Hannah Block Historic USO- Community Arts Center

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Hannah Block Historic USO- Community Arts Center

Welcome to Hannah Block Historic USO/Community Arts Center page. We are home of the 2nd Street Stage. Please check back in as we add all of our upcoming events, classes, and volunteer opportunities!

The Community Arts Center is located at 120 South Second Street in historic downtown Wilmington, NC. The facility includes five studios that are available to nonprofit organizations for rehearsals of plays, musicals, and recitals. Individuals may also apply to teach community outreach arts classes in the available studio space. Inquire today! The building is also home to the acclaimed Orange Stree

Operating as usual

11/24/2021

11/23/2021

Stop by after Thanksgiving to grab an Angel Card from our Angel Tree! All gifts go to Wilmington families in need.

Also, check out the White House ornament collection donated by one of our fabulous supporters!

11/16/2021

Don't miss Elizabeth Michaels as the woman who inspired us all! Tickets are on sale now at https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/8395087/rosie-the-riveteramerican-women-in-wwii-wilmington-hannah-block-historic-usocommunity-arts-centerthalian-assoc.

11/11/2021

11/09/2021

Museum Opens MacMillan Painting Exhibit on Veteran’s Day - Cape Fear Museum - Cape Fear Museum - North Carolina

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, N.C. — Cape Fear Museum of History and Science announces the opening of MacMillan: Artist as Soldier, a new exhibition featuring over 50 paintings and illustrations. The ... Read More »

11/08/2021

Our own Rosie the Riveter had a great time this past weekend in the Veterans Day parade! Do not miss your chance to see her live on stage Dec 12 on the 2nd Street Stage!

10/23/2021

These parents have been working hard all day to set up for the Ashley High School Dance tonight!

10/05/2021

Tonight at the CAC 7:00pm - FREE Concert! Get your ticket ahead of time.

FREE Tickets >> https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/7470164/usaf-heritage-of-america-band-wilmington-hannah-block-historic-usocommunity-arts-centerthalian-assoc

Join us for a free community event with The United States Air Force Heritage of America Band’s Heritage Brass, a pioneering symphonic brass ensemble. Bringing the military tradition of brass, percussion, and vocals to the concert stage, Heritage Brass presents programs that are both exhilarating and intimate

09/17/2021

ARTfall Show and Sale opens next weekend at the Community Arts Center!

It is with great sadness that we share this news. Peggy Farrell was a great friend of the Community Arts Center and a st...

08/31/2021

Emmy-winning Wilmington costumer Peggy Farrell, known for her attention to detail, dies

It is with great sadness that we share this news. Peggy Farrell was a great friend of the Community Arts Center and a studio is dedicated in her honor for her many contributions to the building and our community.

Farrell Emmy Awards for ABC miniseries “Holocaust” in 1978 and for “The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles,” which shot largely in Wilmington, in 1993.

08/19/2021

We can’t wait for Orange Street ArtsFest!! Mark your calendars for Labor Day Weekend for Wilmington’s best outdoor art show and sale!

Seeking Volunteers! Thalian Association Community Theatre is looking for enthusiastic people interested in volunteering ...

08/13/2021

Volunteer for Orange Street ArtsFest 2021

Seeking Volunteers! Thalian Association Community Theatre is looking for enthusiastic people interested in volunteering at the 25th Annual Orange Street ArtsFest. Volunteers will run the TACT information booths, assist with set-up and breakdown, deliver water to vendors, and collect raffle and donation money.
If that's you please let us know!

Sign Up >> https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409084DAEAD2FA0F94-volunteer6

Thalian Association Community Theatre is looking for enthusiastic people interested in volunteering at the 25th Annual Orange Street ArtsFest. Volunteers will run the TACT information booths, assist with set-up and breakdown, deliver water to vendors, and collect raffle and donation money. If that's...

08/12/2021

Auditions on Saturday August 14 from 11am-1pm.

07/12/2021

CALL FOR ARTISTS JULY 2021

HANNAH BLOCK HISTORIC USO/COMMUNITY ARTS CENTER SEEKS ARTIST SUBMISSIONS FOR THE 6th ANNUAL ARTFALL JURIED SHOW AND SALE

The Hannah Block Historic USO/Community Arts Center is seeking 2D and 3D artists for the 6th Annual ARTfall Juried Art Show and Sale to be held September 24 – October 2, 2021. ARTfall will be one of the events during American Craft Walk Wilmington, a celebration of visual and performing arts at various locations in downtown Wilmington culminating in the walk on September 25th.The ARTfall Exhibition can be viewed daily 10am - 5pm Mon. – Sat and the public is invited to attend the Artists Award Presentation and Reception Thurs. Sept. 23rd 6 – 8 pm in the lobby museum of the Historic USO Building. The deadline for applications and online registration is August 31, 2021.

UNCW professor Donald Furst will judge ARTfall for the first time. Professor Furst received the 1999 Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching, a Distinguished Teaching Professorship at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and the 1996 UNCW Board of Trustees Teaching Excellence Award. On the UNCW faculty since 1985, he has taught printmaking, drawing, and pastel and served as department chair 2002-2009. The artist has shown widely in national and international exhibitions, including the International Print Triennial, Krakow, Poland; Norwegian International Print Triennial; Sapporo International Print Biennial in Japan, the Macedonia International Print Triennial, and the British International Miniature Print Exhibition. Furst exhibited etchings in the invitational 12-artist show "Interiors" at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh in the fall of 2000. Collections include the Fogg Museum of Art, Harvard University; and the Nelson-Atkins Museum, Kansas City, Missouri. Awards will be presented for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, Honorable Mention, and People’s Choice with cash prizes totaling $425.00.

Only original artwork completed within the last two years will be considered for exhibition. Original artwork is the artist’s sole creation and is not, in whole or in part, a copy of any other person’s work or photograph. Preference is given to artists from the Lower Cape Fear region.

Application Guidelines

Exhibits will be September 24 – Oct. 2, 2021. Selections are made by a review panel.
The Review Panel will consider up to a maximum of 5 digital images. Images must be in a JPEG or TIFF format with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi not to exceed 1080 pixels in any one direction. Additional support material including resume, exhibit history, and artist’s website will aid in the selection process. Due to space limitations, we may not be able to hang or exhibit all accepted work, but all work will be juried.
Work must be suitable for viewing by the public. The participating artist must be the one who conceived of and executed the finished product. Photographically or commercially reproduced work is also acceptable. It must be limited editions, signed and numbered by the artist.

By submission of an application, the artist accepts all conditions set forth in this prospectus.

Artists who will not be dropping off their work in person are responsible for all costs associated with the shipping to and from the HBHUSO/CAC.

Applications must be received by August 31 with the JPG or TIFF artwork images.

Exhibition Guidelines

All two-dimensional works must be framed, or gallery wrapped and wired for hanging. Exposed edges and beck must be clean. The HBHUSO/CAC reserves the right to refuse the installation of items with faulty framing, wiring, or hanging devices. Glass clip frames or saw tooth hangers will not be accepted.

The three-dimensional category contains any art which must have length, width, and depth. High relief, pottery, sculpture, kinetic, and 3-D artworks created in metal, paper, wood, stone, fiber, plastics, glass, ceramics, found objects or any other material which can be used to create three-dimensional art.

Three-dimensional work must not require special installation or assembly and are limited to available pedestals. Jewelry will not be considered for exhibition.

At the time of installation, the artist is responsible for completing a consignment agreement with a member of the HBHUSO/CAC staff and provides a complete inventory of work.

The HBHUSO/CAC will collect 20% on all sales during the exhibition. Artists whose works are selected own the pieces until it is sold by the HBHUSO/CAC. All work will be handled with professional care.

The Hannah Block Historic USO/Community Arts Center, the City of Wilmington, and Thalian Association Community Theatre limit liability for damage of artwork from handling, viewing and exhibition use during the consignment period. The Hannah Block Historic USO/ Community Arts Center nor any of its subsidiaries are not responsible for damage or loss that occurs prior to, during or after expiration of the consignment period. Artist shall always maintain appropriate property and loss insurance coverage on any consigned items to protect Artist against damage or loss to such consigned goods.

All accepted artists may provide a black folding fabric bin and display up to 10 works. Artwork needs to be clean, properly backed (foam core or mat board), protected with shrink wrap or crystal bags, and labeled with title, artist name, medium and price. 4 X 6 inventory cards with title, price, artist name, email and phone number are required at delivery.

For more information or to download complete submission guidelines, application, and exhibition details, please visit our website www.wilmingtoncommunityarts.org or email Samantha Chappell, Community Arts Center Director at [email protected]. Complete details about American Craft Walk Wilmington can be found at
americancraftwalkwilmington.com.

The Hannah Block Historic USO/Community Arts Center is owned by the City of Wilmington and managed by Thalian Association Community Theatre. The Historic USO Building is a cultural treasure that has been the center of recreation and art for generations of local children. Today the HBHUSO/CAC continues to be the home for children, art and recreation while serving as a mini museum of the Wilmington and New Hanover County WWII home front. For more information, please visit
www.wilmingtoncommunityarts.org.

https://www.starnewsonline.com/story/lifestyle/2021/07/11/hannah-block-historic-uso-seeks-submissions-its-juried-art-show/7876123002/

Address

120 S 2nd St
Wilmington, NC
28401

Opening Hours

Tuesday	9am - 9pm
Wednesday	9am - 9pm
Thursday	9am - 9pm
Friday	9am - 5pm
Saturday	9am - 1pm

Telephone

(910) 341-7860

Website

http://wilmingtoncommunityarts.org

Products

Event Space, Classroom Space, Studio Space, Performance Space, Free Meeting Space for Non-Profits, Summer Camps, Theatrical Productions

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Videos

It’s the start of 2020 Azalea Festival week! 🌺🌺 We can’t wait to share the 2020 Youth Art Contest later in the week!

Check it out! Tomorrow we become the first stop on the world renowned Pierre Bensusan’s 100 city tour! Show times at 3pm and 7:30pm, featuring dances by Forward Motion Dance. Grab your tickets online or by calling 910-251-1788

Dancing tonight with the Cape Fear Swing Dance Society and the Mint Julep Jazz Band from Durham, NC! Swing Dance w/ Mint Julep Jazz Band

The talented Susan Savia performing "On the Sunny Side of the Street" at our Annual Pearl Harbor Commemoration!

Comments

What’s next in the Wilmington Art World? We have Art in Bloom LLC reception Sept 18th, 5-8 pm at their Mayfaire Town Center location. Next on September 24th it’s 4th Friday in downtown Wilmington and the start of #artfall2021 at Hannah Block Historic USO- Community Arts Center Then on Saturday the 25th we have the American Craft Walk Wilmington NC.

Coming soon to Hannah Block Historic USO- Community Arts Center is the Orange Street ArtsFest.

Playingod Films & Techmoja Present "WHAT THE RIVER KNOWS", the 1898-Inspired Stage Play! will hold OPEN-CALL AUDITIONS, 16-17 August, with CALL-BACKS on 18-19 August, Hannah Block Historic USO- Community Arts Center, 6p-9p. Written by Alicia Inshira-Du and directed by Kevin L. Green, the two-act drama will be performed at Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts, Inc.'s main stage, 4-6 November 2021, 7:30p; and 7 November, 3p. A large cast of individual and doubling roles are specifically available for 11 black females, ages early teen-60s; 7 white females, ages teens-60s; 11 black males, ages 8-60s; 11 white males, ages 10-60s; 3 bi-racial males & females, ages 8-40s. All ethnicities are encouraged to audition. Please bring a head shot and resume. Sides for suitable roles will be available for review before auditioning. PLAY DESCRIPTION: Intergenerational story of romance, murder, ghosts, greed, jealousy, and racial strife set against a backdrop of the Wilmington massacre of 1898. Please send an FB message to Techmoja Dance and Theater Company or email [email protected] for more information.

Celebrate July 4th with Thalian Association Community Theatre at the Hannah Block Historic USO- Community Arts Center open house! The public is invited to join between 1:00–6:00 pm when staff will be in 1940’s era costumes, serving free coffee, doughnuts and croissants courtesy of Burney’s Sweets & More! A documentary celebrating the USO building will be showing all afternoon, and the Community Arts Center Choir will perform at 2 and 4 pm.

Six new original films, all shot earlier this year in Wilmington, with local directors and performers. Streaming through June 13! Check out the trailer and then register for FREE here: https://port-city-shorts.eventbrite.com

The Hannah Block Historic USO- Community Arts Center has been an important part of downtown Wilmington for nearly 80 years.

Hannah Block Historic USO- Community Arts Center in Wilmington will open at 9 a.m. Monday, June 1.

Don't miss this - tomorrow only - two shows - at Hannah Block Historic USO- Community Arts Center in #WilmingtonDowntown. #BringIt #liveworkplay #ILMmusic #WilmingtonNC

BIG thanks to StarNews for a second feature on Pierre, this time in their "5 things to do during a festival-filled Wilmington weekend" "A film fest, a beer fest, a barbecue fest and two world-class musicians are among the weekend options March 6-8 in Wilmington and Brunswick County. By John Staton | StarNews Staff Saturday: Pierre Bensusan & Forward Motion Dance: Renowned French-Algerian guitarist Pierre Bensusan Bensusan kicks off his 100-date North American tour with two concerts in Wilmington. It’s going to be a special occasion. Not only will Bensusan be playing in support of his new album, “Azwan,” but on three songs he will be accompanied by performances from Wilmington’s Forward Motion Dance troupe as choreographed by Tracey Varga. Varga has staged work set to Bensusan’s music in the past, including a piece danced to “Falafel a Montsegur” from his 2005 album “Altiplanos.” It was performed at Wilmington’s Thalian Hall in 2019 for the Arts in Motion showcase. Details for this Saturday March 7's concerts: 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at Hannah Block Historic USO- Community Arts Center, 120 S. Second St., Wilmington. $21 in advance, $25 day of show,. 910-341-7860 or PierreBensusan.com [Photo in article by CHRISTIAN TAILLEMITE]"

Beautiful at the beach today.....it's always a great place to do a photo shoot. I have 2 stack ring classes this month...March 17 & 21 Hannah Block Historic USO- Community Arts Center. Springtime is less than 3 weeks away!!!

Enjoy this terrific feature article below about France guitar master Pierre Bensusan's 1st TWO concerts on his 2020 North American CD Release tour, SAT MAR 7th 3pm & 7:30pm in Wilmington NC - thanks to John Staton, arts editor at StarNews & be sure to order your Tickets at https://www.etix.com/ticket/e/1012160/pierre-bensusan-wilmington-hannah-block-historic-usocommunity-arts-centerthalian-assoc : "MUSIC IN MOTION: Guitarist PIERRE BENSUSAN teams with Forward Motion Dance CO: "The acclaimed French-Algerian guitarist kicks off a 100-date tour in Wilmington with two shows on March 7. An upcoming Wilmington concert by the renowned French-Algerian guitarist Pierre Bensusan has been a long time coming. Ten years, in fact. So, when Bensusan kicks off his 100-date North American tour with two concerts on Saturday, March 7, at the Hannah Block Historic USO- Community Arts Center in Downtown Wilmington, it’s going to be a special occasion. Not only will Bensusan be playing in support of his new album, “Azwan,” but on three songs he will accompanied by performances from Wilmington’s Forward Motion Dance troupe as choreographed by Tracey Varga. Varga first saw Bensusan perform at his last Wilmington show, a decade ago at City Stage, now known as the North Front Theatre. She had just formed Forward Motion Dance and had, then as always, choreography on the brain. Entranced by Bensusan’s intricate, precise and flowing finger-picked guitar stylings, she approached him after the concert and asked if he’d be interested in collaborating with her by providing the musical soundtrack to her choreographed pieces. They stayed in touch, and the long-simmering project is finally coming to fruition. Varga has staged work set to Bensusan’s music in the past, including a piece danced to “Falafel a Montsegur” from his 2005 album “Altiplanos.” It was performed at Wilmington’s Thalian Hall in 2019 for the Arts in Motion showcase. Forward Motion will reprise that dance on Saturday, when Varga’s choreography will be blended with Bensusan’s music performed live on stage for the first time. “It’s always a challenge with live musicians,” Varga said, mainly because dancers rehearse to a recorded track and any variances can throw them off. But the company will get a chance to rehearse with Bensusan on Friday, she said, to head off any potential issues. The other two dances at Saturday’s concerts will be premieres. One is set to “Feel it So” from Bensusan’s 2009 album “A La Carte,” and the other is to “So Long Michael” from 2001′s “Intuite.” Bensusan actually had a hand in the choreography to “So Long Michael,” Varga said. “Pierre wanted me to choreograph a trio,” she said, and he asked that the dancers “pick someone in your life you’ve lost -- maybe they’re dead, or maybe you’re just no longer friends -- and bring that to it.” In the performance, three solos expressing the feeling of loss as interpreted by dancers Nicole Dalier, Susan Turner and McCall White will gradually come together. The majority of Saturday’s performance, Varga said, will consist of Bensusan’s solo work. Born in Oran in the former French colony of Algeria in 1957, Bensusan grew up in Paris and went on to become an artist some regard as one of the best guitarists in the world, blending classical, jazz, folk, pop, world music styles and more. He is a composer and vocalist as well." cc Wilmington Downtown, Inc. (WDI) Bring It Downtown Wilmington

Cape Fear friends / ami(e)s: On SAT MARCH 7th, all the way from France, Celebrated World Music Fingerstyle Guitarist Pierre Bensusan Kicks Off His North American CD Release Tour with 2 Concerts (@3pm & 7:30pm) at Hannah Block Historic USO- Community Arts Center in Wilmington, North Carolina! He is excited to feature special guests and concert sponsors The Forward Motion Dance Co performing with him on a number of songs! This will be a beautiful experience for audiences. Learn all about it, his new CD "Azwan" & Order your Tickets from the link in the article below. Many thanks to BroadwayWorld's Raleigh North Carolina Bureau for the feature. His "manner" of playing defies classification - crossing world, classical, jazz, traditional, folk, pop and more. None can be isolated as simply "World Music", "Celtic", "Arabic" or "French"; rather, they represent Pierre's genuine vocabulary and the best part of our world in its current state, a world sharing itself. Not to be missed! https://www.broadwayworld.com/raleigh/article/Guitarist-Pierre-Bensusan-Kicks-Off-North-American-CD-Release-Tour-in-Wilmington-20200221 cc North Carolina Jazz Festival, Celtic Music of Wilmington NC Wilmington NC Music Calendar Alliance Française de Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Guitar Pickers Music of Wilmington Visit Wilmington, NC and Beaches The Music Loft of Wilmington Finkelsteins Music Co Yellow Dog Discs Gravity Records Alliance Francaise de Charlotte