Mountain Arts Program (MAP)

Program overview

The Mountain Arts Program (MAP) places artists from the western region of the state in schools for programs ranging from single day visits up to full week-long residencies (up to five groups of students). Students are given a hands-on, sequential arts experience. WAANC reviews the roster of artists each year to maintain both educational and artistic quality and to add new artists to the roster as well. The current roster consists of over two dozen artists and encompasses everything from drama to pottery, creative writing to mask-making, visual art to music, photography to creative movement, and much more.

2009-2010 MAP Artists:

Fee Structure for 2008-2009

Beginning with the 2008-2009 school year, MAP artists have the option to offer programs less than a five-day residency.  If the school and the artist agree on programming that is less than five days, the following fee schedule will be used.  If the school desires and the artist agrees, additional workshops or evening programming may be scheduled.  For contract purposes, the fee is determined by the length of stay in the school district, not the number of days in individual schools.  For instance, if an artist works in a school district at five different schools over a five day period, the five-day rate is used (not five single-day rates).  Use the following table to find the appropriate fee.

How artists can participate

Artists who have prepared programs for hands-on school visits can apply to be included on the MAP artist roster. Applications are generally taken in the spring of each year, and WAANC members review the new applicants in an interview process, usually in June or July. The updated artist roster is then shared with schools at the beginning of each school year. During a MAP visit an artist works with up to five classes a day.  Programs vary depending on the length of stay, number of target students, grade levels, etc.  The artist develops lesson plans for each format used, giving students an interactive, hands-on experience with their art form. Some full length residencies may build towards a culminating “informance” or “sharing” where students perform or show what they have learned (for example: a puppet residency might end with a puppet show featuring the students’ puppets in skits the students have written under the guidance and direction of the MAP artist that week).

Please note: being included on the MAP artist roster does not insure the artist will be engaged for any specific amount of work during the school year. Each participating arts council and their partner school systems administer the program differently in whichever way best suits the needs of their schools and communities; but the schools and/or arts councils will request work from artists as needed.

If you are interested in applying for inclusion on the MAP artist roster, contact Mountain Arts Program representative Denise Cook, Executive Director of the Toe River Arts Council at 828 682-7215 or download the forms below.

1) READ: April 2009 Press Release on Mountain Arts Program

2) DOWNLOAD A MAP APPLICATION:

April 2009 Mountain Arts Program Artist Application in PDF

April 2009 Mountain Arts Program Artist Application in Word

How arts organizations can participate

Organizations who wish to participate in the MAP program must be current, dues-paying members of WAANC (please see page on How to Join).  Members will then receive access to the MAP artist roster on this website. Additionally, members must pay a fee of $5.00 for each day a MAP artist is engaged in their community.  This fee is paid to WAANC.

Postcard Exhibit

Program overview

From April through October 2009, the Western Arts Agencies of North Carolina (WAANC) will coordinate a unique traveling art display. Seven arts councils in the region will present Postcards, a traveling exhibit of postcard sized art work created and donated by area artists to raise awareness and funds in support of the mission of the councils involved. 

The traveling Postcard exhibit will feature approximately seventy postcard size paintings framed in elegant black shadow boxes. The art will be exhibited in each council gallery for one month before traveling to the next. The artwork is nominally priced with sales revenue being shared by the presenting arts councils and WAANC. 

Denise Cook, Executive Director of the Toe River Arts Council and President of WAANC stated, “the Postcard exhibit is intended to increased awareness of the roles artists, arts councils and WAANC play in the life and economy of Western North Carolina. Additionally, arts patrons will have the opportunity to buy works of art created by some of the areas finest artists at a very reasonable price.”

WAANC’s mission is to strengthen the arts community in western North Carolina through peer support, shared resources, and collaborative programming. To accomplish this mission, WAANC works diligently to provide services to member organizations; to provide programs that nurture arts administration professionals; and to provide programs which support the work of local arts organizations.

WAANC’s mission and programs are accomplished through the efforts of a volunteer board consisting of Western North Carolina arts council executive directors. Visit www.waanc.org for further information on the Western Arts Agencies of North Carolina

Postcard 2009 Schedule:  April - Cultural Arts Council of Wilkes County, North Wilkesboro; May - Ashe County Arts Council, West Jefferson; June - Watauga County Arts Council, Boone; July - The Arts Council of Henderson County, Hendersonville; August - Caldwell Arts Council, Lenoir; September - Burke Arts Council, Morganton and Mid October/Mid November - Cleveland County Arts Council, Shelby.