An Appalachian Summer
Festival starts Saturday
By Frank Ruggiero of Mountain Times
A High Country summer is considered one of the most pleasant in North Carolina.
Make it an Appalachian Summer, and it’s one of the most entertaining.
An Appalachian Summer Festival returns to Appalachian State University for its 25th season, starting Saturday, June 27, and running through July 25.
In recognition of its milestone year, the festival is featuring a variety of artists from summers past, along with some new to Boone but not the stage.
“What’s really great about this year is we’ve had a lot of fun paying tribute to the ’80s, bringing artists like Kenny Loggins and Melissa Manchester, and also people who haven’t been here before like Joan Baez,” said Megan Hayes, director of marketing and public relations for the ASU Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs.
“We’re also bringing back favorites like Pilobolus Dance Theater, Mike Cross and the Eastern Festival Orchestra, so we really have just a great mix of new and festival favorites.”
Highlights include Leahy (June 27); the Broyhill Chamber Ensemble Concert Series (June 28, July 1, 6, 15 and 20); the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra Pops (June 30); Melissa Manchester (July 2); “Dinner and a Show at Westglow” featuring Sophie B. Hawkins (July 5); Pilobolus Dance Theater (July 7); Buckwheat Zydeco (July 11); Eastern Festival Orchestra with Sarah Chang, violin (July 12) and Horatio Gutierrez, piano (July 19); Paul Taylor Dance (July 14); Paula Poundstone (July 17); Mike Cross (July 18); Triad Stage’s production of Oleanna (July 21 and 22); Joan Baez (July 23); and Kenny Loggins (July 25) to close out the season.
The 23rd annual Rosen Outdoor Sculpture Competition & Exhibition runs throughout the entire summer, with sculptures on display now through February 2010 throughout campus and the town of Boone. A juror-led sculpture walk will take place July 25, though maps for self-guided tours are available at the Turchin Center and Catherine J. Smith Gallery (in Farthing Auditorium).
The Halpert Biennial, a national, juried, two-dimensional art competition and exhibition program, will be celebrated July 3. Designed to recognize new works by emerging and established artists residing in the United States, the biennial will also feature a juror talk and high tea reception at the Turchin Center on July 19. These particular art exhibits are free of charge.
Starting June 29, An Appalachian Summer is going to the movies, with the DragonFly Theater & Pub joining the festivities with a screening of The Band’s Visit, which tells the story of an Egyptian police band stranded in Israel. On July 9, the DragonFly will screen The Underground Orchestra, a documentary of musicians playing on the sidewalks and in the subways of Paris, and on July 10, Farthing Auditorium hosts Patagonia’s Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival, featuring 11 short films “by activists for activists.”
Festival goers can also lunch and learn with a series of lectures held at the Turchin Center. This year’s lineup includes ASU music professor Dr. John Ross with “The Sounds of Summer” on July 1; Turchin Center staff with “Inside and Out: The Work of Gillian Christy” on July 8; Paul Taylor Dance Company general manager John Tomlinson with “Dancing Around the Subject” on July 15; and Triad Stage artistic director Preston Lane with “Stage Coach!” on July 22.
Though now a multi-faceted festival with acts that span the globe, An Appalachian Summer had modest beginnings. It started 25 years ago as a chamber music series courtesy of Arnold and Muriel Rosen, Florida residents with a second home in the High Country. With the help of Appalachian State and individual and corporate sponsors, the summer festivities grew into a full-fledged summer festival, featuring symphony performances, ballet, dance, theater, visual arts and film.
Chancellor Kenneth Peacock said in a press release, “Since 1984, An Appalachian Summer Festival has embraced a mission of enhancing the cultural life of North Carolina’s High Country by bringing the world’s most accomplished and respected artists to our university, while also supporting emerging artists, commissioning new works and offering educational opportunities that are accessible to all.”
The festival nets an average of 26,000 attendees, and organization is the picture of team effort, particularly when it comes to gathering talent.
“It’s a team effort,” Hayes said. “We have a team of artistic directors, all of them experts in their fields, and being able to draw on their expertise is invaluable, pulling together the best and brightest from around the world. They’re on the forefront of their fields.”
For more information on An Appalachian Summer Festival and a complete schedule, including times, visit www.appsummer.org on the Web.
