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Valley River Arts Guild, Inc.
Murphy Art Center 12 Peachtree Street Murphy, NC 28906 located on the downtown Square |
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Where are we located and what programs do we accomplish?
Our organization is the Valley River Arts Guild, located in the far-reaches of Tier I Cherokee County, in the small town of Murphy, North Carolina. We were established in 2010 and immediately began many of our arts programs including classes for kids, teens, and adults,
our monthly Art Walk series, our art installations, and our artist gallery.
Who are we and what is our main focus?
We are a 501-c3 non-profit art organization, our main focus being to serve the community with art, music, dance, and writing classes for children, teens, and adults, as well as organizing and producing many other community art projects.
What is our community reach?
Our organization reaches at least 500 community children yearly for our art classes,
over 200 adults for our adult classes program, upwards of 8000 community members and visitors to our area who attend our monthly Art Walk events,
12,000 individuals yearly to view and appreciate the artworks in our MAX Project, Murphy Art Xplosion Outdoor Art Gallery, and over 15,000 art lovers who walk through our doors
at The Murphy Art Center to view, enjoy, and support our local
community of artists and crafters.
We estimate that our planned expansion to our building, of adding a special events room, will reach an additional 12,000 persons within one year, to a new total of almost 50,000.
How do we engage the community in the arts?
The volunteers of Valley River Arts Guild produce a large community First Friday Art Walk series which was first established in 2011. Art Walk includes art demonstrations, live music throughout downtown, and interactive crafts each month. Our Art Walk events are free to the public and free to support the many artists and crafters that are showcased each month. A monthly Kids Craft event is offered during each Art Walk, as well as during the many community events happening downtown.
How do we bring the arts directly to the people?
Our organization created The MAX Project two years ago, installing a large Outdoor Art Gallery, called the Murphy Art Xplosion, with seasonally changing art displays in 13 outdoor locations, totaling almost 70 large canvas art panels throughout downtown.
The MAX Project showcases the art of the many
emerging artists in our Appalachian Smoky Mountain region.
The MAX Project is available for viewing 24/7 and is fully handicapped accessible.
How do we support the artists of our region?
Established in 2010, our organization showcases and nurtures many of the new emerging regional artists and crafters within our gallery, Murphy Art Center,
located at the heart of downtown Murphy.
The 2024 annual SMArt Tour will showcase 20 artist working studios
throughout our county and region.
Our planned addition to our Murphy Art Center building, by enclosing the former bank's drive-through space, will offer larger classes and events, showcasing the area's artists and musicians, supporting our area artists through grants and fundraising events.
What programs have we created since our formation?
Throughout the last 13 years, besides our aforementioned programs, our organization has also created and hosted the Student Art Show for high school age youth for five years running, has several years hosted the yearly Silver Arts Show for the older population of artists in our county, has produced an annual arts and crafts Silent Auction for the community, and has offered many years of special hands-on craft events for children.
How do we accomplish all that we do?
With no paid staff, we are a volunteer-driven organization of nearly 75 members. Our mission, for the past 13 years of our existence, has been to provide arts education to children, teens, and adults from all walks of life, to nurture the well-being of the people in our community by bringing the arts to them through our events and art installations, and to support the artists and crafters from all socio-economic backgrounds of our region.
How can you help?
With grant funding, private donations, and corporate support, the Valley River Arts Guild will continue to serve the community through our programs, classroom, and gallery at the Murphy Art Center.
But we can't do it without you!
We ask you to believe in our organization and help us reach our goals for project funding and operational support.
Valley River Arts Guild, Inc.
Murphy Art Center
12 Peachtree Street
Murphy, NC 28906
828-360-3038
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