FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 10, 2019
CATCH CHATHAM RABBITS, THE BLUEGRASS EXPERIENCE, DIALI CISSOKHO, AND MORE AT THE CHATHAM EXPERIENCE
Exclusive Collaborative Performances by Chatham County’s Own Help Raise Money for The Chatham Arts Council’s Artists-in-Schools Initiative
Pittsboro, NC – Chatham County has music running through its veins. But it’s not often that you can hear Chatham Rabbits, Tommy Edwards and The Bluegrass Experience (on their 48th anniversary!), Diali Cissokho, special guest students, and more all on one stage. The Chatham Arts Council is here to change that with The Chatham Experience: Benefit Concert for Chatham Arts Council’s Artists-in-Schools Initiative, sponsored by Opus Financial Advisors. This cross-generational concert will take place on Sunday, September 29 in a venue as unique as the event itself – the Chatham Beverage District.
“We are still pinching ourselves at the thought of these incredible musicians sharing one stage–and welcoming students up to play with them,” explained Cheryl Chamblee, Executive Director of the Chatham Arts Council (CAC). “These folks have touring schedules that make your head spin, and they’re all coming together for this one special evening in this one-of-a-kind place–because they love Chatham County, because they want you to know about Artists-in-Schools, and because it’s just going to be really fun.”
The Chatham Experience boasts one-of-a-kind performances as young and distinguished musicians collaborate to create amazing music live on-stage. This includes traditional songs, folk music, tried and true bluegrass, West African folk music (with the kora) and even young local students who will sit in and play with these well-known musicians.
“It’s great to be able to learn from people with other musical and artistic backgrounds – like The Bluegrass Experience and Diali Cissokho,” expressed Sarah McCombie, Chatham Rabbits. “The fact that we’re all in Chatham County is pretty cool and interesting. We can learn so much from these musicians, in the same way that students can learn from the artists as part of the Artists-in-Schools Initiative.”
Smelt Art Gallery will also host a special show featuring Chatham County artists highlighted in the CAC’s “Meet This Artist” series, along with art from Chatham County Schools students.
The heart and soul behind this event is the CAC’s Artists-in-Schools Initiative, which brought professional artists into all ten traditional public elementary schools in Chatham County last year, enhancing the lives of nearly 3,000 students. This year, the CAC will expand the program to three additional schools to support math, science, language, and history curricula. Through interactive, engaging workshops taught by theatre actors, performance artists, dancers, mural painters, African drummers, and strings musicians, students have unique opportunities for a deeper engagement with learning objectives.
Two of the musicians performing at The Chatham Experience, Tommy Edwards and Sarah McCombie, are former school teachers. For them, this concert is about more than making amazing music. “Chatham County is huge – we have Bennett all the way to Briar Chapel – and it’s important to us that ALL of the students in Chatham County have access to a quality education,” said McCombie. “We’re happy to be part of this fundraising initiative to help bring the arts to ALL of Chatham County.”
The Chatham Experience is taking place at The Chatham Beverage District where attendees can purchase local food and beverages at eco-friendly places like Fair Game Beverage, Chatham Ciderworks, Starrlight Mead, the brand new Copeland Springs Farm & Kitchen, and more.
Many community partners who appreciate the talented musicians and artists in Chatham County have come together to make this event happen. The CAC is grateful for their support. Opus Financial Advisors is the naming sponsor for the event. Other sponsors include: The Jester Group at Baird, Hobbs Architects, R. E. and E. F. Crane Foundation, Monteith Construction, Chatham Park, The Bartlett-Dasher Family, Dorrie Casey & Archie Purcell, Cheek Electric, Kindred Folk Art Gallery at The Rosemary House, Chatham Homes Realty, Deep River Mercantile, B&J Custom Printers, Workshop Orange, Lesley Landis Designs, gh designs, A. Grant Mangum & Company, Inc., 501 Pharmacy, StreetSigns Center for Literature and Performance, Dermatology & Laser Center of Chapel Hill, Perch Coworking, Yoga Garden PBO, Fair Game Beverage Co., Starrlight Mead, Chemoglo, Copeland Springs Farm & Kitchen, Abundance Foundation North Carolina, Food Lion, Chatham Cider Works, Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance, Tick Warriors, Blueline Contracting, 39 West Catering, Chris Smollen/Medicare Plans for All/BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina, Queen Bee Rentals, and North Carolina Arts Council.
The Chatham Experience 2019 Event Details
The Chatham Experience will take place at The Chatham Beverage District; doors open at 4 pm, concert begins at 5 pm. Tickets are $50 each and can be purchased online at https://www.chathamartscouncil.org/buy-thechathamexperience-tickets. Local food, cider, mead, and spirits will be available at The Chatham Beverage District for purchase.
ABOUT THE CHATHAM ARTS COUNCIL
The Chatham Arts Council nurtures creative thinkers in Chatham County. We do this in two ways: we invest in artists and we educate kids through the arts. In its thirty-sixth year as a nonprofit arts agency, Chatham Arts Council’s flagship programs include Meet This Artist, Go See This, Grassroots Arts Grants, and the Chatham Artists-in-Schools Initiative – serving more than 3,500 children this year. Chatham Arts Council is proud to partner with the NC Arts Council, the Durham Arts Council, Chatham County Schools, and numerous Chatham arts organizations, human resource nonprofits, and local businesses. For more information, visit www.chathamartscouncil.org.
CONTACT: April Starling, Marketing/Public Relations Leader of the Chatham Arts Council, april@chathamartscouncil.org or 917.544.0608.
NOTE: Feel free to publish partially or in its entirety, with or without a byline. The article was written by April Starling, Marketing/Public Relations Leader, Chatham Arts Council.
