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May Issue 2005
NC Highway Map Features NC Crafts for Second Year
The new state map printed by the NC Department of Transportation prominently features the Celebration of North Carolina Craft, as proclaimed by North Carolina's Governor Michael F. Easley. The map gives an overview of the two-year Celebration, highlighting craft destinations like North Carolina's official "Pottery Highway," a strip of NC 705 boasting more than 100 pottery shops and galleries. And it gives a glimpse of Tar Heel artisans and artworks, featuring a glass piece by Penland School of Crafts glass artist Richard Ritter and decorated gourds by Burke County artist Debbie Maya.
North Carolina is already one of the nation's top three craft destinations, and one of the Top 10 states for cultural and heritage tourism, according to the Travel Industry Association of America (TIAA) and "Smithsonian" magazine. The new state map will help direct travelers to the Celebration of Craft Web site, (www.DiscoverCraftNC.org), to plan travel itineraries and learn more about craft-based organizations (museums, galleries, schools and art centers) and.
Almost 500 craft events are taking place in 2005 as part of the Celebration of Craft, which highlights North Carolina craft and artisans. The Celebration issponsored by the N.C. Craft Coalition, comprising 19 craft organizations from the mountains to the coast working to promote North Carolina as a cultural tourism destination.
"Spotlighting North Carolina craft on the state map is another measure of the great value Tar Heels place on our craft tradition," said NC Department of Cultural Resources Secretary Libba Evans. "This map does more than brag, though. It can help you find your next shopping expedition, vacation or weekend getaway and help you get there."
The Celebration of North Carolina Craft includes the 75th anniversaries of Penland School of Crafts in Mitchell County, as well as the 80th birthday of the John C.Campbell Folk School, the oldest folk school in the nation. Also being celebrated:
The 75th anniversary of the Southern Highland Craft Guild, the most popular site on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
On the coast, a 10th anniversary exhibit will be featured at Pocosin Arts, and the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum on Harkers Island will host a weekend honoring the folk art and traditions found along the waterways.
In the Piedmont, Piedmont Craftsmen will host its renowned craft fair in Winston-Salem this fall, and the NC Pottery Center in Seagrove will throw open its kilns and its doors with an open house that features demonstrations, hands-on exhibitions and silent auction of antique and contemporary pots.
In Charlotte, the Mint Museum of Craft + Design will feature a basketry show, along with its other nationally-acclaimed exhibits of contemporary studio craft.
An events listing is at (www.DiscoverCraftNC.org). Events will continue to be added.
In addition to details about North Carolina highways, the map provides information about the department's environmental and safety efforts, distances from city to city, state attractions, as well as emergency contact numbers and resources for travel information and road conditions. And it highlights increasing investments in rail and public transportation, transportation initiatives and programs of interest to citizens and visitors alike.
To order a free copy of the
state map, citizens may call the NCDOT Customer Service Office
toll free at 1-877/DOT-4YOU from 8am-5pm, Mon.-Fri., or by visiting
the department's website at (www.ncdot.org/public/publications).
In addition, some 2 million copies of the map will be available
at North Carolina's Visitor Centers.
Carolina Arts is published monthly by Shoestring Publishing Company, a subsidiary of PSMG, Inc. Copyright© 2004 by PSMG, Inc., which published Charleston Arts from July 1987 - Dec. 1994 and South Carolina Arts from Jan. 1995 - Dec. 1996. It also publishes Carolina Arts Online, Copyright© 2004 by PSMG, Inc. All rights reserved by PSMG, Inc. or by the authors of articles. Reproduction or use without written permission is strictly prohibited. Carolina Arts is available throughout North & South Carolina.