Crafty Sisters

Barbara Bannon and Mary Longacre

For sisters Barbara Bannon and Mary Longacre, life is a never-ending source of artistic inspiration and creative energy.

Barbara Bannon and Mary Longacre are not only two talented sisters, they’re best buddies in Craft and in Life.

In the past few years they’ve created and sold hundreds of scarves (Mary) and pottery vessels (Barbara). Percentages of those sales were donated to Darren and Michelle Gillett’s Pens with a Purpose (See Laurel’s December 2020 issue). That money feeds the hungry around the country and halfway ‘round the world.

With all that energy and commitment, it’s hard to believe only one of the sisters, Barbara, has first-rate vision. Mary was born with a congenital vision dysfunction, leaving her technically blind with only one weak eye, the other eye removed. But that limited sight, when coupled with her unlimited spunk, spurs her on, and she produces beautiful scarves day-after-day. After so many hooks and loops it’s become Zen.

Mary was a military wife. Along the moves base-to-base, she met a woman who taught her to crochet. Let’s just say she was hooked for life.

Barbara took up her craft, pottery, after taking lessons with Frank Vickery at The Bascom. That encouraged her to subsequently take a series of classes with visiting artists from all over the country.

Now, with the skill and confidence she has honed over time, she says, “I give basic classes at both my Scaly Mountain Studio and Sky Valley Country Club in Sky Valley, Georgia.” For more info, email barbarajbannon@gmail.com.

Whether digging their fingers into silky-soft yarn or silky-soft clay, the sisters are perfectly content up-to-their elbows in their mediums. It’s hard to know if they get more satisfaction from creating or from donating. Whichever it is, the world is a better place for the beauty and the bounty they bring.

Barbara and Mary invite you to see their work by visiting The Scaly Mountain Crafters Store or by emailing The Gilletts at pens.dstm@gmail. com, or call (678) 794-5996.

by Donna Rhodes

The Significance of Place

The Bascom is laying out its ambitious 2022 schedule, focusing on the geographic and emotional evocation of Place.

Annually in January, The Bascom is excited to announce its upcoming annual exhibition and education programs. Working with the annual theme of Place, we look forward to exploring this concept throughout the year in many aspects of our programming.

Everyone has a place in The Bascom Family. Though the geography of Western North Carolina can isolate the surrounding towns and gathering spaces, a multitude of communities exist within this secluded mountainous region.

Southern Appalachia has a rich history regarding arts and culture, the environment, and the people that inhabit these mountains. For more than 30 years, The Bascom has been a physical “place” for these communities to gather, share experiences, and engage in the visual arts.

Join us this winter for two engaging exhibitions that explore the new annual theme, and that highlight the works of emerging artists in the region.

The Bascom is proud to present our third annual call for entries for Emergence: A Survey of Southeastern Studio Programs (formerly 100 Miles), opening January 15. This exhibition series has proven to be so popular that we decided to expand our scope to the entire Southeast! Emergence will showcase the work of faculty and student pairs, celebrating the role of teaching and mentoring in artist development.

The Bascom Winter Resident Artist Program, better known as the WRAP, calls on Students or Faculty from the surrounding universities to submit site-specific installation proposals for The Bascom’s intimate Thompson Gallery. The results of 2021-2022 WRAP recipient Colin Dawson will open on January 11.

We are also releasing our 2022 summer workshop schedule in January. The Bascom encourages members to take advantage of Early Bird Registration from January to March. This member benefit gives enthusiasts, amateurs, and professional artists alike the opportunity to secure their spot in one of The Bascom’s over 30 workshop intensives led by visiting professional artists from throughout the region.

For 2022, we invite you to celebrate your “place” in The Bascom Family, and to explore the impact that place has on the communities we serve that make this region a beautiful and vibrant place to exist.

by Billy Love, The Bascom

The last 22 months have been a constant OMG at the Playhouse as things swung from a cataclysmic OMG to a super-wow OMG.

It all began with a fire in September of 2019, followed by Covid-19 and finished with a grand and glorious dénouement in December.

Taking a deep breath after all that, Scott Daniel, Executive Artistic Director of the Highlands Playhouse says, “We’re getting ready to announce our exciting 2022 season!”

But first, this remarkable news: Playhouse success has also boosted town employment as jobs were created for professional performers and craftspeople. Last year, the Playhouse generated 40 contracted jobs. For 2022, the playhouse is predicting 87 contracted positions along with two full-time staff positions for Director of Marketing and Company Manager.

When the new marketing director comes on board, Scott will be freed-up to hopefully drop a couple of hours from his current 60+hour week. But he’s not complaining. It’s his hard work that has helped make 2021 one of our best years ever – and that’s in the shadow of a pandemic.

From July 1 through December 24, reserve your Historical Highlands Playhouse seat for four mainstage productions. And there’s more – you can taste and experience a world-premiere theatrical event in tandem with the acclaimed Highlands Food and Wine Festival.

Because this is pre-season, theatrical licensing rules prevent announcing this season’s selections, but Scott says, “We will feature a show developed by the same team that brought us the World Premiere of Music in Motion this past fall. Though this show production is not a world premiere, it’s had a rather prestigious path to Highlands. Sentimental Journey; the Songs of WWII is sure to be a hit in 2022 season. “We will also maintain our mission to create a Highlands tradition with a family friendly Holiday show – an original story will ring in the spirit of the season while featuring some of your favorite holiday hits.”

Two shows directly from the Broadway stage will be dispersed among these incredible original works, and the food and wine event promises to entertain as the audience joins a singing sommelier while enjoying a flight of curated wines and bubblies.

Visit highlandsplayhouse.org and keep up-to-date on the latest highlights and announcements.

Highlands Playhouse Takes the Spotlight Tested by the last two years of Covid anxiety, Highlands Playhouse has unleashed a pent-up pool of The Show Must Go On Spirit.

Winter Fun in Highlands

The Highlands Performing Arts Center has laced this winter with plenty of surprises to add sound and color to your mental landscape. Tickets for all events are available at HighlandsPerformingArts.com.

We’ve come up with a calendar of events that’ll keep you coming to the Highlands Performing Arts Center throughout these “quiet” months.

On Saturday, January 29, the MET Opera will present (live via satellite) a new production of Verdi’s Rigoletto, beginning at 12:55 P.M. Tony Award–winning director Bartlett Sher creates a bold new take on Verdi’s timeless tragedy, resetting the opera’s action in 1920s Europe, with Art Deco sets by Michael Yeargan and elegant costumes by Catherine Zuber.

Baritone Quinn Kelsey, a commanding artist at the height of his powers, brings his searing portrayal of the title role to the Met for the first time, starring alongside soprano Rosa Feola as Gilda and tenor Piotr Beczała as the Duke of Mantua, with leading maestro Daniele Rustioni on the podium. A pre-opera discussion begins at 12:30 P.M.

After an unprecedented success in October the MET has decided to present an encore performance of Terrance Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones on Saturday, February 12, at 12:55 P.M. Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts Grammy Award-winning jazz musician and composer Terence Blanchard’s adaptation of Charles M. Blow’s moving memoir. The first opera by a Black composer presented on the Met stage and featuring a libretto by filmmaker Kasi Lemmons, the opera tells a poignant and profound story about a young man’s journey to overcome a life of trauma and hardship. James Robinson and Camille A. Brown – two of the creators of the recent production ofthe Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess – co-direct this new staging, live in cinemas on October 23. Baritone Will Liverman, one of opera’s most exciting young artists, stars as Charles, alongside sopranos Angel Blue as Destiny/Loneliness/Greta and Latonia Moore as Billie. A pre-opera discussion begins at 12:30 P.M.

Great Art on Screen will begin again during February. To be shown throughout the year: Maverick Modigliani, Raphael: The Young Prodigy, Pompei: Sin City, Botticelli: Florence and the Medici, and Venice: Infinitely AvantGarde. Please check the website for titles and dates.

Check out comedian James Gregory on Friday, February 25, at 7:30 P.M.

Tickets for all events are available online at HighlandsPerformingArts.com. Join us at 507 Chestnut Street.

by Mary Adair Trumbly, Highlands Performing Arts Center

photo by Charles Johnson