The National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) The NCTA is the nation’s oldest multicultural arts presenting organization. For over eight decades, through festivals, tours, symposia, exhibits, and media productions, the NCTA has showcased the very best of the myriad grassroots folk, tribal and ethnic cultures that comprise our diverse nation.
Greensboro, N.C., May 20, 2015 — The National Folk Festival announced today that PNC Bank will sponsor the North Carolina Arts Marketplace at the 2015 Festival, which will feature 300 artists on seven stages over three days in downtown Greensboro from September 11 – 13, 2015. The Festival is FREE; no tickets are necessary.
Located on the streets around Center City Park, the North Carolina Arts Marketplace will showcase the juried, handmade creations of dozens of the finest artists and craftspeople from North Carolina and the region.
Making the announcement today at Greensboro’s Center City Park were David Leppert, Relationship Manager and VP – PNC Wealth Management; Florence Gatten, Board Chair – ArtsGreensboro; Tom Philion, President and CEO – ArtsGreensboro; Julia Olin, Executive Director – National Council for the Traditional Arts; and Greensboro City Council Member-At-Large Marikay Abuzuaiter.
“It’s my great honor to announce that PNC—one of our nation’s largest diversified financial services organizations—is making a major commitment to the 2015 National Folk Festival,” said Philion. “With this investment in the North Carolina Arts Marketplace, PNC is not only giving dozens of regional artists and craftspeople the chance to display their handmade artwork, but also providing tens of thousands of people the opportunity to enjoy and purchase a variety of art during the Festival.”
“At PNC, we focus on strengthening and enriching the lives of our neighbors in the communities where we do business,” said David Leppert. “We see our sponsorship of the Arts Marketplace at the National Folk Festival doing just that—strengthening the city of Greensboro and state of North Carolina, and enriching the lives of people who exhibit in or shop at the Marketplace. We’re proud to be part of this important event.”
Following the announcement of PNC’s sponsorship, Julia Olin, Executive Director – National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA), which awarded the National Folk Festival to Greensboro and is co-producing it with ArtsGreensboro, announced that artists may now submit applications to exhibit in the North Carolina Arts Marketplace.
“The North Carolina Arts Marketplace will add a special dimension to the National Folk Festival experience,” said Olin. “We’re especially excited about the incredible richness and variety of the arts and crafts communities in and around North Carolina—from pottery to textiles, from basket-making to watercolors, from jewelry to instrument-making, and everything in between. We expect a record number of applications for the Marketplace as well as truly unique opportunities for festival-goers to take home hand-crafted mementos from the Festival.”
Applications for the Arts Marketplace are available at nationalfolkfestival.com/marketplace or by e-mailing info@nationalfolkfestival.com. Applications must be postmarked by June 12, 2015.
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About PNC: PNC Bank is a member of the PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). PNC is one of the United States’ largest diversified financial services organizations providing retail and business banking; residential mortgage banking; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. pnc.com
About the 2015 National Folk Festival: Co-produced by the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) and ArtsGreensboro, the National Folk Festival is beginning its three-year residency in downtown Greensboro this year, when it will celebrate its 75th anniversary from September 11 – 13, 2015. The FREE, three-day event is America’s longest-running festival of traditional arts; it will highlight both long-standing traditions and the heritage and culture of North Carolina’s newest immigrant groups, and set the stage for a continuing and permanent North Carolina Folk Festival, beginning in 2018, after the “National” moves on.
With downtown Greensboro as the backdrop, audiences will enjoy seven stages featuring continuous musical entertainment—from rockabilly to old-time to mariachi, and from funk to Cajun to jazz. Attendees will also be able to dance non-stop to a variety of musical genres at the dance pavilion; dine on regional and ethnic foods; experience folk art demonstrations and performances by N.C. artists; and share the fun of the Family Activities Area with their children. nationalfolkfestival.com
About the National Folk Festival: Since it was first presented in St. Louis in 1934, the National Folk Festival has celebrated the roots, richness, and variety of American culture. Championed in its early years by Eleanor Roosevelt, it was the first event of national stature to present the arts of many nations, races, and languages on equal footing. It was also the first to present to the public musical forms such as the blues, Cajun music, polka bands, Tex-Mex conjunto, Peking Opera, and many others. An exuberant traveling festival that embraces the diverse cultural expressions of the American people in the 21st century, the National Folk Festival is FREE to the public, and is produced by the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) in partnership with communities around the country.
About the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA): The National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) is one of the nation’s premier non-profit cultural organizations dedicated to the presentation and documentation of folk, tribal, and ethnic arts in the United States. Founded in 1933, it is the nation’s oldest producing and presenting organization with such a focus. Its programs celebrate and honor deeply rooted cultural expressions—music, crafts, stories, and dance passed on through time by families and communities as well as by tribal, ethnic, and occupational groups. The NCTA stresses excellence and authenticity in presenting artists to the public in festivals, tours, concerts, media programs, exhibitions, recordings, and other activities, and works in partnership with communities across America to establish new, sustainable traditional arts events that bring lasting social, cultural, and economic benefits. ncta-usa.org
About ArtsGreensboro: With an annual budget of over $2.9 million, ArtsGreensboro is a catalyst for innovation to build recognition and support for the arts. Through the 17DAYS Arts & Culture Festival, I HEART ARTS Month, power2give, and other initiatives such as the National Folk Festival, ArtsGreensboro is driving the health and vitality of our community by supporting arts education, celebrating the diversity of Greensboro, and driving economic impact through excellence in arts programming. www.artsgreensboro.org
