Rowan County as Diverse as its ARTists

In Rowan County, we strive to be an original, and art is part of Rowan County’s culture and creative spirit of individualism. From sculpture shows to local theater performances or live music over drinks, Rowan County has it all. Our three historic theatres, a nationally accredited visual arts center, galleries, a symphony orchestra, live music venues, public art displays and murals clearly depict what our original art scene is all about. We also have ten National Register and five Local Historic districts, a great history museum, two house museums and a meticulously restored depot which has been featured at the Smithsonian and in well-known movies.

Rowan County has had its own Arts Council for decades, and has seen private investments like parks with stages for concerts in recent years. You’ll find artists proudly displaying their talents in shared studio and gallery spaces, in pottery stores, or in community wide annual events, such as Downtown Salisbury’s Busker’s Bash, the Rowan Arts & Ag Tour, Pops at the Post, and many more.

A few of the many anchoring arts organizations in Rowan County include: Waterworks Visual Arts Center provides diverse opportunities in the arts for all people through exhibitions, education, and outreach programs. An accredited art museum, it aspires to enhance the creative capacity of individuals and

By Brad Dountz

Paintings at Waterworks Visual Arts Center SUBMITTED PHOTO

communities through extraordinary visual arts experiences.

Piedmont Players Theatre, Inc. is a community theater group that operates the historic Meroney Theater and the Norvell Theater - one of the only theaters in the state exclusively for children. The Norvell also houses the educational youth program, including workshops, classes and a summer filled with exciting camps for children of all ages.

The Salisbury Symphony is a professional orchestra ranging from forty-five to ninety musicians, who perform five yearly concerts on the Catawba and Livingstone College campuses, in addition to Nutcracker and Pops at the Post. Its players come from Rowan County and beyond. The orchestra performs a diverse repertoire, from early classical works to recent pops selections, and provides active programming for young musicians.

Lee Street Theatre provides new performance-art experiences to Salisbury and Rowan County. Lee Street Theatre offers a full theatre season along with “LIVE at Lee Street” concert performances, featuring some of the best live musicians on the scene today. At Lee Street you might experience everything from Live Music and improvisational comedy to world premier and o -Broadway plays.

Center for Faith & the Arts explores the close relationship between the arts and spiritual life by heightening the spiritual experience with the power and meaning of art. Also under their umbrella is the St. Thomas Players, a community theater group that focuses on serious, thought-provoking drama.

Rail Walk Studios & Gallery, located in renovated railroad district warehouses, provides studio and gallery space for local artists. Open to the public, visitors may experience firsthand the artists and their diverse work. The annual Salisbury Sculpture Show features large outdoor sculptures from artists

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2022 sculpture. SUBMITTED PHOTO

Pops at the Post, a yearly free community musical event at Bell Tower Green Park, features Salisbury Symphony performance from the dock of the Salisbury Post. PHOTO BY SALISBURY POST

across North Carolina and beyond. Each piece is carefully placed throughout the downtown and on local college campuses to best enhance the art and its setting.

In addition to providing outstanding choral music, the Salisbury Rowan Choral Society promotes a more livable community by actively contributing to those in need. Toy and canned-goods drives at concerts, student scholarship opportunities, and nursing home concerts are just a few of the valuable services the SRCS provides to the region.

The Rowan Arts Council serves to promote and sustain one of Rowan County’s most vital resources — the visual and performing arts. Through education, advocacy and partnerships with individuals, area businesses, organizations and local artists, the Rowan Arts Council helps create a more vibrant community and higher quality of life. Since 2011, the Rowan Arts Council has given more than $1.4M in grant monies to local arts organizations.✦

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