Author: Andie Freeman
In honor of Black History Month, we took a trip in the N.C. Arts Council time machine to revisit some of the artists we have featured in the past. These remarkable artists excel in their craft and have shaped the state’s artistic heritage. Let's reconnect with these visionaries.
Beverly McIver
In 2017, Sandra Davidson interviewed Beverly McIver. McIver reflected on her start in the arts, her body of work, and how the support and encouragement she has received has made an impact on her career. Today, she continues to break new ground.
"So much has happened since 2018, both personally and professionally,” McIver said recently. “As you know, my artwork is very much the story of my life, so the paintings have reflected this change. In 2021, the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art presented a survey exhibition of the last 25 years of my artwork. Titled Full Circle, the exhibit was curated by my friend and long-time colleague, Kim Boganey. The exhibit subsequently traveled to the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, in Winston-Salem, and to the Gibbes Museum, in Charleston, South Carolina. Accompanying the exhibit was a catalog produced by the University of California Press, with articles by Duke University's Richard Powell and by Michele Wallace, the daughter of the artist and writer Faith Ringgold.
“I'm now represented exclusively by New York's distinguished Berry Campbell Gallery, where my solo exhibit of recent work was shown last October. Most recently, I was inducted into New York's National Academy of Design. I was a featured artist for People for the American Way's "Artists for Democracy" campaign, creating artwork to encourage voting in the 2024 presidential election, including my VOTE! mural in Raleigh.”
McIver continued, “I'm currently writing Beverly McIver: Stories of an African American Painter Raised in the South, which Lived Places Publishing will produce. In the book, I’m combining my personal experiences with professional development advice for those wanting to understand the competitive world of art.
“The last seven years have been a whirlwind of activity, and I am grateful that the North Carolina Arts Council provided the seeds that allowed me to grow as an artist."
The Allen Boys
Until recently, The Allen Boys were North Carolina's only touring sacred steel band. These brothers and cousins from Mt. Airy carry forward the musical traditions of the House of God Pentecostal Church across the nation with spirit and soul. We learned more about them through an interview in 2022. Since then, members of the band have stayed busy. Bassist Mitchel Fonville recently received an Artist Support grant recommended by Surry County Arts Council to help him buy essential equipment for his performances. We asked Mitchel to give us a short update on the band. “We are still going strong, and we also have a few solo projects now. You know how it goes, life keeps lifin’. DaShawn, the pedal steel player, has produced an album: ‘DaShawn Hickman Presents Sacred Steel.’ Cam Moore, the guitarist, is on tour with a few different artists. Ranzy Moore, the drummer, is pretty heavy in the wedding band circuit. Then there’s me, with the Mitchel Fonville Project, which features other steel players in the sacred steel genre. We still come together to keep the fire burning for sacred steel music.” The Allen Boys were invited to participate in the Fine Tuned program, an initiative through the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina. This opportunity paired them in a collaboration with the guitarist, fiddler, banjo player, bass player, and singer-songwriter Kelley Breiding to perform in the Music in the Mountains series and appear on the “Fine Tuned: Volume One” album. Check out this video of the Allen Boys performing at Music in the Mountains in 2023.
Sidney Outlaw
The Music at the Mansion series showcased baritone Sidney Outlaw and pianist Warren Jones in an unforgettable 2019 performance at the North Carolina Executive Mansion. Watch their extraordinary collaboration, featured on our blog. Since that performance, Outlaw has been making waves in the operatic world, recently captivating audiences as the title character in Le Nozze di Figaro with Pensacola Opera. He also delivered a stunning performance as Don Giovanni with Boston Baroque and Greensboro Opera, which showcased his exceptional talent. Recently, Outlaw told us what’s to come: "I am excited to release a new album on March 28 with Warren Jones, featuring a new art song cycle by Dr. B. E. Boykin. Sharing knowledge is important to me, so I'm also conducting master classes, voice lessons, and research at prestigious institutions like the Manhattan School of Music, Columbia University, and the conservatory at Brooklyn College."
Chuck Davis
Chuck Davis left an indelible mark as a dance pioneer, N.C. Art Council board member, and founder of the African American Dance Ensemble. Although he died in 2017, his legacy lives on through his teachings and choreography, which promoted peace and healing. Discover his story through our profile and Arts Across N.C. podcast interview.
Alexis Pauline Gumbs
Receiving a national honor in your chosen medium is an aspiration of many artists. In 2022, the North Carolina Arts Council was delighted to have a moment with Alexis Pauline Gumbs to discuss the book she was writing about the poet Audre Lord, for which she had just been awarded a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. Recently, Gumbs brought us up to date. “I am happy to report that last fall, Farrar, Straus & Giroux published the biography I was working on— Survival is a Promise: The Eternal Life of Audre Lorde—and so far, it has been well received,” she said. The trade magazine Publishers Weekly named her book a Top Ten Book of the Year, and both Time Magazine and the New York Public Library System named it a Must-Read Book of the Year. It was also longlisted for the Carnegie Medal.
Elizabeth “Libba” Cotten
Elizabeth “Libba” Cotten is a legend whose contribution to music still resonates, 132 years after her birth. She developed a unique style of guitar playing known worldwide as “Cotten picking” and wrote her first song when she was a teen. The N.C. Arts Council’s profile of her was in honor of her posthumous induction into the North Carolina Hall of Fame, in 2019. Learn more about Elizabeth Cotten: Making Music History: Meet Elizabeth Cotten, 2019 N.C. Music Hall Of Fame Inductee.