58 | September/October 2018
But the festival's 40th anniversary is just one of the
arts council's milestones this year. e council itself is
celebrating its 45th anniversary.
At an event in July, local leaders praised the council,
which says its mission is to support individual creativity,
cultural preservation, economic development and lifetime
learning. It says it does that through a robust grant-
making program, public art, community development
partnerships, cultural festivals and new programs and
services for creative people who live here.
State Senator Wesley Meredith, who lives in Fayetteville,
said the council is "a vital asset to the community."
Larry Lancaster, chairman of the Cumberland County
Board of Commissioners, said the council has helped bring
in tourists through its work.
And, he said, its programs provide important ways for
people from diverse backgrounds to connect.
e council's anniversary-year events will include a
special celebration at its Hay Street location on November
8, as well as a slate of exhibitions through the year.
One of those exhibitions – Contemporary Art Forms
by America's First People II – opened August 24 and will
run through October 20. e exhibition will feature the
work of contemporary American Indian artists, both local
and nationally known. In conjunction with the exhibit, the
documentary film "Voices of the Lumbee" will be shown
on October 12 at the Arts Council.
For more information about the International Folk
Festival or the Arts Council itself, visit theartscouncil.
com.
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