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Hello North Carolina: Stories from Rural NC

Hello North Carolina: Stories from Rural NC

By N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources

We’re talking with North Carolinians about life in our state’s rural communities and small towns. Across North Carolina, communities have used the Main Street Approach to transform their economies, leverage local leadership, and improve the overall quality of life.

Hello North Carolina: Stories from Rural NC is part of the Hello North Carolina initiative from the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

Hosted and produced by Karl Galloway and Cliff Bumgardner. Theme music by Alli B and Spencer Auten. Edited by Cliff Bumgardner.
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Art and Culture in Morganton

Hello North Carolina: Stories from Rural NCJan 15, 2021

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23:18
Weaving Community with Jereann King Johnson

Weaving Community with Jereann King Johnson

Jereann King Johnson is a textile artist, community activist, and founding member of the Heritage Quilters. As part of her work, and with grant support from the Highlander Research Center with the We Shall Overcome  Fund, Jereann mentors Warren County youth, and is working to share the storytelling power of quilting. We sat down with her to discuss her work toward building a collective community in Warren County.

Apr 07, 202224:02
Art and Culture in Morganton

Art and Culture in Morganton

There’s a new mural up in Morganton, North Carolina! The 13 by 58 foot piece is part of a 3-year initiative to highlight cultural and ecological diversity in Morganton. The project brings together the combined efforts of the Foothills Conservancy, the North Carolina Museum of Art, and TOSS, a Morganton-based arts non-profit. Join us as we chat about the importance of art, community, and locally-rooted wealth with the muralist Alexa Eliana Chumpitaz and Kathryn Ervin, co-founder and director of TOSS. 

Jan 15, 202123:18
Elkin: North Carolina's Next Trail Town

Elkin: North Carolina's Next Trail Town

Over the past months, trails in North Carolina have seen higher use, a product of safety-seeking measures prompted by Covid-19. For Elkin, this highlighted what many in the town already knew; that our natural resources are true assets that can bring joy and satisfaction and even turn around a small town’s economic future. We spoke with Elkin local Bob Hillyer, founding member of the Elkin Valley Trails Association (EVTA), a group that has worked hard to counter the loss of industry in Elkin by leveraging a surrounding network of trails to draw hikers, commerce, and community back to their main street.

Dec 16, 202019:18
Shelby's Foodways: Alex Meander

Shelby's Foodways: Alex Meander

In this episode of Hello from Main Street, we discuss foraging, gathering, and local foodways with Alex Meander, a feral homesteader, subsistence ecologist, and advocate of wildness. He and his partner Stacey run Ardea Sanctuary, near Shelby, North Carolina. 

Nov 04, 202015:53
Musical Shelby: a Conversation with AftanCi

Musical Shelby: a Conversation with AftanCi

In the first episode of Hello NC: Stories from Main Street, we chat with AftanCi, a musician and dedicated member of the Shelby community. She discusses her musical influences, the importance of family, and making art in a small town with a long musical history. 

Oct 27, 202014:18