Did you know the City of Gastonia has a new Arts Committee?
The City of Gastonia Arts Committee is working to support artist growth and expression in our City. The committee is working to advance both visual and performing arts in our community for everyone to participate in and enjoy the arts and experience all they have to offer.
Our goals are to ...
- Increase public art throughout the City.
- Provide educational and cultural arts opportunities to citizens.
- Help our civic non-profit arts organizations through small grants.
- Attract more economic dollars and opportunities through arts events.
Explore public art throughout our beautiful city
CALL FOR LOCAL ARTISTS
Rotary Public Art Project Call for Artists
Projects Funded in 2024/2025 Fiscal Year
Grants
-
Allocated Over $34,000 in Grants: Provided financial support to local arts non-profits to enhance and expand their arts programming, helping to strengthen the cultural vitality of the community.
Community Engagement
-
Enhanced Arts Presence at Local Events: Funded art engagement activities at key community events including the Fall Festival, Christmas in the City, Gaston MAX, and Beetopia, increasing public access to the arts.
-
Supported Youth Creativity: Sponsored a student art show, offering young artists a platform to showcase their talents and engage with the community through visual arts.
Public Art
- Funded Two Temporary Public Art Installations: These leased installations, on display for one year, enrich Gastonia’s cultural landscape and provide dynamic, seasonal artistic expression throughout the community.
- Permanent Public Art at Rankin Lake: A new, permanent artwork will be installed at Rankin Lake, contributing to the area's natural beauty and offering a lasting cultural landmark for residents and visitors.
- Rotating Public Art Showcase at the Rotary Pavilion: Scheduled for installation later this summer, this initiative will feature a series of changing art exhibits. It aims to enhance the visual appeal of downtown Gastonia while providing ongoing opportunities to highlight the talent and creativity of local artists.
Funded through the Arts Committee for a year-long lease and located at Walker E. Reid III Park (1001 S. Marietta Street, Gastonia)
Celestial Serenade was created by Lawrence Feir in 2024. It weighs approximately 250 lbs.
Lawrence Feir is of Canadian origin and currently lives in Greensboro, NC. He attended Parsons School of Design in New York and UMASS, Amherst, where he studied painting, drawing, jewelry design, and photography. Lawrence enjoyed an earlier career in aerospace photography and became the chief photographer for Airways International magazine, traveling the world to photograph large commercial jets. Since 2011, he has concentrated in welded steel creating copper and stainless kinetic sculptures as well as figurative works.
Earth Water Fire Wind
Funded through the Arts Committee for a year-long lease, Earth Water Wind Fire #2 was created in 2017 by Hanna Jubran. It weighs a total of 2300 lbs.
Hanna Jubran received his M.F.A. in Sculpture from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and is currently a Sculpture Professor at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. Hanna’s work addresses the concepts of time, movement, balance and space.
Hanna regularly participates in International art shows, competitions and symposiums. Some of his most recent activities are: The creation of “A Monument to a Century of Flight” in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina; The International Sculpture Biennale, Chaco, Argentina; The Elements of the Earth Symposium at Pedvale Sculpture Park, Sabile, Latvia, The International Wood carving Symposium, St. Blasien, Germany; The International Sculpture Symposium in Pirkkala, Finland; Tultepec, Mexico Monumental Sculpture Symposium; The international sculpture symposiums in: Jish, Israel; Ma’llot, Israel; Cayo Largo, Cuba; Granby, Canada; Kemijarvi, Finland; The international Sculpture Symposium and Conference in Europas Parkas, Vilnius, Lithuania and The Toyamura International Sculpture Biennial at Toyamura Japan-where he received semi-grand prize.
2024/2025 Grant Applications - Applications closed in September 2024
We welcome arts organizations with 501(c)(3) status to apply for an arts grant. An organization with 501(c)(3) status under the United State Internal Revenue Code is one which maintains a permanent office, practice/performance space, or physical address within the municipal boundaries of the City of Gastonia. North Carolina General Statute Section160A-488 refers to “arts” to include the performing arts, visual arts, and literary arts and includes dance, drama, music, painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, crafts, photography, film, video, architecture, design, and literature, when part of a performing, visual or literary arts program.
Become a Friend of the Arts Committee
Would you like to receive information and announcements from the Arts Committee? Contact Candice Owenby at Candice.Owenby@gastonianc.gov
Check back to see what's coming up and how we are highlighting great arts projects in the City of Gastonia.
Thank you for supporting the arts in Gastonia!
