The month of October is National Arts and Humanities Month. It was established over 30 years ago by the Americans for the Arts organization. The celebration was initially a weeklong event and was established to honor the National Endowment of the Arts. 

In 1993, with the help of National Arts Partners, the Americans for the Arts organization reestablished the purpose of the celebration to last the entire month. The new goals for National Arts and Humanities month included:

• Focusing on equitable access to the arts at all levels (local, state, and national).
• Encouraging the participation of arts among individuals, organizations, and diverse communities.
• Allowing businesses and governments to show their support for the arts. 
• Raising awareness about the role arts and humanities play in society. 

Here in Greensboro, there are several ways to become involved in the arts throughout the month in October. Check out the list below for ways you can get involved:

1. Learn about ArtsGreensboro and Creative Greensboro 

ArtsGreensboro is an organization that focuses on creating awareness and promoting the arts throughout Greensboro. The organization hosts several events throughout the year to highlight and appreciate visual and performing arts.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, ArtsGreensboro has made a tremendous effort to keep the arts alive. Partnering with Creative Greensboro, ArtsGreensboro introduced art and creativity to the community via a curated “Greensboro at Home” Arts and Creativity Guide. 

They have also been participating in the North Carolina Artist Support Grant program, where North Carolina artists of all disciplines can apply for grants to support their professional and artistic development. The deadline to apply has been recently extended to Oct. 15 at 11:59 pm via their website.

To learn more about the organization, the artist grant and upcoming events, visit artsgreensboro.org.  

2. Creative Greensboro

Creative Greensboro is the city’s office of arts and culture. Their purpose is to provide support for Greensboro’s creative community by boosting local arts and cultural community-based strategies. 

Creative Greensboro provides several opportunities to explore creativity such as attending private acting lessons, joining a playwrights forum, attending music concerts and so much more.

The organization also created the Street Mural program, where local artists contribute street art pieces to be installed for various purposes. The “Black Lives Matter,” “Say it Loud” and “One Love” street murals from the Black Lives Matter protests this summer resulted from the Street Mural program. 

During October, The Greensboro Playwrights’ Forum from Creative Greensboro is co-producing ten 10-minute radio plays by NC playwrights for the NC Radio Play Festival. The festival is throughout the whole month, and the theme for this year’s festival is Halloween – as every script has elements of horror, gore or supernatural.

For more information about Creative Greensboro visit their website or follow them on Facebook at Creative Greensboro. 

3. Explore the city’s art galleries and exhibits

Galleries often form the backbone of the art world, as they feature an array of artwork from artists to tell a specific story. There are many infamous art galleries around the world that everyone should visit once in their lifetime, but they should also pay a visit to their local art galleries and exhibits as well.

There is a variety of art exhibits available to the public here in Greensboro. From the University galleries like H.C. Taylor Gallery exhibit on N.C. A&T’s campus or the contemporary art exhibits at Weatherspoon Art Museum at UNCG to public exhibits like the new Pieces of Now art exhibit at the Greensboro History Museum, there are so many local spaces that share the creative work of the community.

A few more of the art galleries in Greensboro include the Guilford College art gallery, Kotis Street Art Outdoor Gallery, Elsewhere Museum art gallery, Greensboro Project Space gallery, and VCM Studio art gallery on S. Elm Street.

4. Volunteer at Green Hill’s Art Studio

Green Hill Art Gallery is an artistic space that displays the work of North Carolina artists. Founded Oct. 7, 1974, their purpose and mission have been to promote and celebrate North Carolina art and culture. 

Since the pandemic, Green Hill has also incorporated an online gallery to explore the arts from a new perspective. The virtual gallery displays the work of artists from all over the state. There are opportunities for families to get involved through Green Hill’s virtual studio. The virtual studio includes a theme based curriculum that allows children from Pre-K to Fifth grade to explore and understand the artistic world.  

The gallery has several volunteer opportunities that vary in skills and ability. The positions include: education, curatorial, special events and marketing. 

To sign up and volunteer with Green Hill, visit www.greenhillnc.org for more information. 

5. Attend performances at the Carolina Theatre

The Carolina Theatre is the original performing arts center in downtown Greensboro. The theatre opens its doors to thousands of guests each year to experience and enjoys the beauty of local arts and culture. 

Although the Carolina Theatre is currently closed to the public, there are still very few shows still planned to take place in person. All visitors are asked to follow the COVID guidelines to ensure a safe and enjoyable performance. 

The Carolina Theatre is hosting a virtual Ghostlight Concert series, where there will be various live performance concerts that can be viewed online for a safe concert going experience. There are 25 seats available to the public for social distancing purposes. 

Visit the Carolina Theatre for more details on the Ghostlight Concert series and future events.

The arts are a very important part of society and a necessary aspect of our everyday lives. If you have a love and passion for art, or simply just want to know more on the subject, be sure to get out and support the arts and check out the different opportunities in the Greensboro community throughout the month of October.