Local performers hit the big time!

The North Carolina 4th of July Festival Committee appointed Up Your Arts in February to schedule the community entertainment planned for Southport and Oak Island stages Saturday-Monday, July 2-4. The subsequent call for local performance artists generated an enthusiastic and overwhelming response from entertainers vying to appear gratis on the Main Stage at Southport’s waterfront and the Oak Island Pavilion Band Stand in Middleton Park.

Seventeen of them were chosen for these coveted spots and another twelve were selected to perform at four area businesses over the course of the holiday weekend, official 4th sponsors American Fish Company, Southport Tap & Cellar, Tiki Tavern, and Southport Coffee Co. & Kitchen (formerly Moore Street Market).

As a result, over 50,000 festival goers from across the state will be introduced this year to an incredible cross section of the talent that flourishes in the local music and entertainment scene: our best kept secret is about to be busted wide open!

Visit our July 4th Festival page for local acts listings, or go to the festival’s website  for a day-by-day schedule by venue and information about the performers.

Save the Hall, Y’all!

Our project to create an art center in the heart of downtown Southport took a giant step forward recently with the presentation of conceptual site plans to the Southport Board of Alderman on May 13 and a request to approve a third operating agreement between the city and Up Your Arts.

On June 9, elected officials unanimously agreed, enabling UYA to proceed with developing a complete package of architectural services to renovate the former city hall building located at Moore and Davis streets. The approved third Memorandum of Understanding also allows UYA to establish a cross-section of community stakeholders to form a non-profit board of trustees as the legal agency to oversee and direct funding for the eventual reconstruction of the site as a community-based arts center.

View the latest updates on our website or sign up to receive news of future workshops and hearings to inform the public and solicit ongoing feedback. Written progress updates will be provided to the board of aldermen monthly.

*Painting of historic city hall by Prentiss Halladay

Loving that Plein Air!

We hope you were able to attend some of the many activities offered last month during the 2022 Southport Plein Air Festival – what a fabulous weekend it was! Over 70 painters from across North Carolina and six other states lined the streets of Southport Friday and Saturday, May 13-14, providing an up-close and personal look at the creative process in action.

Residents and visitors were also treated to a full range of public entertainment: Latin-themed music and food all weekend, Kids’ Plein Air arts and crafts, a Back Porch Rockers benefit concert, and a Wet Paint Sale and awards ceremony that packed Keziah Park.

Pictures on our website, our Facebook group, and stories in the Stateport Pilot, Southport Magazine, and Life in Brunswick County tell a multi-colored tale.

Up Your Arts co-sponsors its annual plein air festival with the City of Southport and has been fortunate to have received additional support for the last two years from the North Carolina Arts Council, Brunswick Arts Council, Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation, and the State Port Pilot.

We had so much fun this time, UYA is adding an extra day to the festivities next year: May 18-20, 2023 — save the dates!

Thanks to Karen Gazzard for sharing this picture!

Definitely Cool & Fancy!

Our “Southport, Open Your Doors” project concluded March 27 with a gala to match all galas.  The eleven artistically-rendered historic doors at the heart of this fundraiser were sold at live auction for $14,600 and silent auction items contributed by local residents and businesses raised another $12,200. Ticket sales, donations, and sponsorships added up to a net total of almost $34,000 after expenses – wow! Many thanks to all who made this campaign such a success!

Pictures of the event on our website wrap up a year-long series of Open Door Tour activities that celebrated Southport’s resilience during the throes of the coronavirus pandemic.

Changing of the Guard

Many thanks to Up Your Arts board member Robert Carroll for two years of service as chairperson. Robert will remain on the UYA Board of Directors for another term but will pass the leadership gavel to Bob Gentile, as of this month. Bob was elected vice president in 2021 and has served on the board since 2020.

Board member Larry Cabral will take Bob’s place as vice president until 2023. Other board members will renew their current one-year terms as elected officers: President Tina Powers, Secretary Rick Kranz, and Treasurer Bonnie Bray.

View our complete board on our website.

Thank you for catching up with us! Until the next one…
Sign up. Show up. Celebrate and enjoy!
The folks at Up Your Arts

Up Your Arts is a non-profit organization founded in 2017 to support and enhance the creative and performing arts throughout the greater Southport area. To learn more, please visit our website at www.upyourarts.org