You've heard it before. You've probably even uttered the words yourself: "There is nothing to do in Durham." This assertion, according to Shelley Stonecipher of the Durham Arts Council, is one of the greatest misconceptions about the Bull City. "Durham has one of the largest numbers of arts organizations per capita of any city in this country," Stonecipher says. Whether one is a struggling artist looking for exposure or a student seeking diversion, Durham is ripe with opportunity.
Mention cinematic hubs and Durham is probably not the first city that comes to mind. However, Durham is more plugged in than one would expect. The Full Frame documentary film festival takes place here every spring, featuring international film screenings and panels with various filmmakers (the 2004 festival featured an appearance from the controversial Michael Moore).
Durham's high quality but lesser-known film offerings include Ms. Film Festival, which showcases "movies by independent women," the North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival and the Black Diaspora Film Festival.
The American Dance Festival, which takes place on Duke's campus each summer, features national and international performers and choreographers. Stonecipher also mentions many of Durham's home grown festivities, such as September's street arts festival CenterFest and November's Art Walk, which he says is "a Durham artists' open studio tour." Monthly artistic opportunities also abound; Durham's downtown Culture Crawl, for example, takes place at 7 p.m. on the third Friday of every month and features exhibitions by local artists. The Hayti Heritage Center, where programming focuses on African American culture and cross-cultural exchange, also offers plenty of opportunities for viewing art and performances.
Theater is intrinsic to Durham's artistic fabric. Durham Arts Council's PSI Theatre offers a venue for many local dramatists and performing artists, including the Bull City Players, the Children's Theatre, and Raleigh's Flying Machine. Manbites Dog Theater, which usually performs more provocative plays, is a local company with its own performing venue.
Several arts events will coincide with the beginning of Duke's fall semester. For those who arrive to campus early, the above-mentioned N.C. Gay and Lesbian Film Festival takes place from Aug. 12-15 at the Carolina Theatre, downtown's independent film and performing arts venue. The Durham Music Festival, which showcases an eclectic mix of Triangle musicians, will take place Aug. 20-21. For blues lovers, Carolina Theatre will feature the Appalachian bluegrass singer Doc Watson and Grammy-winning bluesman David Holt on August 27--just in time to whet the appetite for September's Bull Durham Blues Festival.
Getting involved with the local art community is as easy as visiting Durham Arts Council's website and signing up for information about upcoming auditions, grants and other opportunities. There are also plenty of opportunities to volunteer in the community and over 400 classes in which to participate.
Organizers of many of the aforementioned events encourage students to dive into the local arts scene as planners, volunteers or interns. "This [arts] community wants you... venture off-campus, take classes, see performances, utilize our facilities, donate, present your art, and volunteer," Stonecipher says.
For more information about Durham and the arts community, visit the Durham Arts Council at www.durhamarts.org, or the Hayti Center at www.hayti.org.
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