CityViewNC .com | 31
Arts Council of Fayetteville/
Cumberland County
301 Hay St, Fayetteville, NC 28301
www.theartscouncil.com
SUBSCRIBE
$24 Annual
www.cityviewnc.com
Visit
to order your
subscription
online
The Arts Council
B
ob Pinson has long understood the mission
of e Arts Council of Fayetteville/
Cumberland County. ese days, he realizes
it more than ever.
"is pandemic has given us more clarity," said
Pinson, who took over as interim president and
CEO in May with the resignation of Greg Weber.
"We've been able to realize what our role truly needs
to be. We're able to push and ask for governmental
funds when others can't."
Pinson is accustomed to navigating challenging
times. When Arts Council Board of Trustees
president Jean Moore asked him to take the interim
position, he didn't hesitate. He and Moore also
served together at St. John's Episcopal Church when
she was head of the church vestry and he was parish
administrator. He is a longtime Fayetteville resident
who had been operations manager at e Arts
Council for nine years.
"My first task when I came here was to put
together the International Folk Festival that year,"
he said. "And I had a month to do it."
e International Folk Festival is one of e
Arts Council's signature events. Alas, the pandemic
forced the cancellation of the event, which had been
scheduled for Sept. 26. Pinson said plans are in the
works for a virtual presentation that will showcase
the best of the festival along with some newer
offerings, such as cooking demonstrations. "Our
community is so proud of our cultural diversity,
and of how that diversity makes us stronger," he
said. "We don't want to go a year without putting
out that message."
