Up & Coming Weekly

Fayetteville Artists Shares Grand Canyon Journey by KAREN POPPELE Fayetteville artist Erica Stankwytch Bailey fi nds inspiration in the smallest of details within a larger body — a cell within a plant, a shell in the ocean. Bailey, a metalsmith, found herself within that very context when she journeyed to the Grand Canyon as an artist-in-residence earlier this year. For three weeks in January and February, she lived, worked, hiked and photographed in the Grand Canyon. Bailey will share her experiences on Thursday, May 6 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in a presentation at the Arts Council, 301 Hay Street, in Fayetteville. The presentation is free and open to the public. “It’s a really great program,” said Bailey, a metalsmith, in a phone interview. “Several of the national parks throughout the country do artist-in- residence programs. The cool part is that both the artists and the National Parks have worked hand-in- hand for a long time. In the early times of the National Park Service, there was no way to show people what the parks looked like without artists, and that’s how all the national parks shared the parks with the people so that people would support them.” Bailey took her fi rst metalsmithing class at Fayetteville Technical Community College when she was 17. “The funny part is I now teach at FTCC. I really love teaching. For me as an artist, I work so much in the studio that it’s really nice to get out and interact with people.” Bailey draws her inspiration from nature, and many of her jewelry pieces, wrought in materials such as sterling silver, copper, brass, freshwater pearls, jade and recycled paper, evoke images of a piece of coral, an unfolding bloom or the magnifi ed surface of a grain of pollen or tiny ocean plankton. “My studio is covered with trays of things,” Bailey said. “I’ll pull them out and look at them or photograph them. I keep a pretty involved sketchbook. It’s always nature, sometimes architecture, and I’ve been looking at a lot of nano and microscopic photography. The last year or so, my work has really started to be about how signifi cant the really small things are within a larger context. That is part of how I chose the Grand Canyon. It is the perfect place to experience the signifi cance of the small in the large. I chose the Grand Canyon because I knew it was a place that would be truly inspiring. “When I fi rst got to the Grand Canyon, it was so big that it was hard for me to take it in. There was visually so much to see. I really started breaking it down into its different parts –– line, shape, texture, form. I’m working on pieces inspired by the trip. It’s a series of pieces based on elements of art. Most of them will be wearable, but I do have a piece that I’m working on that is more sculptural. At the presentation, I’ll talk about the entire experience and plan to have some of the completed works there. Bailey’s presentation is part of an outreach program of the national parks’ artist-in-residence program. “It was an amazing opportunity,” said Bailey. “I had the best view in the park. They ask very little but that you do outreach to spread the word on how amazing the National Parks are. I also have some great photographs to share and stories about how amazing and wonderful the experience was and how challenging it was. It was such a profound experience.” KAREN POPPELE, Contributing Writer.COMMENTS? 484-6200 ext. 106 or Editor@upandcomingweekly.com. Eastover Heritage Day Slated for May 1 by SARAH PILAND When it comes to celebrating their community, folks in Eastover know how to do it right! For the past fi ve years, the biggest day of the year in the community of Eastover has been the Eastover Heritage Day Celebration in May and the 2010 event promises to be the biggest and best ever. Eastover Heritage Day 2010 is all about remembering the past and celebrating the special community of Eastover with good fun, food and fellowship. Eastover’s community pride will be well in evidence as more than 150 volunteers from the Eastover Civic Club and the Eastover Ballpark Association join together to host the Sixth Annual Eastover Heritage Day to an anticipated crowd of 3,000 people from the local community, region and state. Visitors will experience a touch of hometown Americana and are invited to bring a lawn chair and “stay awhile.” Admission is free. Eastover Heritage Day will be held on Saturday, May 1, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will be held at the Eastover Ballpark on Ballpark Road in the Town of Eastover. The new venue allows a larger showground and pays tribute to the community’s historical and current commitment to providing exceptional recreational opportunities for its people. Organizers of the event noted, that Eastover is a very close-knit community, with a reputation for working together and showing community pride. They see the event as a time to show community pride and to welcome people to their community. The newest addition to the festival will be a performance by the popular Craig Woolard Band from noon to 3 p.m. A local favorite, The Stillwater Quartet, also will be an entertainment highlight. Activities include: • A one-mile parade kicks off the day at Armstrong Elementary School on Dunn Road and includes local dignitaries, fl oats, decorated golf carts, lots of walkers and all of the recently crowned Miss Eastover Queens (various ages) as well as other 14 UCW APRIL 28-MAY 4, 2010 pageant queens and kings; local community leader James McNeill “Mac” Williams will be honored as the Grand Marshall. Awards will be presented to the best parade entries. • An opening ceremony, including local dignitaries, will be held at 10 a.m. and will be preceded at 9:40 a.m. by a Mac Williams Middle School Band Concert • Stage performances throughout the day will include the Eastover-Central Elementary School Chorus at 10:30 a.m.; The Stillwater Quartet at 11 a.m.:, and the Craig Woolard Band from noon- 3 p.m. • A car show. • More than 70 crafts vendors and exhibits. • Children’s activities such as face painting, sand art, bean- bag toss, spin art/create-a-frame balloon toss or race and a N.C. Wildlife Archery and Shooting Range. • Lots of scrumptious food, including hamburgers, hot dogs, funnel cakes, ice cream, a bake sale featuring the pies and cakes of Eastover’s best bakers and much more. • An exhibit featuring heritage farm equipment. • Blood Mobile dedicated to the memory of Rad Rich, a beloved community leader for many years. • Raffl e for a much desired painting by local artist and Mayor of the Town of Eastover, Charles McLaurin. • Raffl e for a homemade quilt. During the opening ceremony, charter members of the Eastover Community Park Association, incorporated in 1970, will be recognized and the Town of Eastover will present the Rick Glazier Living Legacy of Leadership Award to a deserving town resident. Rick Glazier, Eastover’s representative in the N.C. House of Representatives, will be on hand to present the award. Another exciting event during the opening ceremony will be the raising of the fi rst Town of Eastover fl ag which features the Eastover Cupola, an Eastover icon. WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM

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