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Valley River Arts Guild,
Inc. Murphy Art Center 12 Peachtree Street Murphy, NC 28906 located on the downtown Square 828-360-3038 |
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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
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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,
our studio tour, and our artist gallery. We work on
our community programs and projects from our home
at the Murphy Art Center (The MAC).
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, programs, and events.
What is our community reach?
Our organization reaches at least 600 community
children each year who attend our art classes
and craft programs,
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 recent expansion to our building,
of adding a Special Events Gallery, will reach an
additional 12,000 persons within one year, to a new
total of almost 50,000 who attend our art and music
programs and events.
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 three years
ago, installing a large Outdoor Art Gallery, called the
Murphy Art Xplosion, with seasonally changing art
displays in 12 outdoor locations, totaling 60 large,
framed canvas art panels throughout downtown.
The MAX Project is a one-of-a-kind unique art
installation which showcases the artworks of the many
emerging artists from our Appalachian Smoky Mountain
region in a themed display in downtown Murphy.
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
at the Murphy Art Center,
located at the heart of downtown Murphy.
The annual SMArt, Smoky Mountain Art Tour showcases
20 artist working studios throughout our county and
region, as well as the demonstrating
artists and crafters at The MAC.
The recent addition to our Murphy Art Center building,
by enclosing the former bank's drive-through area,
offers space for larger classes and community events.
Our Special Events Gallery will showcase the area's
artists and musicians, supporting our regional artists
through grants and fundraising events.
What programs have we created
since our formation?
Throughout the past 14 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 for
several years hosted the yearly Silver Arts Showcase
for the older population of artists in Cherokee and
Clay counties, has produced an annual arts and crafts
Silent Auction for the community, and has offered
many years of special hands-on craft events for our
community's children at no cost to the families.
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,
events, and arts and crafts gallery
at the Murphy Art Center.
But we can't do it without you!
We ask that you believe in our organization and help us
reach our goals for project funding
and operational support.
Donations are gratefully accepted.
Many Thanks to our Grant Funders:
Tourism Development Authority of Cherokee County
for First Friday Art Walk and SMArt Studio Tour project
support and MAC building expansion support
North Carolina Arts Council
for Kids' Classes program support, Music at The MAC
support, and Operational support
The Community Foundation of Western NC
for Kids' Classes program support,
Operational Support, and Community Enhancement support
The Cannon Foundation
for The MAX Project program support
The Jandy Ammons Foundation
for MAC building expansion support
National Endowment for the Arts
for The MAX Project artist support
Dub and Murray Martin Cherokee and Clay County Trust
for Operational support
Harrah's Cherokee Casino
for First Friday Art Walk support
Valley River Arts Guild, Inc.
Murphy Art Center
12 Peachtree Street
Murphy, NC 28906
828-360-3038
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