From the Arts Council
Announcements
News, grants, programs, and updates from the Union County Community Arts Council.
America 250
·Celebrating Our America the Beautiful Contest Winners
On July 20, the Union County Board of Commissioners recognized the winners of "America the Beautiful," the county's America 250 student art contest presented in partnership with the Union County Community Arts Council.
Local K-12 students were invited to create original artwork inspired by what makes America beautiful to them — from natural landscapes and wildlife to patriotic symbols, landmarks, and favorite places across the country and Union County. The contest drew 50 submissions across three grade-level categories: K-3, 4-6, and 7-12.
The People's Choice winners were selected after more than 1,000 votes were cast by the community through the Engage Union County online platform. Congratulations to all of the talented young artists who took part — thank you for sharing your vision of America's beauty with our community!
Named Grant
·Barbara Faulk Educators Grant
I would like to take a moment to celebrate Barbara Faulk. Barbara was with the Arts Council for 35 years and served as Executive Director from 1991 until she retired in 2022. She was a force of nature, a champion of the arts, passionate about building this community.
She was like the salt and butter on the baked potato — full of flavor, turning something ordinary into something extraordinary. She understood that children are our future. Barbara had a passion for arts in education, for supporting classroom teachers, and for serving the under-served. Through her passion, support, and serving heart she made Union County a wonderful place to live and grow up.
For her legacy to be remembered for generations to come, I am proud to announce that we are honoring Barbara Faulk by creating the Barbara Faulk Educators Grant — so that her energy and love of life will continue always.
Announcement
·We're Moving to a New Home
The Union County Community Arts Council is thrilled to announce that we are moving to a beautiful new home at 300 North Hayne Street in Monroe, NC.
This new space will house artist studios, teaching spaces, a professional gallery, and a curated arts shop — giving our programs more room to grow and our community more opportunities to connect with the arts.
Founding memberships are now available at a special rate. As a Founding Member, you will be recognized as one of the original supporters who helped make our new home a reality. Your support directly helps us build a space where creativity can thrive for generations to come.
We invite you to be part of this exciting chapter. Join us in building something extraordinary for Union County.