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PROJECTS & PROGRAMS

PLEIN AIR 2026

Proposed Dates: May 7th, 8th, and 9th — Mark Your Calendars!


The Southport Plein Air Festival is a truly unique experience! An annual event jointly hosted by Up Your Arts and the City of Southport. This festival brings local and regional talent (and interested visitors) to our scenic coastlines in celebration of capturing the true essence and beauty of the city.

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The Plein Air movement gained popularity in France in the 1800s with the ability to store paint in tubes. Artists were able to go out into the open air to paint the landscapes around them in natural lighting. Today's Plein Air enthusiasts borrow from that movement to bring artists around the country to beautiful, inspirational places to paint and celebrate.

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Since Southport is, in our totally unbiased opinion, one of the most beautiful and paintable places on earth, Up Your Arts is proud to partner with the City of Southport to present the annual Southport Plein Air Festival. Our’s is an event that features something for everyone. Not only are there an incredible variety of locations for artists to paint Southport's amazing landscapes, we host a reception for residents and visitors to meet and greet the artists with great food and live music.

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We continue Saturday's festivities with a variety of artist demonstrations, free kids' Plein Air projects, and showcase music and creative performance artists. The event culminates in our favorite wet paint sale where residents and visitors clamor to buy unique artworks created during the event by participating artists.

RAISE UP YOUR ARTS! 2026

The City of Southport and Up Your Arts, proudly continue the “Raise Up Your Arts” Pole Banner Project, celebrating the creativity of our local artists. This annual initiative transforms Southport’s downtown streets into an open-air gallery, showcasing the remarkable talent that defines our community and enhances the city’s visual appeal.

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Each year, artists from across Brunswick County are invited to submit their work for consideration, with selected pieces displayed on banners along Southport’s light poles. Check back soon for updates on submission dates and details for the 2026 Raise Up Your Arts Pole Banner Project — your chance to see your art featured in the heart of Southport!

NORTH CAROLINA
FOURTH OF JULY FESTIVAL

Each year, the entire state turns its eyes to the coast for the ultimate Independence Day celebration — the North Carolina Fourth of July Festival, a weeklong event that draws more than 60,000 visitors to Southport. Up Your Arts proudly manages the daytime music program, coordinating dozens of performances across beloved local venues and stages, including the Southport Waterfront Stage and many community favorites.

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Through its efforts, Up Your Arts highlights local musicians, supports small businesses, and enhances the festival’s vibrant atmosphere with live entertainment that reflects the creative spirit of our coastal community. We look forward to being part of the 2026 North Carolina Fourth of July Festival, celebrating the arts, music, and unity that make Southport such a special place to gather.

BARBERSHOP QUARTET 2026

Date and Time: TBD

In 2025, Up Your Arts, in partnership with the City of Southport, together with local resident Richard Tilliard, brought in a fantastic Barbershop Quartet, who hail from all over North Carolina, to perform at the Southport Community Building as a free programming event. Their harmonies gave us goosebumps and they throughly entertained us! We look forward to bringing them back for another fantastic event in 2026. Check back for more details in the new year! 

OPEN MIC NIGHT

The UYA open mike has become an institution of our local music scene , attracting musicians and uniting the communities in and around Southport, even attracting musicians from as far away as Myrtle Beach, Raleigh and Wilmington, for almost ten years. American fish company will again serve as our center stage for the open mic , which will be held the first thursday of each month , starting in April and running until October. While we will continue to offer each contributing artist a backup band of audience volunteers, be prepared for some changes that will expand participation and draw upon new talent in our little town. We hope you join the party and be prepared some exciting entertainment!

SCHOLARSHIPS

Program in development. Please come back soon to read all about it!

THURSDAY NIGHT CONCERTS

More information coming soon.

OPERA NIGHT
COMING SOON IN 2026

As part of our ongoing mission to increase programming, we are thrilled to be a part of continuing a long-standing tradition of partnering with UNCW Opera Singers who will grace Southport with their classical talents. As we confirm details for this event we will update this page so check back for more details in the new year! 

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Up Your Arts is a non profit organization with a mission to support and enhance the creative and performing arts throughout the greater Southport area.

2025 Up Your Arts / Swan Graphics

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