National Arts Program Exhibition To Be Displayed At Block Art Gallery
The 7th Annual National Arts Program exhibition, featuring artwork by City of Raleigh and Wake County employees and their families, will be on display from Dec. 3 until Jan. 11 in the Miriam Preston Block Art Gallery at the Avery C. Upchurch Government Complex, 222 W. Hargett St. The exhibition is sponsored by the City of Raleigh Arts Commission and the United Arts Council of Wake County.
An opening-day reception will be held on Thursday, Dec. 3 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Block Art Gallery. The reception will feature the music of The Tender Fruit, a local band.
The National Arts Program is designed to give all artists, at every level of skill, an opportunity to exhibit their work in a professional manner. Judges for this year’s exhibition will be Valarie Jean Bailey, a member of the Artspace Artists Association; Jason Craighead, a member of the City of Raleigh Arts Commission’s Public Art Committee; and Janet Link, a professor of art at Meredith College. Artwork will be judged in amateur, intermediate, professional and youth classifications.
“The National Arts Exhibit is always an exciting exhibition; there are so many talented artists, from professional to never exhibited, it truly is a representation of the arts in the community,” said Keith Norval, a local artist who was awarded a second place in the professional category last year. “The Block Art Gallery reaches such a wide variety of people. I have thoroughly enjoyed displaying my work there.”
Connecting local artists to community through ongoing exhibitions and public outreach since 1984, the Miriam Preston Block Art Gallery is located on the first and second floors of the Avery C. Upchurch Government Complex. The gallery is managed by the City of Raleigh Arts Commission, and was dedicated in 2006 to honor Miriam Preston Block, a former Raleigh City Council member and community leader. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., except on holidays.
The City of Raleigh Arts Commission, established in 1977 as the official advisory body and advocate for the arts to the Raleigh City Council, holds the distinction of being the first municipal arts commission created in North Carolina. Serving as the leading force to champion the arts with Raleigh citizens and their representatives, the Arts Commission’s myriad activities foster, support, and promote the arts in the Capital City.
For more information, contact the City of Raleigh Arts Commission office at 996-3610 or email hannah.costner@ci.raleigh.nc.us.
Prepared by:
John Boyette
Public Affairs Specialist
Public Affairs Department
For More Information Contact:
June Guralnick
Arts Commission, Executive Director
City Manager Department
222 West Hargett Street, Room 504
Raleigh, NC 27601
919-996-4685
