June 24th Last Fridays to Offer Music, Art Galleries, Shops and Dining!

HILLSBOROUGH, NC– It is time again for Hillsborough’s terrific warm weather festival – Last Fridays, organized by the Hillsborough Arts Council.  2011 marks the 13^th season of this successful event that runs from April through September.  Each month a different band headlines the fiesta with a free performance on the lawn of the historic 1844 Old Courthouse.  Music, art vendors, an art walk, a pie contest, and much more.

MUSIC

Main Act

New this year, Last Fridays headlining musicians are featured at the ReverbNation Site!  Read about the bands and hear samples of their music at http://www.reverbnation.com/venue/hillsboroughartscouncil

June’s headlining act is a crowd favorite; this month, Cool John Ferguson Band will return to the Old Courthouse lawn.   John’s versatility means you never know what he is going to play next.  He seamlessly combines styles of gospel, blues, funk, country, jazz, and rhythm and blues.  He has been active on tent revival circuits, played with LaFace Records of Atlanta, GA, and collaborated with several well-known artists throughout the world, including Taj Mahal, Kenny Wayne Shepard, BB King, Beverly Guitar Watkins, and the Stylistics.  He has provided soundtracks for countless events and was honored by Living Blues Magazine for two consecutive years as “Most Outstanding Guitarist.”

The Band features: Cool John Ferguson - lead guitar, vocals; Alan Celeste - keys, vocals; Joel Sugarman – bass; Kevin Johnson – drums.

Musician Demonstration

The southern side of the Old Courthouse lawn will be all about drumming!  Hand-on, family-friendly workshops and drumming circles will be led by Brigitte Schubert and Wes May.  Also, Ramon Ortiz Wessin will lead an open drumming workshop for children with buckets and some percussion instruments, such as tambora, congas, and guira.  After explaining how to play some basic rhythms, he will open it up and let the kids have at it. 

Additional Musical Acts

The Hillsborough Presbyterian Church welcomes the Bulltown Strutters, a community parade band inspired by street band traditions from New Orleans to Brazil and beyond.  The Strutters consider themselves Durham’s own New Orleans second line-style band.  Tryon Street will be hopping with this energetic group!  Church members will scoop up free popcorn instead of ice cream this month, while the Burwell School hosts its annual celebrity Ice Cream Social.  Ice cream scoops will resume in July.

At the Weaver Street Market, from 6-8pm, Lizzy Ross will perform.  Ross's expressive voice belies her tender years, and her crafty, knowing original songs convey an unexpected depth of emotion.  Currently recording a new album in Chapel Hill, Ross will play solo at Weaver Street, in a break between shows with her band up and down the East Coast.

LOCAL ARTISTS
Artist vendors at June’s Last Fridays will be located at the old Courthouse in downtown Hillsborough.

ART WALK

June’s Last Fridays Art Walk, in its sixth year as a Last Fridays activity, showcases the talents of local artists in studios and galleries in downtown Hillsborough.  Many venues will have artist and opening receptions on June 24^th from 6 – 9 pm.

The Gallery at the Hillsborough Arts Council (220-B South Churton Street) will feature “Italian Influences” majolica pottery by Gail Schaefer and oil pastel drawings by Marcia McDade.  Snowhill Tileworks (220-C South Churton Street) will feature handmade ceramic tile and porcelain jewelry by Laura Johnson.  ENO Gallery (100 South Churton Street) will exhibit "Thirty-five Years of Inspiration,” a solo show of paintings by Nancy Tuttle May; the lower gallery will feature Akira Satake as the ENO Gallery’s Best in the West Contemporary Clay Invitational Series.  The Hillsborough Artists Cooperative and The Skylight Gallery (102 West King Street) will show by studio artists Jayne Bomberg and Tom Guthrie (The Studio of Collective Effervescence), Jennifer E. Miller, Andrea DeGette, Jacquelin Liggins, and Tiffney Marley.  The Skylight Gallery will feature “Two True Views” color photographs by Eleanor Mills and “Crisis 07-08” paintings by Jim Kellough.  Coldwell Banker Howard Perry and Walston (114 West King Street) will feature work by local artists.  Cup A Joe (120 West King Street) will feature vintage aprons from Brooke Erceg’s private collection.  Callaway Jewelry & Spiral Studios (115 North Churton) offers beautiful handmade jewelry in sterling silver and gold by metalsmiths/designers Catharine Callaway and Jeannine Rogers.  Sovero Art Gallery & Studio (121 North Churton Street, Suite 2-B) will feature jewelry and oil paintings by Peruvian artist David Sovero.  Hillsborough Gallery of Arts (121 North Churton Street) will show“Motif” pottery by Garry Childs and paintings by Pat Merriman and Linda Carmel.  The Depot at Hillsborough Station (246 South Nash Street) will feature mixed media and salvaged wood furniture by Casey Burgess.  It is recommended that you drive to this location.  Take West King Street, turn left on South Nash Street, and The Depot will be on your right.  Parking is located in the lot across Nash Street from The Depot.

Brochures with a map of the Last Fridays Art Walk are available at any of the participating venues or at www.lastfridaysartwalk.org.

AWARD PRESENTATION

T he Historic District Commission will give out Preservation Awards to individuals and groups in our community. Preservation Awards will be announced at the microphone at the Old Courthouse at 6:15pm.

PIE CONTEST

2011 marks the Pie Contest’s third year as a part of Last Fridays.  Celebrity judges will score pies each month, featuring a different theme each month.  June's theme is icebox and cool pies, with judging at 6pm at Cup A Joe, and awards announced at the band’s break.  Pies must be at Cup a Joe no later than 5pm to be considered.  Pie pieces will be sold at Cup a Joe after the winners are announced.  Proceeds benefit the Hillsborough Arts Council.  Entry forms and future pie themes can be found online at http://www.hillsboroughartscouncil.org/HillsboroughPieContest.html

OTHER AFFILIATED EVENTS

Historic sites will provide special programming for young and old alike.

Visit the Orange County Historical Museum (201 N. Churton St.) from 6-9pm to get an ear of roasted corn for $2 and step inside from the heat to peek at its newest special exhibit, "Local Histories II: The Ground We Walk On."  This exhibit comes from the temporary art space at 523 East Franklin (formerly the Chapel Hill Museum) and is curated by elin o'Hara slavick.  Several of the participating artists will be in attendance to discuss their works with visitors.

The Burwell School Historic Site (319 N. Churton St.) will host its annual Ice Cream Social from 6:30-8:30pm.  Local celebrity scoopers will be dishing out free Maple View ice cream.  Visitors can also go on a free docent-led tour to learn about the site.  This event will take place rain or shine!

An excellent mix of downtown Hillsborough businesses will be alive with activity.  Businesses located on both sides of Churton and King Streets will hold extended hours and special offerings during the Last Fridays event.

Plenty of parking during Last Fridays can be found at the Eno River parking deck.

No dogs are permitted in the courthouse area during Last Fridays by order of the police.  Thanks for your understanding.

If you would like to have a vendor booth outside of the courthouse area, please contact the Town of Hillsborough.

The Hillsborough Arts Council, a non-profit organization supporting the arts in Hillsborough, with funding support in part from the Hillsborough Tourism Board and private contributions, sponsors the Last Fridays program.  Coordination support comes from the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough and its member organizations, Downtown Merchants, a variety of local artists, and civic groups.  For general information on Last Fridays contact the Hillsborough Arts Council at 919-643-2500, www.hillsboroughartscouncil.orgor the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough/Orange County Visitors Center at 732-7741 or www.historichillsborough.org.