Upcoming Events

4th ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT TO BENEFIT THE ARTS COUNCIL OF THE TWIN COUNTIES!  

SATURDAY, MAY 11th at SKYLAND LAKES GOLF CLUB in FANCY GAP, VA

Cash prizes and Lunch await intrepid golfers at Skyland Lakes Golf Course in Fancy Gap, on Saturday, September 30th.  Nestled off the Blue Ridge Parkway with stunning mountain views, Skyland Lakes Golf Course offers area golfers 18 holes with rolling greens and balmy breezes.  The May 11th tournament is organized by Bob & Sharon Lewis, Sharon Burns & Sherry Tate as a benefit for The Arts & Cultural Council of the Twin Counties.

The tournament begins at 9:00am with Captain’s Choice.  The cost is $50/person ($200/team of four) and includes 18 holes of golf with a cart.  Options include Mulligan’s, Men’s Red Bomb and Ladies 150 Yard Bomb.  The Tournament prizes are sponsored by Skyland Lakes Golf Course and area businesses.  First Prize is $300, Second Prize is $200 and Third Prize is Four Rounds of Golf at Skyland Lakes Golf Course.  Also available for purchase are Mulligans, Men’s Red Bombs and Ladies’ 150 Yard Bombs.  A BBQ lunch with all the fixings (pay what you will/donation) will be served.  Skyland Lakes Golf Course is located at 49 Skyland Lakes Drive in Fancy Gap.  To register for the tournament or for more information, please contact Bob Lewis at 276-728-8072 or Sherry Tate at 276-728-4923.

WINTER CONCERT SERIES 2024

Keep your eyes open for upcoming concert dates at the Historic 1908 Courthouse in Independence!  As always, these concerts are on Sundays at 3pm with Admission by Donation.

WILD MOUNTAIN MAGIC featuring Sue Revels and Lee Bartley, February 4, 2024 at 3pm

The Arts Council is thrilled to present the amazing vocal stylings of Whitetop’s own Sue Revels and the piano magic of Lee Bartley for our opening concert of the season.  This 2-hour concert will feature an eclectic mix of American Standards, a little Broadway, and other surprises!  You won’t want to miss this delightful afternoon of heartwarming music!

MADELYN PEMBERTON – PIANIST, April 14th at 3pm

Local piano star, Madelyn “Mimi” Pemberton makes her debut with the Arts Council’s Winter Concert Series in April!  Having recently graduated from James Madison University and currently studying at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Mimi will give the Twin Counties a preview of her first-year, Graduate Recital.

ANDREW McKNIGHT – Americana & Folk Singer/Storyteller, May 5, 2024 at 3pm

Award-winning singer, songwriter, guitarist and storyteller Andrew McKnight’s solo performances are powerful and entertaining one-man theatre, delivered with the warmth and down-home comfort native to his northern Virginia Blue Ridge home. He weaves his finely-crafted songs and nimble flatpicking together with humorous stories and poetic drama, while the musical soundscape traverses influences from Appalachia, spooky slide and jazzy blues, feisty anthems, and rustic folk. His shows are as likely to include humorous songs written with kindergarteners as some of his powerful collaborations with combat veterans coping with PTSD.  McKnight brings dynamic elements to his show from his album and book Treasures in My Chest; a cast of spellbinding songs and stories drawn from his own recent journeys into family history. Accompanied by three guitars, a dobro, Native American flute and an African hand drum (some with their own remarkable stories), the stage comes alive with intimate detail and vibrant lyricism.

MISSOULA CHILDREN’S THEATRE

HERCULES!

2024 THEATRE CAMP – July 15 – 20 at the Rex Theatre

Is your child or grandchild a STAR just waiting to be discovered?  Well, Missoula Children’s Theatre Summer Camp is the perfect way to hone their talent.  Starting on Monday, July 15th, Missoula Children’s Theatre will bring their musical summer camp, HERCULES to the Rex Theatre in Galax for a week-long theatre camp for area youth, ages 6 to 18.  All area students are welcome to join the Arts Council for auditions on a Monday morning and then come see the show SIX DAYS LATER on the following Saturday. Student participant registration is $25/student and tickets to the Saturday, July 20th performance are $5 per person (please contact the Arts Council if financial assistance is needed).  Tickets will be available for purchase at The Rex Theatre Box Office starting at 2pm on the show date.  For more information regarding participation or tickets, please contact the Arts Council at 276-238-1217 or visit our website at www.artsculturalcouncil.org.

STORIES OF THE STITCH 2023 ~ RESCHEDULED DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER

NEW EVENT DATE IS:  SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16th from 11am to 3pm

  This year’s festivities will showcase a wide variety of disciplines within the world of traditional fiber arts. Live demonstrations include quilting, weaving, spinning, and felting along with celebrating the Matthews LHFM Heritage Day!  Admission to the day’s activities is free, though donations are gratefully accepted.  In addition to the celebrated judged Quilt Show, we’ll have local musicians, arts & craft vendors, food & drinks, and entertainment for the whole family. 

Admission to the day’s activities is free, though donations are gratefully accepted.  In addition to the celebrated judged Quilt Show, we’ll have local musicians, arts & craft vendors, food & drinks, and entertainment for the whole family.

Quilters are welcome to enter their creations the day of the event in the following categories: Hand-Pieced & Hand-Quilted, Half & Half (Hand & Machine Worked), Machine-Pieced & Machine-Quilted, Appliquéd (Hand or Machine), Foundation Paper Piecing, Other (art, clothing, pillows, etc.), Classic Quilts (created before 1940), Youth (for quilters under 20), Best Story or ‘Quilt Tale’, People’s Choice.  Quilts may be offered for sale. Quilts should not be mass-produced, manufactured or store-bought. We do ask that winning quilts from previous Stories of the Stitch shows not be entered.

Each quilt may be accompanied by a story or “quilt tale” (optional). The story should be pinned to the quilt front, but not reveal your name and should be typed if possible. Stories may be about the history of the quilt, the pattern, the personal significance of the quilt, the quilt-maker, or a tall tale. A ribbon will be awarded for the best story.

As a special incentive to dig-out your best quilt – or even Granny’s Best Quilt that you’ve stashed away in the old cedar chest, each quilt entered in the show will also be entered for a quilters’ bag stuffed with quilting notions and goodies.  Enter one quilt, get one chance.  Enter 12 quilts, get 12 chances to win this marvelous prize, donated by Ashley Jurney.

There is no limit on how many quilts a family may pre-enter, as long as there is a person to hang each quilt before 11:00am. Quilts must remain hanging until 3:00pm, weather permitting. Bring enough clothes pins to secure the quilt to the line and remember to pin your name to the back of each quilt.  Quilters are reminded that this is an outdoor event. The Arts Council & Matthews Farm are not responsible for damage by mother nature or her creatures. If rain is imminent the judging will conclude in the pavilion.

Directions to Stories of the Stitch/Matthews Farm from Galax: take US 58 West toward Independence. Turn left onto Meadow Creek Road (1/2 mile after the blinking light at W. Stuart Drive). Continue on Meadow Creek Road 1.5 miles & turn right onto White Pine Road. The Farm is .3 miles on your right.

The Arts & Cultural Council of the Twin Counties is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts throughout the Twin Counties.  The Arts Council is funded in part by area individuals and businesses, local municipalities, The Twin County Community Foundation, The Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.  For more information, please visit the Arts Council website, www.artsculturalcouncil.org or call the office at 276-238-1217.

2023 SOTS Entry Forms – Download your quilt entry forms here!

Empty Bowls 2024 returns in March 2024!  Join us for a meal of soup, rolls, and dessert at one or more of our Twin County locations, and choose a hand-made pottery bowl to take home with you!

We’ve been on hiatus, but we are thrilled to once again give back to the community that has supported the Arts Council since 1986.  We are especially grateful to Fiddler’s Restaurant for providing the soup for the Hillsville and Galax events.  We hope to see you at EMPTY BOWLS 2024!

EMPTY BOWLS 2024

Empty Bowls Galax – Wednesday, March 13, 2024 from 11am to 1:30pm
First Presbyterian Church of Galax/Warrick Hall, 200 West Center Street, Galax
Benefiting Galax Food-based Charities

Empty Bowls Hillsville ~  Wednesday, March 20, 2024 from 11am to 1:30pm
1st United Methodist Church, 225 Fulcher St., Hillsville
Benefiting Carroll County Ministerial Assoc. Food Pantry

Empty Bowls Independence ~  Saturday, March 23, 2024 from 1pm to 3pm
VFW Post 7726, 115 Klondike Road, Independence
Benefiting Food Independence

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: 

FIDDLER’S RESTAURANT, MOUNTAIN VIEW BAPTIST CHURCH OF INDEPENDENCE, and THE TWIN COUNTY SENIOR NETWORKING GROUP

SOUP & A BOWL, WATER & A ROLL

Marshaling the arts to feed more than just the soul

For information, please call The Arts Council at 276-238-1217

A GARDEN PARTY WITH A TWIST – August 21, 2022

UPDATE – August 19, 2022 – It is with great sadness that we must announce the cancellation of our 2022 Garden Party with a Twist which was scheduled for Sunday, August 21st at Dream Rock Silo and Suites in Independence, Virginia. Unfortunately, despite having performed my patented rain away dance last night, the forecast for Sunday is for 70% chance of rain & thunderstorms. We hope you understand and we look forward to seeing you at other Arts Council events throughout the year.

The spectacular “Garden Party With A Twist” returns to Dream Rock Silo & Suites in Independence on Sunday, August 21st (2pm – 4pm).  You are invited to an informal, country-chic garden party featuring the cool jazz of the Crooked Road Jazz Trio and delicious appetizers and sweet treats.  Guests will be able to tour the Dream Rock gardens throughout the afternoon and have the opportunity to take their chances on a fun raffle which includes jewelry, an art quilt, gift baskets and more. The afternoon is hosted by Rebecca Arrington, Linda Cooley, Boni Faith Haynes, Ashley Jurney, Brenda Lindsey, Katie Lipe, Carol Morris, and Ann Watson with the gracious support of Karen and Bill Simpson.  Karen and Bill are the owners Dream Rock Silo & Suites, an idyllic get-away located in the heart of Grayson County.  Tickets for the Arts Council’s “Garden Party with a Twist” are $20/person – gentlemen and ladies are both welcome!  To RSVP, please call The Arts Council at 276-238-1217.  Tickets may be purchased in advance via “The Box Office” on this website.  Cash, Checks and Credit Cards will also be accepted at the door.

**We ask that unvaccinated guests wear a face mask or shield.  Hand sanitizing stations will be available throughout the event space.