Q&A with Amber Bateman New Executive Director of Watauga Arts Council By Keith Martin
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mber Bateman recently became the new Executive Director of the Watauga Arts Council, the first change in leadership at the organization in nearly three decades. Founded in 1981, their goal was “to create activities and events that shared their love of the community, to educate children, to continue the tradition of artistry and craftsmanship in the High Country, and to provide artists with the assistance they need to grow and develop their voice.” As a way of introducing readers to this dynamic addition to the High Country cultural community, CML posed some questions to Bateman after her first few months on the job. The following is edited only for length and clarity. CML: Your predecessor, Cherry Johnson, spent 28 years in the position, and her Ashe County counterpart, Jane Lonon, retired after 38. How does it feel to inherit their legacies? Bateman: I am very grateful to both women and proud to be following in their footsteps. They made some incredible strides for the arts in the High Country and their dedication paved the way for Jeff [Fissell, her colleague in West Jefferson] and me. Jane achieved great success in transforming Ashe into an arts-centered county. Everywhere you go, you see the arts, and I look to Jane as an example. I would love to make a similar mark on the Watauga County landscape. To make the arts more visible and easier to experience both within city limits and throughout the county, all the way to rural areas. If Jeff and I work together we can do great things to unify the efforts of Watauga and Ashe Counties, further solidifying arts as a destination of the High Country.
Those projects were not mine but the community’s; I was just the builder and both are doing well... beautiful examples of the power of a united community. When we work together, it can make a much greater impact on the lives of those around us. Both were built with intention, and I made sure we were not duplicating efforts but actually filling a gap in services. I hope to do the same with the Arts Council. CML: I understand that at heart you are an artist. Tell us about your background and that creative side? Bateman: While I would have loved a career as a professional artist, I’ve been too busy with family or other projects to really pursue it. In my free time, I dabble with clay, inks, and painting. I sell what I make but I haven’t built an official business out of it. Maybe in the future. My husband Charlie and I incorporate visiting arts districts, galleries and museums in our travel plans every time we travel together or as a family. We gain so much inspiration from those outings. I think our exposure to other arts initiatives in other cities has fueled my desire to bring that back to Boone. I have been commissioned for works in painting, photography, drawing, woodturning, and clay. I was awarded a scholarship through the Watauga Arts Council to attend a summer session at Penland School of Crafts. The process of applying for that grant, interviewing for it, and then actually getting to achieve that goal was really transformative for me. I was told the money for that grant program “dried up,” but I would love to raise funds to begin awarding more emerging artists those same opportunities.
CML: Many of our readers know your name from the founding of Quiet Givers and helping to start the Back2School Festival. How are they doing and what will your role be in both organizations moving forward? Bateman: I handed over both organizations to very capable leadership years ago so I could focus on my family.
CML: Please tell us your vision for the Watauga Arts and the strengths and challenges you see in the organization? Bateman: I desire to reenergize arts in Watauga County, to be identified as a region rich in arts and culture where artists feel like stakeholders rather than just an accent to our identity. I want to celebrate
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all forms of art, advocate for more public art, sculptures, and murals where our galleries thrive… a place where artists and art lovers abide and are invested in infusing creativity into the lives of those who live and visit this beautiful place. The Council needs to be an agency that bridges the gap between the artists, arts organizations, and local leadership, businesses, and the tourism sector. If we listen to each other we might realize we have similar visions and find ways to collaborate to work toward the same goals. CML: How has it gone so far, and about what are you most excited? Bateman: Things have gone well! I have really enjoyed getting to know board members and volunteers of the Blue Ridge ArtSpace. While some things have gone slower than hoped due to COVID, others have moved so fast they have taken me by surprise. One unexpected surprise was getting a space in downtown Boone. In my first month here, I reached out to the owners of The Local, a restaurant on Howard Street. They leased a space on King Street but it was vacant, waiting for them to start another restaurant, but those plans got pushed back due to COVID. I asked if we might be able to use the space until they start renovating. Without hesitation they offered us the space, rent free, until they were ready to turn it into a restaurant. Jean Borhman, Colton Lenz, and Alaina Walker made one of the most significant donations to the arts that we have seen in a long time. We named the space King Street Art Collective. I am excited to get started, to start meeting artists, musicians, performers, to start networking with local arts organizations, to unify all these smaller efforts and display it in a way that people can really see the arts in our region. I am excited to meet with local leaders and find ways we can work together to enhance this beautiful place we call home. For more information, visit www.watauga-arts.org.
