe to Our E-News

Proud member of Arts NC and Designated County Partner to the NC Arts Council
Copyright © 2026 Chatham Arts Council • Website by Tomatillo Design