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currents
CURRENTS NC Rice Festival
Celebration of Gullah Culture and History
STORY BY JAN MORGAN-SWEGLE
What does freedom mean to you? And if you lost that freedom, how would you react? Would you give in to the new norm? Would you fight a fight that could not be won? Or would you hold on to the history that you know and respect so that your children would know their true origins? History is the study of change over time. It is a look back at victories and defeats; highs and lows. It is a working map for society to follow or reject—depending on recorded events and the impact those events had on people all over the world.
An excellent illustration of this “working map,” is the North Carolina Rice Festival, which will be held on March 4 and 5 at the Leland Cultural Arts Center. Event organizer and Board Chair of the North Carolina Rice Festival, Inc., George Beatty, said that the festival is a “celebration of the economic history of our county and the people who greatly contributed to it.” He continued, “We want to not only celebrate, but educate. We need to resurrect the overall history of Brunswick County.”
George is an excellent storyteller who weaves the past into an intricate tapestry of the future. He said the history of this area has roots in Africa where the people in coastal areas, like Sierra Leone, developed the expertise of growing and harvesting African rice. Slave traders were told to find growers from “the rice coast” in Africa and bring them to the South because plantation owners in the Carolinas discovered that African rice would grow in this region better than Asian rice and the African growers had the knowledge and expertise to develop and build effective irrigations systems and dams. These growers may have been part of the “Gola,” tribe, who inhabited the border areas between what are now Sierra Leone and Liberia. Or, they could be part of the “Dyula” (pronounced Gwullah,”) tribal group captured by European slavers in modern day Liberia.
But the enslaved African growers brought more to the southern regions than their growing expertise—they brought their traditions and parts of their language.
The African enslaved persons working on the southern plantations were removed from contact with their white owners. They developed what is called a “Creole culture” in an effort to hold on to their rituals and culture. Their language, sometimes known as “Sea Island Creole,” is an English-based Creole combining their African words and dialect with English.
The language, which became known as “Gullah,” is a form of linguistic diversity; they were holding on to one world while they lived in another. The word, “Geechee,” refers to descendants of the West African growers who were located in the “low country” of South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida and Georgia. In the 1860s, 90 percent of the rice grown in North Carolina came from the efforts of the enslaved people of Brunswick County. It was the major “cash crop,” and there were more than 50 plantations in Brunswick County that counted rice as their primary crop. Life was good for plantation owners in the South. But then came the Civil War which did more than divide the country. It changed lives and lifestyles. Plantation owners lost their farms to taxes and the newly emancipated slaves did not have the resources to get back to their native Africa. “The connection to the African rice coast was broken by the slave system. Generations of blacks would never know their true heritage or families because there was a world between them,” George explained.
So, after all of this time, how can descendants of these enslaved rice growers bridge the gap that separates their new world ancestry with their old-world heritage? According to George, “in order to re-establish blood lines and tribal connections, (at the Rice Festival) there will be on-site DNA testing kits which, when processed, will be matched with the largest DNA database of African tribal groups from various regions of Africa. Those who want a DNA test done at the Festival will get a discount on the processing fee.”
The Festival will include activities inside the Leland Cultural Arts Center and outside as well. There will be food trucks onsite, arts and crafts for sale, and “Ring Shouters,” who are worshippers that move in a circle while shuffling and stomping their feet and clapping while chanting.
One of the high points of the Festival will be historical presentations by the cultural story teller, Aunt Pearlie Sue, a character created by Anita Singleton-Prather, based on her grandmother. She has been called “the keeper of the culture.” Her stories of enslaved Africans’ life in the fields have resonated with all cultures for many years.
The event closes with jazz from LeRoy Harper, Jr., and the AllStarz, who was the “horn man” for James Brown.
Inside the Center, there will be video presentations of how history affects us today, the history of rice growing, a documentary called “Gullah Roots” (produced by South Carolina eTV), a panel discussion led by Dr. Victoria Smalls, Executive Director of the Gullah Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission and Jonathan Green, the first person of Gullah ancestry to develop his painting skills at a professional art school. He is best known for his depictions of the Gullah culture and has shown his work in many major galleries around the country.
Sponsors for the event include the Town of Leland, the Department of Leland Tourism, the Brunswick Arts Council, WWAY TV3, the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Restoration and the Orton Foundation. Sponsorships for the event are still available. Visit www. northcarolinaricefestival.org, for more details about the events.
History is often told from the perspective of the victor, which doesn’t tell the whole story. The North Carolina Rice Festival gives a look at the perspective of the enslaved people from Africa who helped build the economy of this area all while holding on to those things that connected them to their ancestors. They held fast to rituals, art, and worship so that their children and those of future generations would know, understand and appreciate their stolen history. If you lost your freedom, could you do the same?
NC RICE FESTIVAL CULTURAL HERITAGE GALA – FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 2022
Leland Cultural Arts Center Auditorium
5:45 pm Doors Open 6:30 pm Welcome, Introduction of Guests 6:50 pm Dinner Served 8:40 pm Introduction of Performers 8:45 pm Entertainment – Ron & Natalie Daise 9:45 pm Acknowledgements, Closing Remarks
North Carolina Rice Festival – Saturday, March 5, 2022
Leland Cultural Arts Center Auditorium
8:30 am Doors Open 9 am Welcome, Event Introduction, Overview of Festival Program 9:10 am Opening Remarks – Victoria Smalls - CEO – Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor 9:20 – 10:10 am NCRF History Video followed by Panel Discussion and Q & A 10:20 – 11:50 am Showing of SCTV Documentary – Gullah Roots - Introduction by Victoria Smalls, followed by Panel Discussion and Q & A 12:00 – 12:30 pm Entertainment Performance – Geechee Gullah Ring Shouters 12:30 - 1:30 pm Break 1:45 - 2:45 pm Rice & Race – Gullah Artist Jonathan Green, Presenter 3:00 - 3:30 pm Entertainment – Gullah Historical Storyteller – Anita Singelton Prather as Aunt Pearlie Sue
Outdoor Stage
11:30 am Blues DeVille 12:30 pm Ian Davis 1:30 pm Aunt Pearlie Sue 2:15 pm Tina Smith 3:15 pm Geechee Gullah Ring Shouters 4 pm “Funky” Leroy Harper and his All Starz 5:30 pm Closing Remarks, NCRF Chairman, George Beatty
Tickets for the dinner are Sold Out
Tickets for inside the event are $10.
Right: Storyteller Aunt Pearlie Sue
Eye Of The Beholder
Spring Art Market Accepting Applications
STORY BY JAN MORGAN-SWEGLE, PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED
It takes a special kind of person to turn something plain into something beautiful; it takes patience and an inner vision. And yet, the eye of the artist can often be different than the eye of the beholder. When you display your work for others to judge, praise, or critique, you aren’t just showing your work, you are showing a part of yourself.
Artists sharing their work and art beholders will come together at the Spring Art Market, an annual Leland Cultural Arts Center program, in Founders Park on May 7. The Market is free to attend. Artists who want to participate can apply online at the Leland Cultural Arts Center website from March 7 to April 1.
This event started in 2015 and attracts artists from all over North Carolina. What makes this not just another art show is the selection process. According to Kirsti Armstrong, this year’s Program Coordinator, artists submit “jurored applications.”
In addition to the application, artists send photos of their bodies of work to be reviewed and scored. Artistic categories typically include pottery, basket weaving, work in stained glass, wood work, paintings and illustrations, however pieces in all artistic categories are welcome. The application also asks how the artist started working in a particular medium. “The backstory is a really important part of the application process,” said Kristi. “It gives you a sense of what motivates the artist.”
After the artists submit their applications and examples of their work, a panel of artists reviews each application and body of work. From there, five anonymous jurors score each portfolio on a scale from one to five (five being the best.) “This is not about whether a picture of a rose is better than a picture of a horse,” Kristi explained. “This is about the body of work in general, diversity in creating, and what the artist expresses in their work.”
After the work is scored, 35 artists (and often more) who scored the highest are notified that they have been selected to show and sell their work at the Art Market. It’s a wonderful opportunity for new artists to be recognized in the community as well as to see beautiful pieces from established artists.
Artist Billie Outlaw said she would not be in a business she loves if it wasn’t for the Art Market. “The Leland Art Center Art Market gave me the confidence to show my work. The people who work there are so supportive and encouraging,” she said. “I developed my craft very fast after my first showing there.”
“I like the juror process,” Billie said, “I don’t think sending pictures instead of seeing my work in person is a problem. Judges can still see if the talent is there.” Billie creates pottery and works with stained glass. She said was “instantly hooked” after inheriting her grandmother’s glass collection and is carrying on her family heritage. “I let the glass speak to me,” Billie said. “I look into it and ask myself, what does this look like, what can it be?” Billie likes to use vivid colors in her work. “I can’t leave anything plain,” she laughed. Working with glass and doing pottery work seem to be at extremes, but Billie explained that each has its own place in her vision. “With glass,” she said, “you cut it, grind it and solder it. You have to be very careful with it. If it breaks or I crack it, I walk away and understand that today just isn’t a glass day. With clay, you can have an idea of what you want to create and if you make a mistake, often it’s a
happy accident.”
Rhonda Jones, an artist who also has shown at the Art Market, praised the process and the venue. “Leland Cultural Arts Center and the Art Market have raised the level of creative pieces being shown. You see quality products from talented artists. And the best part is that the cost to display is reasonable. I’ve seen events that charge up to $400 to enter and who knows if you will make that back? The Art Market is different.”
Rhonda is an illustrator who creates cards, notepads, stationery and decals full of color and often with a beach flair. “My pieces are colorful and whimsical,” she said. Rhonda said that she showed her work at the Art Market in 2017 and, “people responded to it immediately. Every time I show there, I sell more and get different ideas.”
Brett West is another artist who has had multiple business opportunities over the years. He started exploring
woodworking and salvaging woods about six years ago. “I create pieces out of wood like bowls, bottle stoppers and even snowmen in the winter,” he said. But Brett’s piece are different, because he likes to use personally salvaged woods in his turning. “Spalted woods are a bonus to the salvaging process, as they can add a lot of character to a piece.”
“All wood is taken through a drying and sterilization process,” he said “The drying of the wood down to a lower moisture content of approximately 6 percent to 8 percent, stops any additional or possible decay in the wood. Sterilization is the final step of drying in a kiln as it eradicates any wood borne insects and eggs.”
“Wood is a living thing,” Brett said. He has worked with Bradford Pear, Hackberry or Sweet Gum as well as Live Oak, Magnolia, Holly, Birch, Mimosa, Cherry, Black Walnut, Chinaberry, Hickory, Poplar and Eastern Red Cedar, just to name a few. He makes useful pieces and decorations that stand out and show his creativity, commitment to his craft,
and talent.
Art, and what is considered art, is in the eye of the beholder. If you want to show your work, check the Leland Cultural Art Center’s website and complete the application process. If you want to “behold it,” go to the Art Market in Founders Park on May 7, from 10 am to 3 pm and enjoy!
