Local artist opens grant-funded exhibit of Rowan County paintings at Rowan Museum

A new exhibit, “The County All Around Us” featuring paintings of Rowan County people and places by artist Mark Stephenson, will have its opening reception on Sunday, March 22 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Rowan Museum, 202 N. Main St.

The exhibit is supported in part by an Arts and Cultural Development Grant from the Rowan Arts Council.

Stephenson was selected for this competitive grant in 2014 and partial proceeds from sales of paintings will benefit the Rowan Museum. The exhibit will include portrait sketches of several well-known Rowan County residents as well as landscapes of local scenes.

Stephenson is a nationally-recognized artist who has been based in Salisbury since 2011. His paintings have been featured in numerous local and regional galleries and shows. His most recent Salisbury show was an exhibit of paintings at the Center for Faith & The Arts completed while a resident artist in Tuscany, Italy.

The March 22 reception is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served and the artist will be available for questions.

The exhibit will be open for through April 12.

Visit www.rowanmuseum.org. Contact the artist at markstephensonart@gmail.com

 

“Healing with Humor Tour” comes to China Grove

CHINA GROVE — Sunday March 29 at 10:30 a.m.  Main Street Baptist Church is proud to present Barry McGee, “Healing with Humor Tour.”

McGee is a three-time “Comedian of the Year” and two-time “Top 5 Finalist Entertainer of the Year” with Inspirational Country Music/Christian Country Music Association; “Comedian of the Year” of the International Country Gospel Music Association; “Comedian of the Year” of the Country Gospel Music Association; two-time “Comedian of the Year” Agape Fest, Texas. He has appeared with Lee Greenwood, Ricky Skaggs, Charlie Daniels, Aaron Neville and many others.

He is the shop chaplin for Motor Racing Outreach, Richard Childress Racing, Richard Petty Motorsports and with Todd Bodine as a volunteer Shop Chaplin. Barry conducts services for NASCAR, Chapel services for national drag race events, and is ordained with Racers for Christ and conducts Chapel services for the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA)

Main Street Baptist Church is located at 1615 N. Main Street, China Grove.

 

Easter egg hunt sponsored by Spencer Jaycees

At 2 p.m. Saturday, March 21 the Spencer Jaycees host an Easter egg hunt at 8th Street Ball Park, for children up to age 12. Games, prizes, candy, temporary tattoos, special visit from the Easter Bunny.

All activities are free. Bring your own basket. Rain dare March 28.

 

Call for vendors

GOLD HILL — The Gold Hill Merchants’ Association is sponsoring its annual Gold Rush Days on  Saturday, May 9.

This family-oriented event will include artists, crafters and service and food vendors at the village. There will also be live music and gold panning.

Those interested may find the vendor application at www.goldhillnc.com and may email questions to goldhillmerchantsassociation@gmail.com

 

Opening night for OCT’s ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ 

CONCORD — Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s 1970s rock opera that dramatizes the last week of Jesus’s life is loosely based on the Gospels.

Old Courthouse Theater first produced this blockbuster show in the 1980-1981 season.

Cabarrus This Week (Channel 22) visited Old Courthouse Theatre during a recent rehearsal for the 2015 presentation of “Jesus Christ Superstar” and a sneak peak of the episode can be seen at www.oldcourt housetheatre.org

Show dates are March 19, 20, 21, 27, 28, April 3, 4, 2015 at 8 p.m. and March 22 and 29 at  2:30 p.m.

The show is rated PG. The theater is located at 49 Spring St. NW. Call 704-788-2405, www.oldcourt housetheatre.org

 

Project Cover hosts second forum 

On Tuesday, March 24, Project COVER will host its second “Conversations from the Porch,” a community forum to learn about resources that are available to Rowan-Salisbury residents.

It will be held at the Rowan Public Library, 201 W. Innes St., from 6 until 8 p.m. in the Stanback Room.

Project Cover will invite other non-profits to display or provide information about their services at these forums (space permitting).

Panelists scheduled to participate are from Rowan Vocational Opportunities, St. Johns Lutheran Church, Swagga, West Side Community and Smart Start Rowan.

Light refreshments will be served.

COVER stands for • Community • Outreach • Vocational • Educational • Resource Center.

To learn more and to register for this forum, visit https://projectcover.wordpress.com/conversations-from-the-porch/ or call 704-782-0072 weekdays for information.

 

Songwriters Jam at Jack Rabbit Slim

Local musician Danny Franklin will host the Wednesday evening Songwriters Jam at JackRabbit Slim’s Live Music Pub, 209 S. Main St., starting at 6 p.m. every week.

For details, call 704-699-5126 or visit www.facebook.com/jackrabbitslimspub

 

Meals on Wheels of Rowan gala event 

“Itchin’ for a Kitchen” will be held Saturday May 2 from 5:30-10:30 p.m. at the F&M Trolley Barn.

A pre-Derby party, complete with mint juleps and hors d’ oeuvres, will kick off the event followed by a live, large screen viewing of the Kentucky Derby at 6:25 p.m.

Festivities include dinner by local restaurants and caterers in a “taste of Rowan County” style meal, local libations, dancing to music by Virtual Sounds, and several chances to win 50/50 raffles. Tickets are $60 for individuals or $100 per couple.

Find out more at 704-633-0352, Facebook page “Meals on Wheels of Rowan” or email mowrowan@gmail.com

Mean Mug to host an evening of jazz and blues

Mean Mug Coffee Co., at 1024 S. Fulton St. (next to Mambo Grill) will host Jammin’ Jazz n’ Blues with Pat Mother Blues Cohen and Friends, on Sundays from 5 to 8 p.m. Find Mean Mug Coffee Company on Facebook.

 

Reed Gold Mine Panning Palooza

MIDLAND — Reed Gold Mine State Historic Site, located in Georgeville, will open the 2015 panning season with the Panning Palooza event Saturday, March 28.

Visitors can try their luck “striking it rich” in the panning area, tour the underground mine and see a restored stamp mill in operation.

Panning tickets are $2 plus tax, which includes one pan of ore. Museum staff assists visitors in the panning area search for gold. Parents of children eight and younger will need to help the children pan due to the height of the troughs.

Throughout the day special gold nuggets will be given away in the panning area, ranging in value from $10 to $50.

Panning for gold will be available from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Visitors may tour the site for free, or choose to purchase panning tickets for that activity. Group discounts are not available for this event. The site will close at 5 p.m.

Reed Gold Mine is the site of the first documented discovery of gold in the United States. The underground tour takes visitors 50 feet underground through original tunnels dug to extract the gold bearing quartz.

The 1890s era stamp mill, originally used at the Coggins Mine in Montgomery County, demonstrates how the quartz was crushed to separate the heavier material, including gold. The trails will be open for those wanting to enjoy a nice walk.

For more information visit www.nchistoricsites.org/reed

 

LST hosts second annual NCTC Fundraiser

Second annual NCTC Fundraiser: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 28

Suggested cash donation $10 at the door

Mark your calendars because this is an evening of entertainment and philanthropy that you won’t want to miss!

Enjoy performances by local talent, Catawba College students, Now Are the Foxes Improv Comedy, and special guest Daniel Truhitte, who is best known for his portrayal of Rolfe in the 1965 film “The Sound of Music.”

All proceeds from the door will go to benefit the North Carolina Theatre Conference and a portion of concessions tips will go to benefit the Blue Masque.

This event is one night only and will be at the Lee Street Theater & Performing Arts Center at the Tom & Martha Smith Event Center, 329 N. Lee St. Call  704-310-5507 or visit www.leestreet.org

The North Carolina Theatre Conference is the statewide service organization and professional association for the theatre community. NCTC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving and enhancing theatre in NC through service, leadership and advocacy. NCTC members include theatre companies, K-12 schools, colleges/universities and individual artists and arts supporters. In addition to the presentation of the NCTC Awards, the organization produces several events throughout the year including the NCTC Producing Gathering, NCTC College Discovery Day and statewide High School and Middle School Play Festivals. Visit www.nctc.org to learn more about NCTC.

About the Blue Masque

The Blue Masque is Catawba College’s oldest and largest club. Founded in 1925 as the only producing organization at Catawba, the Blue Masque has earned a reputation of being fun, inviting to all, and consistently producing excellent student-directed experimental productions.

About Lee Street theatre

The Lee Street Theater & Performing Arts Center at the Tom & Martha Smith Event Center is located at the corner of North Lee and Kerr streets. It was founded in 2008 and undertook at $1.5 million capital campaign to help underwrite the cost of renovating its new home. In the new facility, flexible seating is available for anywhere from 130-200 people. The Center was funded by and named for 1964 Catawba alumnus Tom Smith and his wife. For more information, visit www.leestreet.org.

 

Tickets on sale for The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)!

All 37 plays in 97 minutes! First they did America, then they took on All The Great Books, now join us as the Lee Street theatre bad boys of abridgement tackle the works of the Bard himself in this hysterical interpretation.

Tickets are $15 + tax and are available now for show dates April 2-4 and 9-11 at 7:30 p.m.

Call 704-310-5507 or visit www.leestreet.org/tickets

Performances at the Lee Street Theater & Performing Arts Center, 329 N. Lee St.

Register to compete in the Loch Norman Highland Games

HUNTERSVILLE — Calling athletes for the 22nd annual Rural Hill Scottish Festival and Loch Norman Highland Games set for April 18 and 19.

Highland Games are a way of celebrating Scottish and Celtic culture and heritage, especially that of the Scottish Highlands. Certain aspects of the games are so well known as to have become emblematic of Scotland, such as the bagpipes and the kilt.

The traditional Scottish athletic competitions called the “Heavy Events” include stone throws, weight throws, hammer throws, caber toss, sheaf toss, and similar traditional feats of strength.

Professional athletic competition will be Saturday.

Note: Professional athletes are by invitation only. See many world ranked professional heavy athletes including Eric Frasure, who in 2010 set a world record at Rural Hill after throwing a 20 lb. sheaf 36’1”.

Advance two-day discount ticket is $27 and includes admission to the Saturday night concert. Tickets will also be sold at the gate the weekend of the event. Complete information and advance ticket purchases are available online at www.lochnorman.com

Fun for the entire family, the Festival and Games weekend offers live traditional and Celtic rock music from seven national acts and a Saturday night Celtic Jam, genealogy search, Scottish clans and their representatives, Piping and Drumming with sanctioned competitions and massed band performances, highland dancing with sanctioned competitions, Scottish country dancing, professional and amateur heavy athletics, long bow competition, battle axe competition, demonstrations, whiskey seminars, children’s activities, and Rural Hill’s famous historic encampment.

New for 2015 is the addition of the Council of Scottish Clans & Association’s Annual Scottish Clans & Families Caucus including workshops and seminars held onsite throughout the Games weekend.

For event information and registration details, visit www.lochnorman.com. Event will be held rain or shine!

Rural Hill is located at 4431 Neck Road (off Beatties Ford Road) in Huntersville, 704-875-3113, www.lochnorman.com