About Us

We're proud of our programming for children and adults in the schools and in adult care facilities, daycare centers, and holidays and for individual towns. Take a look at our cultural arts programs and services.  You may learn that the arts are alive in Union County!

Public Schools K-12 Arts in Education Programs

Students in the Union County Public Schools receive a variety of arts opportunities annually. Special emphasis is placed on curriculum- based programming that meets the NC Standard Course of Study and include drama productions, painting, pottery and creative hands-on learning, band clinics, music and choral support, creative writing and more.  Programs that expose students to diversity in the arts is a primary focus of our arts-in-education services.

Following is general information on cultural arts programs and services conducted in the Union County Public Schools in 2006-07:

Union County High Schools:

.  Union County Performance Ensemble - high school students annual musical performance of "Joseph and

  the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" held at Central Academy of Technology and Arts

.  Union County Student Art Competition - high school art competition for all 11-12th grade students

.  Union County Student Writing Competition - high school poetry and short story writing competition for all

   11-12th grade students

.  Special instruction in entering professional art shows

.  Very Special Arts Festival - festival dedicated to students with physical and emotional handicaps

.  Shakespeare Recitation Competition - recitation competition for all middle and high school literary art

   students

.  Union County Student Artist Showcase - countywide art show and competition for over 650 students,

   including high school art students  

Union County Middle Schools:

.  Tarradiddle Players production of "New Kid"

.  Newspaper in Education arts project - providing arts activities for the application of art concepts in the

   newspaper

.  Union County Student Artist Showcase - countywide art show and competition for over 650 students,

   including middle school art students

Union County Elementary Schools:

.  Tarradiddle Players production of "Ferdinand the Bull"

.  NC Touring Theater production of "Under the Sombrero"

.  Fred Ingold Memorial Music Festival

.  Bright Star Children's Theater production of "Aesop's Fables"

                                                Grants

To be considered for funding, a group or individual must operate in Union County and apply for funding for arts projects that impact Union County and increase public awareness of the arts. Evaluation criteria include organizational strength, financial stability, project merit and educational and community outreach.

Interested applicants are urged to contact the Union County Community Arts Council. The funding deadline is mid-summer of each year.

The Union County Community Arts Council has announced that 16 Union County artists, arts groups and school projects have received funding from the Council's Grassroots/Projects Pool Arts Grant program.  Funds have been made available to non-profit, tax-exempt organizations whose purpose is to promote and develop diverse cultural arts programming in Union County.

The board of directors voted on September 20, 2006 to approve the grant applications of the following arts projects:

Union Symphony Society                                The Union Chorale

Friends of the Union County Public Library    Union County Writer's Club

Union Academy                                                UCPS Performance Ensemble

Lake Park Christian Academy                         Wesley Chapel Elementary School

Very Special Arts Festival                               Benton Heights Elementary School

Piedmont Middle School                                   Union County Elementary Music Program

Sun Valley High School                                    Shakespeare Recitation Competition

Hemby Bridge Elementary School

Special Populations Arts Programs

Arts programs designed for Union County daycare children during the fall and spring months include the Tarradiddle Players' production of "Animal Tales" at the Batte Center, Wingate University on February 28 and March 1.  All Union County youth are invited to the performance.  Tickets - $5.00 children/adults.

Marianna Adelman, Union County youth harpist, will present a series of concerts in Union County senior care facilities in the spring of 2007.  Marianna is one of the youngest members of the Charlotte Youth Symphony Orchestra.  She has been playing the hap for seven years and, at twelve years of age, is considered an unusually gifted performer. 

Cooperative Partnerships

Businesses and non-profit agencies join with us to create arts awareness in our community, including public arts events, gallery exhibits, and community celebrations including Monroe's July 4th patriotic celebration. Business partnerships support economic development and have a significant impact on the quality of life for Union County residents.

Sponsorship opportunities are available for a number of arts programs throughout the year and bring significant exposure to businesses in Union County.

Artist Directory

Published each year, the Union County Artist's Directory is a resource directory intended for use as a tool in identifying individual artists and organizations capable of providing arts programs and services in Union County. The goals are to support the artists of Union County and to enlighten the public to the variety and quality of artwork being created by accomplished artists.

To be included in the next publication, contact the Union County Community Arts Council for a listing request.

Art Gallery

The Union County Community Arts Council is located in historic downtown Monroe. The beautiful rotunda gallery with stained glass and mirrors creates an ideal location for arts exhibits throughout the year. Famous North Carolina guest artists have exhibited in the gallery, including Bob Timberlake, Ben Long and Georgie Pocheptsov and traveling exhibits from the Mint Museum of Charlotte and the North Carolina Museum of Arts and Science. The gallery welcomes artists throughout the region.