Newton, NC – The Catawba Valley Festival of the Arts is a weekend-long celebration of the creativity and talents of our visual, literary and performing artists and designers. Festival events begin Friday evening, April 23, 2021 and runs through Sunday, April 25th on the grounds of the 34-acre venue of Catawba Farms at 1670 SW Blvd., Newton, NC. The inaugural Festival is an exhibition of the works of artists, performers, educators, and creative stewards from area organizations.
The three-day Festival is anchored by academic institutions Catawba Valley Community College and Lenoir-Rhyne University who serve as vanguards of the arts for the Catawba Valley. Multiple local arts organizations are taking part in the Festival including the Hickory Museum of Art and the Hickory Ballet & Performing Arts.
The Festival includes:
• Choral and musical performances from CVCC, LRU and local musicians, including the launch of MelvinFest, a commemorative concert honoring Melvin Caldwell who passionately promoted local music during his life.
• Open mic sessions from the Carolina Writers Series of songwriters, poets, playwrights, and authors. • Visual arts exhibits, including photography, sculpture, ceramics, film, painting and other compositional artwork.
• Commercial, graphic arts and industrial design portfolio showcases.
• Theatrical performances, vignettes and dance from area performance stages and troupes. • Sensory experiences from area culinary and beverage production industry and trades.
• Art activities and performances for children.
The mission of The Catawba Valley Festival of the Arts is to celebrate our distinctive, diverse, creative voices as we tell a bigger story that speaks to the magic of the Catawba Valley. This project is supported by a grant from the United Arts Council of Catawba County.
