A Collective of Excellence Inc. announces

ACE Spirit Week Festival, April 25 - May 2

ACE Spirit Week is a week-long festival of love, unity, and celebration of excellence

Local nonprofit A Collective of Excellence, Inc. (ACE) is gearing up for an incredible week of celebration and entertainment with the ACE Spirit Week Festival! From April 25 - May 2, 2023, the festival will feature a variety of events including a pep rally, musical, banquet, conference, and awards ceremony.

“We are excited to welcome our community to celebrate unity with us throughout ACE Spirit Week,” says ACE CEO Jordan Lee. “We are a team of educators dedicated to cultivating honest and open-minded community members. One of the greatest challenges educators face is helping students understand what it means to be human and express their talents and creativity in ways that honor humanity in others. We invite all members of our community to participate in the ACE Spirit Week Festival events as students of ACE University and experience what genuine love looks like through various expressions of art and culture from our diverse community members.”

ACE Spirit Week Festival brings together outstanding creators, visionaries, and professionals from various walks of life to share their knowledge, expertise, and experience through workshops, performances, entertainment events, networking opportunities, concerts, and more:

On April 25th, join us for an unforgettable community pep rally at Western Guilford High School to kick o the ACE Spirit Week Festival, featuring live performances, a 3v3 basketball tournament, a cheerleading exhibition, and a variety of fun activities for the whole family to enjoy!

On April 27th, the Community Theatre of Greensboro and ACOBE Fest will collaborate to showcase the beloved musical, The Wiz Jr., and celebrate Black excellence among the cast and crew at the Greensboro Cultural Center.

On April 28th, join the High School ACE Interns at the “Better Together Banquet” for a night of community building, interactive activities, inspiring stories, networking opportunities, and end the night with a dance at the Greensboro Cultural Center.

On April 29th, Creative Greensboro and ACOBE Fest team up for a one-day event that brings together community members from diverse backgrounds to learn, create, and celebrate the power of arts and culture through educational sessions, collaborative art-making, and youth-led activities at the Greensboro Cultural Center.

Finally, on May 2nd, don’t miss the ACE Excellence Awards held at UNCG Auditorium, where exceptional creators will be celebrated and awarded for their outstanding dedication and talent in a night of unforgettable performances, including the highly anticipated debut of the CHROMATICA music collective.

Thank you to our ACE Spirit Week Sponsors and Community Partners for their generous support of this community event: Creative Greensboro, Piedmont Blues Society, NC Folk Fest, Community Theatre of Greensboro, GCS Arts, Sofritos, NCCJ, GEAR UP, Western Guilford High School, UNCG School of Music, Penn-Griffin School for the Arts PTSO, Joy Squad, Little Big City, DOSE Art Collective, Music for A Great Space, Future GSO, The Poetry Cafe, and the list goes on!

Throughout Spirit Week we will be celebrating the excellence of various performance artists and creators such as: CHROMATICA, SoulTriii, William Nesmith, Waving at Pluto, Kay Marion, Shane Wheeler’s Unheard Presents, The O.Henry Jazz Trio, THE POINTE! Company & Technique Conservatory, Hillside High Marching Band, Reyna Alston, Marcus Young & Ragsdale High School, Riana Lené, Flower In Bloom, Rakeeb Wize, and many more.

Don’t miss this opportunity for us to unite and build a new community. Get your tickets and join us for an unforgettable week of love, unity, and celebration.

“We aim to transform fixed mindsets through the expression of kindness and the celebration of various cultures and perspectives.” - Jordan Lee & Devereaux Nash, ACE Co-Founders. !

WANNA go?

For more details on the events or to register, visit https://aceuniversity.org.

Weekly Arts Roundup

ASSOCIATED ARTISTS OF WINSTON-SALEM “SPRINGS” INTO THE ARTS

BY MARSHA MCNEELY HIERL

Trees are budding and flowers are blooming — picture perfect pastoral scenes just waiting to be captured on canvas or film. There’s something about spring that brings out the creativity in all of us. We discover beauty we want to hold onto and remember. Take the time to capture your favorite scenes. Spring into the arts with Associated Artists of Winston-Salem. You don’t have to be a professional artist to enjoy and create art. Everyone can experience creativity and beauty through art.

Associated Artists of Winston-Salem (AAWS) is truly “springing” into spring with multiple new shows in the City of Arts & Innovation. Currently hanging at the Masonic Center, 4537 Country Club Road until June 27 is “Travelog,” a show based on places to go and things to see. A special show in the Spine/Reynolds Galleries at Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Hospital will hang April 4 through June 2023, featuring 2-D and 3-D members’ works. At the Benton Convention Center, in the Salem Foyer on the main floor, a new exhibit runs April 25 until late August. SPLASH!, based on splashes of water or colors, opens April 24 in the Every Corner Gallery at Milton Rhodes Center and runs through May 13, 2023. North Trade Street Arts Center houses a monthly show in the AAWS New Members Gallery. Additionally, AAWS artists have rotating public shows in many local businesses, o ces and restaurants.

The Artist Spotlight, a yearly juried show, will hang in the Winston-Salem Arts Council’s Main Gallery at the Milton Rhodes Center from April 7 – May 13, 2023. An opening reception will be held Tuesday, April 11 from 5 – 7 pm and is free and open to the public. Nine AAWS artists have been invited to showcase a thematic collection of their work in the Spotlight show. They are Jo Robinson — 3-D acrylic sculpture, Michelle Harris — photography, Keets Taylor — acrylics, Johnny Oleska — assemblage, Kevin Owen — watercolor, Danielle Keever — watercolor, Irina Ushakova — oil, Jacques Tessier — oil, and Brandi Jacques — acrylic/mixed media.

AAWS is also providing “Lunch & Learn” lectures, artist demonstrations and classes, play dates for experimenting with and learning new techniques, and artist “meet-ups” to mix, mingle and share new ideas and provide support for emerging artists. All events are open to AAWS members, their guests, and the general public. Dates, topics and costs for these events may be found at www.associatedartists.org/aaws-calendar/ . The Associated Artists of Winston-Salem is a 501(c) (3) non-profit fine arts organization located in WinstonSalem, NC. Founded in 1956, the organization is comprised of artists and art supporters. Our mission is to support and celebrate visual artists, from the aspiring to the professional. We look forward to meeting you.

ARTS COUNCIL is the chief advocate of the arts and cultural sector in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County. Our goal is to serve as a leader in lifting up, creating awareness and providing support to grow and sustain artistic, cultural and creative o erings throughout our region We acknowledge that it takes every voice, every talent, and every story to make our community a great place to live, work, and play. Arts Council is committed to serving as a facilitator, organizer, and promoter of conversations that are authentic, inclusive, and forward-thinking. There are over 800,000 art experiences taking place in WinstonSalem and Forsyth County annually. To learn more about upcoming arts and culture events happening in our community please visit www.cityofthearts.com.