Ribbon Cutting for “Home” a new public art sculpture by Zachary Smith-Johnson and Fred L. Mead Jr. The sculpture is at the Middle Fork Greenway parking area on Highway 321 between Boone and Blowing Rock.
Join us for a discussion around public art with two people responsible for the placement of much of the public art in the High Country.
Amber Bateman, Executive Director of Watauga Arts Council, and Lee Carol Giduz, former Executive Director of the Caldwell Arts Council, will be here to discuss the topic. The speakers will share their experiences selecting and placing public art.
Amber will also give us an update on the current efforts for public art in Watauga County.
About the speakers:
Amber Bateman
Amber Bateman
Amber Bateman is a Boone native with over 14 years of dedicated experience in the nonprofit sector. For the past four years, Amber has been serving as the Executive Director of the Watauga Arts Council. Under her leadership, the Arts Council has experienced significant transformation. In addition to operating the Arts Space and grant programs, Amber has expanded the offerings of the arts council to also include the creation of public sculptures, public murals, and community events like BuskersFest.
Prior to her work with the Arts Council Amber served the founded two impactful nonprofit organizations that continue to thrive: Quiet Givers and the Back 2 School Festival. These organizations serve more than 2,500 people in need in the region annually. Amber serves on multiple advisory boards in various sectors of her community. She has served on two community leadership cohorts as part of the Appalachian Gateway Communities initiative. She is currently working on strategic planning and development of an “Art in the Outdoors” initiative which was birthed from the Conservation Fund.
Lee Carol Giduz
Lee Carol Giduz
Lee Carol served as the Executive Director of BRAHM from 2015-2023. She is a native of Kentucky and was raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. She was lured to the great state of North Carolina first to attend camp and later to attend Davidson College where she graduated with honors with a BA in Public Policy. She and her husband, Bob, are currently enjoying their retirement in Asheville, NC.
Lee Carol has over a 30 year history of working with non-profits in a leadership capacity with over 23 years in art non-profits. Among her previous roles, she served as the Executive Director of the Caldwell Arts Council (1994-2015) and on the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Arts Council (2002-2011).
Free and open to the public.