History

Some twenty-five key residents, friends and supporters of Blowing Rock's new Community Arts Center have stepped forward to play a vital role in its future. Established as "Friends of the Community Arts Center" the primary mission of the group is to be advocates for the facility - taking every opportunity to enlighten the public, friends and organizations of its value and positive influence on the North Carolina High Country.

Construction crews and equipment have moved into place and are at work on the new Community Arts Center being built on Valley Boulevard.

Patrons of the arts in Blowing Rock were celebrating this past week when they got the latest news on the building of a state-of-the-art Community Arts Center on Valley Boulevard in Blowing Rock. Based on latest reports from the Community Arts Center Board of Directors, ground-breaking and construction on the new facility will begin in April.

On Thursday, the Community Arts Center Foundation Board joined stakeholders in the New Center, in officially announcing that construction bids have been let for the comprehensive three-level, 26,000 square foot performing arts center. Larry Lindsey, of the project management team Project Services Group, indicated that this part of the process will take approximately six weeks.

Thanks to a $500,000 donation, the Community Arts Center has surpassed the $7 million campaign mark.

The Blowing Rock Community Arts Center was the focus of an education and cultivation gathering at the Linville Country Club on Friday, July 16th. A host committee of Suzanne Crist Botts, Judy and Charlie Bradshaw, Janis and Hugh Chapman, Joanne and Stuart Dickson, Mary Anne and Alan Dickson, Bonnie and Mark Johnson, Joyce and Dan LaFar, Francie and John Mangan, Sally and Russell Robinson, Jane and Bob Spilman, Jane and Toto Williamson, Pat and Bill Williamson, Chic and Ed Wilson welcomed several dozen Linville residents to the Eseola Lodge in Linville to hear updates on the progress of the new Community Arts Center to be built on Valley Boulevard in Blowing Rock.

The Blowing Rock Community Arts Center Foundation announced at their May Board meeting the formation of a new "Friends of the Center" campaign committee, to be chaired by Ron Bryson and Jim Fort.

"This committee will be charged with broadening the base of support for the Blowing Rock Community Arts Center across the high country," said Chip Williamson, Chairman of the Foundation Board.

The Blowing Rock Community Arts Center Foundation Board has recently received several new gifts to go to the Center Campaign, many of which will be recognized as "named areas" of the new facility, scheduled to begin construction in late summer or fall of this year.

The success in the naming opportunities program leaves the BRCAC Foundation Board with only a few key components of the center still available for honoring of an individual, family or organization.

"On behalf of Capstone Advancement Partners, Joanne O'Brien Beam and I are delighted to be working with the Board of Directors of the Blowing Rock Community Arts Center Foundation in completing their capital campaign. This center will provide an impressive focal point for arts and culture in the High Country," stated Tim Rogers, principal partner with Capstone, in acknowledging his firms' introduction into the fundraising program for the new Center.

"The Blowing Rock Community Arts Center has not been hibernated for the winter, as it would appear to several readers of The Blowing Rocket."

That was the word from Board Chair, Chip Williamson, responding to recent letters from citizens looking for an update on the status of the facility.

"With a few more of these we will be breaking ground," said Chip Williamson, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Blowing Rock Community Arts Center. Last week Wachovia Bank announced a major grant to the Art Center and this week the check was put into the hands of Art Center officials.

As the Capital Campaign for the new Blowing Rock Community Arts Center enters its final phase, this summer's fund-raising activities brought in more than 80 new gifts, bringing total donations to $6.5 million. Between the months of May and September, $876,215 was raised. The Campaign goal is $8 million. Several professionals in the field of philanthropy who are aware of the campaign have commented on the unprecedented success of the fund-raising effort. The amount of dollars raised and high participation rate is unusual for a community of this size and shows the importance of this project among a broadly-based population.

The Wachovia Foundation announced a grant of $250,000 to The Blowing Rock Community Arts Center's Capital Campaign last week, sending the total raised thus far in excess of $6.3 million, only $1.7 million short of the $8 million goal.

"Wachovia is committed to improving the quality of life in all of the communities we serve," said Wallace Greer, Wachovia's Market President for Watauga County. "The Arts Center is a tremendous undertaking that will not only provide support to our local arts and community programs, but will also have a direct impact on local education and economic development."

With ground breaking on the new Community Arts Center within sight now, the campaign to complete the fund raising has intensified with a series of meetings and special promotional events on the summer calendar. Heavyweight players behind the scenes of the beautiful new facility in Blowing Rock's future include a number of special people, from project building coordinator chair Kim Johnson to Mariam Hayes, the honorary campaign chair. With a goal of $8 million, the total pledges received now surpasses $5.7 million, with several key donations pending.

The Board of Directors of the blowing Rock Community Arts Center Foundation announces the election of Ronald E. Bryson to the board. Chairman of The Bryson Group, a wealth management team in association with Merrill Lynch in Charlotte, Ron and his wife, Cathy, are natives of Greenville, South Carolina.

"The Community Arts Center is Everybody's Business" touts the new slogan (and soon-to-be distributed bumper stickers) to introduce the final year of fund raising for the new state of the art facility. As learn more and more about this final stage, the Board of Directors of The Blowing Rock Community Arts Center Foundation is applauding more than five hundred donors who have given of their resources to make this venture a reality. Two of those who have contributed have stories that are exceptional, both in their dedication and in their creativeness in finding a way to make their contributions especially meaningful. We'd like to share those stories with our readers to show the heartfelt concern these donors have for Blowing Rock and their desire to insure that the rich cultural tradition that is an especially treasured part of the town's heritage, continues for years to come.

Now that the capital campaign for the Blowing Rock Community Art Center is entering the final phase, the merchants of Blowing Rock and surrounding area are excited and getting involved as they see the tremendous positive fiscal impact the new Center will have for them and their businesses. A selected group of merchants and business owners met on May 22 to organize an advisory board that will assist the Art Center in sharing its message with the business community. THE ART CENTER IS EVERYBODY'S BUSINESS, one of two slogans that will power this final year of the Art Center's building fund drive, clearly speaks to the advocacy of the merchant community.

On Tuesday, May 13, 2003 the Blowing Rock City Council approved final plans for the Blowing Rock Community Arts Center. The major public hearing at the Tuesday night meeting of the Mayor and City Council involved modifications to the proposed Community Arts Center. Board of Trustees Chair Chip Williamson, backed by representatives from the Center's architectural design firm, presented their request to the council, explaining that the previously approved fly tower approved at 58 feet would need a six foot extension to permit sets to be lifted for multiple use programming.

Members of the Planning Board and elected officials were present when the Blowing Rock Community Arts Center officials performed a balloon test to evaluate the height of the new Arts Center that will be built on Valley Boulevard in the very near future.

Winterfest officials presented a check for $9,000 to the Community Arts Center Drive Monday, April 7, 2003. Present for the check presentation were Marcia Greene of Chetola Resort, Denise Anderson, President of the Blowing Rock Merchant's Association, Robert Miller of the Blowing Rock Stage Company, Chip Williamson, BRCAC Chairman, Bill Leahey of Starwood Gallery and Man in the Moon and Billie Rogers of Dianne Davant & Associates.