Spice Up Your Winter with Arts & Culture

Winter is a good time for nesting and resting, but there’s only so much of that you can do before you’re ready to get out there and be social again. We are approaching the mid-way point of winter, with six more weeks to go, and if you need to get out, there is plenty to keep you busy. To add some cultural enjoyment and creative inspiration to your winter, read on to learn about some of the cultural and visual arts exhibitions, programs and workshops coming up on the Outer Banks for the remainder of winter.

Dare Arts Events and Offerings

Throughout the year, Dare Arts lives up to its mission of encouraging the arts in Dare County. The nonprofit organization operates a large fine arts and craft gallery and event space in the historic 1904 Dare County Courthouse in Downtown Manteo. They provide a rotating exhibit of local art and a home to workshops, events and more. Perusing the gallery is an enriching winter activity, and the art on display is always changing. Winter hours are Tuesday to Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Each month DCAC features one or two new exhibits with an opening reception filled with music, light fare and libations. This month there are two art shows.

Above photos: Dare Arts in Manteo offers a gallery full of artwork along with a full schedule of classes, exhibits and cultural events.

46th Annual 2024 Frank Stick Memorial Art Show

Reception: Friday, February 2, 6 to 8 p.m.

Show: February 2 to 24

The longest-running visual art exhibit in Dare County, this show is named in honor of Outer Banks preservationist and artist Frank Stick. Artists are encouraged to enter their most innovative work for the possibility of winning the distinctive Eure Best in Show Award. ​​Artist Eric Burris will judge the 2024 Frank Stick Memorial Art Show. Burris has been a practicing metalsmith and educator for 25 years and is currently the metals studio coordinator at Pocosin Arts School of Fine Craft. After the opening at Dare Arts, the show will be open for viewing during normal gallery hours February 3 through February 24. Take the time to see this one; it’s always a stunning representation of the local creative forces.

Carol Beal Exhibit

Unsupervised

Reception: Friday, February 2, 6 to 8 p.m.

Show: February 2 to 24

In February, the Dare Arts Vault Gallery will feature fiber work, paintings and jewelry by Carol Beal. In this show, Carol plays with a lot of color, combining a wide range of materials including acrylics, polymer clay, fused glass, found objects and fiber weaving to create unique jewelry, paintings and framed beaded art. Enjoy the reception or stop by Dare Arts during gallery hours.

Outer Banks Film Society

The Outer Banks Film Society screens independent films, movie classics, documentaries, world cinema, shorts, and the very best new releases at Dare Arts in the fall and spring. It’s a very popular offering and there are only a few membership spots left for spring. Upcoming films:

January 30: Judas and the Black Messiah

February 6: A Love Song

February 20: I’m Your Man

February 27: Academy Awards Short Films

March 5: Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom

March 19: Perfectos Desconocidos

March 26: Karmalink

Workshops

Hone your skills and have some creative fun at these Dare Arts winter workshops.

Paint-Along Workshop with Catherine Hamill- Pelican Flying Over Ocean

Saturday, February 3, 9 a.m. to noon

Paint-Along Workshop with Catherine Hamill- Valentine's Day Theme

Saturday, February 10, 9 a.m. to noon

Expressions Workshop- Jim Dine Heart Series with Fay Davis Edwards

Wednesday, February 14, 2 to 4:30 p.m.

Join artist Fay Davis Edwards for a free Jim Dine Inspired Heart Painting Workshop for cancer survivors, patients and their caregivers at the newly opened Cowell Cancer Center in Nags Head.

February Kids Art Party- Guitar with MariBeth La Rose - Guitar

Saturday, February 24, 5 to 7 p.m.

Photo: Read and discuss Beyond Innocence: The Life Sentence of Darryl Hunt as part of North Carolina Reads in February.

Community Book Club

Dare Arts and Downtown Books are partnering on two upcoming community book club events as a part of North Carolina Humanities’ statewide book club, North Carolina Reads. At the heart of North Carolina Reads is N.C. Humanities’ desire to connect communities through shared reading experiences.  

Beyond Innocence: The Life Sentence of Darryl Hunt by Phoebe Zerwick

Monday, February 26, 6:30 p.m.

This is a powerful nonfiction narrative about injustices, exoneration and the life-long impacts of incarceration. The book club discussion will be led by Dare Arts Executive Director Jessica Sands and owner of Downtown Books Jamie Anderson. The discussion will be held at Dare Arts in Manteo and is free and open to everyone. Community members who are interested in participating in this event can purchase the book at Downtown Books in Manteo or Duck’s Cottage Coffee & Books in Duck now, so that they can begin reading and are prepared to discuss the book in February. If you want to participate and need a free book, please call (252) 473-5558 or stop by the Dare Arts Gallery and see Jessica Sands.

​For information about any Dare Arts programs, visit them at 300 Queen Elizabeth Avenue in Manteo, call them at (252) 473-5558 or go to darearts.org.

Photo: Theatre of Dare is presenting the award-winning August: Osage County this month in Kitty Hawk.

Theatre of Dare

August: Osage County

February 2 to 10

Theatre of Dare hosts several top-notch and thought-provoking performances a year. This month, it’s August: Osage County, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award. The story follows matriarch, Violet, depressed and addicted to pain pills and truth-telling, her three daughters and their problematic lovers and other family members through the eyes of the young Cheyenne housekeeper Johnna. Holed up in the large family estate in Osage County, Oklahoma, tensions heat up and boil over in the ruthless August heat. Theatre of Dare’s performance space is at 3848 N. Croatan Highway in Kitty Hawk. Tickets can be purchased here.

NY NY Dueling Pianos: A Night of Harmony and Giving

Friday, February 9, 6 p.m.

Dare Education Foundation presents this semiformal soiree with entertainment to raise funds for Dare County Schools. At the beautiful 108 Budleigh, there will be hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, raffles, student performances and world-class entertainment, all for a good cause. Tickets, $125 each or $200 per couple, are on sale now here: Dueling Pianos Event — Dare Education Foundation

Photo: Fundraising at its finest, Dueling Pianos will benefit Dare Education Foundation.

Virginia Symphony Orchestra

Saturday, February 24, 7:30 p.m.

Outer Banks Forum for the Lively Arts presents the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, one of the nation’s leading regional orchestras, at First Flight High School in Kill Devil Hills. Tickets are available here. 

Art Exhibits

You can catch two more art exhibits around town this winter.

OBX Women in the Wild

Reception: February 3, 3 to 5 p.m.

Show: February 3 to April 24

See the wildlife of the Outer Banks through the eyes of four women photographers: Cyndi Goetcheus Sarfan, Jacqueline Orsulak, Joyce Edwards and Eve Turek. These women have spent countless hours traipsing eastern North Carolina refuges and beaches seeking creatures to photograph. They routinely return home with a sense of peace and hundreds of images. This show will be held at Duck Town Hall in Duck. Exhibit hours will be Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Animals in Art Show

Reception: February 8, 6 to 8 p.m.

Show: February 1 to 29

Held at Seaside Art Gallery in Nags Head, this annual show gathers animal-focused artwork by a variety of artists working in a variety of media. Sales from the show benefit Coastal Humane Society. Seaside Art Gallery is at 2716 Virginia Dare Trail in Nags Head. For more information go to seasideart.com.

For more events happening around the Outer Banks this winter, visit our Daytime and Nightlife event listings. Happy winter!