Join us at the Opening Reception to celebrate another year of fabulous artworks by the students of the Fine & Applied Art Department at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College (RCCC)!  

Opening Reception on Friday, April 12, 2024 will be starting at 5:00 pm until 7pm in the ClearWater Main Gallery. Open to the public with light refreshments provided by students and sponsors.

See our FaceBook Event Page for the Opening to see ongoing photos, comments and updates!

This marks Year Eight (8) of this collaboration between the City of Concord's ClearWater Arts Center & Studios, and the Fine & Applied Arts Department at RCCC. RCCC has art classes on both its Salisbury and its Concord campuses. 

The exhibit will be on view in the ClearWater Main Gallery through Thursday, May 2, 2024.

The Artwalk in Downtown Concord is bringing YOU to ClearWater!

Join us on Saturday, April 6th from 11 am - 4 pm for Spring Art Walk hosted by Cabarrus Arts Council  and @concorddowntown and sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company.

Art Walk is an all-day arts festival for artists and makers to sell their handmade artwork. Art Walk will feature live music, food trucks, local brews and wines, and participation from the boutiques, shops, and restaurants throughout Downtown Concord.

Artist Info Meeting for the 2024 ClearWater Arts

T-Shirt Design Contest!

A Collaborative Project between ClearWater Arts Center & Studios, and Studio Print Shop apparel printing company. Funded by a Cabarrus Arts Council Grassroots Grant!

Seeking Local Designers and Artists!

Design a new T-Shirt for ClearWater Arts Center & Studios, to convey a message of Creative and Cultural Inclusion (and/or how cool and fun it is to come here) and possibly to win $1,000 towards supporting your creative work!

Learn More by attending our Artist Info Meeting: Saturday March 30th at 2:00 p.m. in the Main Gallery at ClearWater Arts Center & Studios. Attendance is not required, but highly recommended. 

Entry DEADLINE is April 30, 2024 before Midnight. Applications must be submitted using our Online Application Form at the button below;

See the Contest Rules & Guidelines PDF (at the Contest Webpage) - which includes Eligibility, Rules and Design Guidelines-- please make sure to READ IT CAREFULLY!!

SEE Social Media / More info at http://www.concordfashionweek.com/

LOCAL DESIGNERS WELCOME! Inquire: concordfashionweek@gmail.com

Runway Show: ClearWater Main Gallery -

Kids show 3pm

Adult Finale Runway Shows 5pm

Tickets available online at http://www.concordfashionweek.com/tickets.html

See the PDF of the Release below, at our News Page

For Immediate Release –

March 6, 2024

Concord, North Carolina - Get ready to be swept off your feet by the glamour and style of the 8th Annual Concord Fashion Week! This highly anticipated event, taking place near the charming Historic Downtown of Concord, NC just 20 miles Northeast of Charlotte, is set to showcase 20 exclusive runway showcases featuring designers from across the Southeast.

Fashionistas of all ages are invited to participate in this exciting event, with kids, teens, and adults all taking center stage. The 8th Annual Concord Fashion Week promises to be an unforgettable experience for all attendees, with a dazzling display of creativity, innovation, and talent.

Tickets for Concord Fashion Week are selling fast, so don't miss out on your chance to be a part of this stylish extravaganza. Secure your seats today before they are all gone! Be part of the fashion-forward crowd at the grand finale, which will be held at the prestigious ClearWater Arts Center in Concord, NC. A huge thank you to ClearWater Arts Center for hosting our spectacular event this year.

Concord, NC is a vibrant and thriving community, making it the perfect backdrop for this dynamic fashion event. As a nearby town and bedroom community to Charlotte, NC, Concord provides the ideal setting for designers, retailers, makeup artists, hairstylists, and fashion enthusiasts to come together and celebrate their passion for the industry.

Concord Fashion Week serves as a platform for talented individuals to shine and showcase their work, creating opportunities for collaboration and growth within the fashion community. If you are interested in becoming a vendor, getting tickets, volunteering, or capturing the magic of this event, visit www.concordfashionweek.com for more information.

Don't miss your chance to be a part of the fashion event of the year! Get your tickets online today and join us for the 8th Annual Concord Fashion Week. Stay ahead of the trends and immerse yourself in a world of style and sophistication.

CRITTERINGS with Deborah Arbes

Ever thought about giving ceramics a go? Here's your opportunity!

Join us at ClearWater Arts Center & Studios for a unique public event at our Ceramics Center, "Critterings” led by our experienced instructor, Deborah Arbes. During this event, you will handcraft your own pinch-formed Critter who will Ring (double as a bell)!

All materials are provided, so just bring yourself and your imagination. We look forward to having you learn with us.

WHEN: Each Workshop runs 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. on that Saturday. (Click on flyer to see larger view). a list of ALL Public Workshop dates may be seen on the list of ClearWater Arts programs, on the Civic Rec platform for Registration.*

NEW LIMIT - Workshops now max out at 16 participants, so don’t wait, to register! See below (Scroll down) for info and the link.*

PUBLIC WORKSHOPS— These workshops feature one, turnkey single activity, making exploration in clay simple, fun and affordable. The instructor pre-prepares your clay, you’ll learn how to do a specific project in your two-hour class session, and the instructor will finish & fire it in our kilns, for you to pick up at a later date. At just $35 — or $30 for Concord city residents — these Saturday workshops are a great date or family activity! Older kids may be registered under a family account IF permission is granted; CALL the Concord Parks & Rec department with any questions or for registration assistance: 704-920-5600.

*To register, you must create an account on the City Of Concord Civic Rec software platform for the Concord Parks & Recreation department (ClearWater Arts is a City facility, within the Parks & Recreation Dept); 

—> this account can then be used for all future registrations for any future ClearWater Arts program AND any other City of Concord Parks & Recreation activities. 😃 

(please note, Cabarrus County Parks and Recreation is a different organization.)

Use the Link in our bio, if on Instagram, and / or this URL link (below) and follow the instructions/ look for the ClearWater Arts Center & Studios tab:  https://secure.rec1.com/NC/concord-nc

THIS FORUM WILL EQUIP PROSPECTIVE HOMEBUYERS WITH

INFORMATION ABOUT THE STEPS TO PREPARE FOR HOME OWNERSHIP,

AVAILABLE RESOURCES FOR POSSIBLE ASSISTANCE WITH DOWN

PAYMENTS AND CLOSING COSTS, AND ELIGIBILITY, INCOME, AND

CREDIT LEVELS REQUIRED TO QUALIFY TO RECEIVE THE ASSISTANCE.

REGISTER at CONCORDNC.GOV/HOMEBUYER

Register:

Creating Hats with Cassandra Chapman -

— a CAG Free Art Demo Event!

When:  Sunday Feb. 11, 2024
 
Time: 2:00 - 4:00 PM
 
Where:  ClearWater Arts Center and Studios, 223 Crowell Dr NW Concord, NC 28025. GREENWAY GALLERY; Enter at Kerr Street side, (lower-level parking lot) .

You are invited to join us as Cassandra Chapman, owner and creative designer of Ami Cassi Millinery and Accessories, shares how she creates hats using traditional millinery techniques combined with cultural inspiration to create unique works of art. Each piece she creates is beautifully handmade with the greatest attention to detail. 

Originally from St. Croix, Ms. Chapman is a trained Vocational Educator with a Bachelor of Science degree in Family Consumer Sciences from Andrews University in Berrien Springs, MI. She has taught Home Economics and also holds an active license as a cosmetology/aesthetician instructor in North Carolina. She has taken many classes in hat designing in Australia, England, and the United States. She is a member of the American Institute of Millinery Education, The North American Millinery Group, the British Millinery Association. 

FREE Event. BE SURE TO COME TO GREENWAY GALLERY DOORS; the MAIN ENTRANCE WILL BE LOCKED.

No pre-registration is needed. Please be on time as to not interrupt the speaker’s presentation.

ART IS SPOKEN HERE!!

Resident artists will be available in their studios, working and prepared to engage with questions and interactions. This event is open to all and free of charge, so please feel welcome to join us.

0

JANUARY 2024 Meeting: Topic TBA Please check back here closer to the date—

ClearWater Arts Center & Studios Provides the venue for the Gibson Village Community Association, a Recognized Neighborhood Association of City of Concord NC, for its Community Meetings. These meetings have been rescheduled in mid-2023 to the 4th Tuesday evening, every other month. Residents of the Gibson Village Neighborhood, in Concord NC are welcome to attend and learn about their community and meet each other.

Often, a selected 'authority' will be invited to share something of particular interest with the community. Members of Police are there to report on the latest crime statistics and receive community members' recommendations and questions. ClearWater Coordinator Sarah Gay is usually there to give updates on the Arts Center.

Community Association President, Tara Bengle has recently been also making Community Meetings available on Zoom, for residents who cannot make it in person. The link is available on request.

WHERE TO GO: Meetings are held in the LOWER LEVEL Greenway Gallery; Go to the GLASS DOUBLE-DOORS facing Kerr Street near the driveway entrance from Kerr Street, at the end of our largest, long (‘Operations’) building.

The Main Entrance, at 223 Crowell Dr NW, is NOT open for these meetings.

Why is this neighborhood called Gibson Village? Because the houses were built for the workers at the Gibson Mill (@gibsonmillnc) near by.
(Gibson Mill now houses two breweries, a board game center, axe-throwing outlet, and come pretty sweet places to grab a bite! Oh yes and the giant antiques mall, The Depot...)

ClearWater Arts does not determine the Agenda nor content of these meetings. For more information please use the Gibson Village Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/gibsonvillage

How to Photograph Your Artwork with Steve Lindenman

Come join CAG for our free demonstration in January!

Date:  Sunday January 14, 2023

Time: 2 pm

Where: ClearWater Arts Center & Studios – 223 Crowell Drive, NW, Concord, NC 28025. Enter through the lower level, double glass doors facing Kerr Street, called the Greenway Gallery.
 
Steve Lindenman is a local freelance event and commercial photographer, and shoots for variety of publications, including professional and college sports outlets.  Steve teaches Digital Photography Fundamentals as well as editing techniques using software. He will be showing us how to create wonderful photos of the artwork we create!
 
You can see Steve’s work here:  www.lindenmanphoto.com
 
This is a free event and does not require registration.

Please be on time as to not interrupt the speaker’s presentation.

FREE Event.
No pre-registration is needed. Please be on time as to not interrupt the speaker’s presentation.

Learn the basics of throwing pots on a wheel. Classes begin January 11 and run each Thursday through February 29th. Class is $200 for City of Concord residents and $256 for non-residents. All classes held at ClearWater Ceramics Center. Registration is required.

Are you a 👷‍♀️🛠 contractor looking to partner with #TeamConcord? Join us for our annual Contractor Meeting next week to learn more about our bidding process, the contractor requirements, and the types of projects we bid.

City of Concord Planning Department would like to encourage all local Contractors interested in being eligible for City Contracts, to register for the City of Concord’s upcoming Annual Contractor Meeting on Wednesday, December 13, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

During this Meeting, the City will share information about becoming a contractor with the City of Concord, the required documents and information to submit for consideration, the bidding process that includes a new online bidding system, insurance requirements, and the types of projects that are available for bids.

Please join us for our Annual Contractor Meeting at ClearWater Arts Center & Studios in the Greenway Gallery, which is located at 223 Crowell Drive NW, Concord, NC 28025.  See the attached graphics for more details.

The event is free, but registration is required because LUNCH WILL BE SERVED DURING THE MEETING.

Please register at the following link:

https://Concordnc.gov/ContractorMeeting

If you have questions or for more information about this Meeting, please contact Michael Kepley, our Construction Coordinator, at (704) 920-5130 or via email at kepleym@concordnc.gov.

Creating Angels with Kelsey Bassett

When: Sunday December 10, 2023

Time: 2 PM

Where: ClearWater Arts Center and Studios, 223 Crowell Dr NW Concord, NC 28025. Enter at Kerr Street side doors, lower parking lot- Greenway Gallery.

You are invited to join us as Kelsey Basset shares how she creates her angels and how you can apply these ideas for painting other subjects.

Kelsey is a former Cabarrus County Schools art teacher who left the classroom to pursue motherhood and painting full-time. From South Charlotte, she earned a Bachelor of Environmental Design in Architecture from NCSU, then went back to school to become an elementary teacher to ultimately earn a master's degree and become licensed to teach art. She loves painting and is loving that she can now have time in to paint and share her artwork with others.

From Kelsey:
“During the demo, I plan to talk about building layers on a canvas or paper to create an angel. I'll demonstrate the steps I take to achieve a detailed design that could also be applied to any still life or portrait. I'll share the specific layers of acrylic paint and acrylic paint pens I use to achieve angels with personalities.”

Kelsey ‘s work can be viewed here: www.KelseyBassett.com ;FB: Kelsey Crago Bassett IG: @kbassett_art

FREE Event.
No pre-registration is needed. Please be on time as to not interrupt the speaker’s presentation.

If you are an artist (of any kind) local to the Concord area, join us each 2nd Saturday for Caffeinate with Creatives to network with your creative community!

Artists from the public are welcomed to our Main Gallery to join us and some of our tenant artists for coffee and creative conversations. This is an opportunity for the many different artists in our area to get to know each other and build a community.

Join us every second Saturday of the month, ALL artists of all talents are welcome (Musicians and Writers, Performers and Painters! Ceramicists and Scultors and Jewelry makers!)

Date: Every 2nd Saturday of the month

Time: 10am - 11am

Location: 223 Crowell Drive NW, Concord, NC 28025 in the Main Gallery

If you have any questions, contact our ClearWater Coordinator at (704) 920-6600

Public UPDATE Meeting: Skate Park & Pump Track; Sculpture Garden at ClearWater Field

We’re gearing up to put your bond dollars to work! Before we begin construction on the new Skate Park, Pump Track and Sculpture Garden at Academy-Gibson Park, we invite you to join us for a community meeting to chat about the amenities, project timeline, and more.

PLEASE NOTE: This meeting will be in the Greenway Gallery, on the lower level of ClearWater's Main Building; just inside the glass double-doors facing Kerr Street.

(The Main Entrance to ClearWater, opening into the Main Gallery, faces Crowell Dr. NW; if you enter there, you'll need to make your way downstairs and all the way through the building to the far end, -OR walk around outside, down the hill to the far end - to get to the Greenway Gallery).

LUMINARY PUBLIC WORKSHOP!

Saturday 12/2/2023 - 2:00 p.m.

PLEASE NOTE: Registration for this one-time workshop is ONLINE ONLY; and will close one (1) hour before the workshop starts; No walk-in registration possible!
Please see instructions below and link to Registration Site.

This workshop will focus on building cylindrical holiday luminaries; 1 per student. Clay will be supplied; all clay and tools needed will be provided during class time. Students will leave their piece for finishing; Please see notes on the Public Workshop Registration Page, Re: Materials and expectations.

Class will be led by two instructors: Deborah Arbes, and Jade Solch.
Registration is at the Concord Parks & Recreation Civic Rec platform; Click HERE and then find ‘ClearWater Arts Center’ after you make your account. Scroll to Page 2 of our class offerings to find ‘Public Workshop’ for this Saturday’s date! 12/2/2023

(Registration Site URL: https://secure.rec1.com/NC/concord-nc/catalog )

Note: The ClearWater Holiday Market will be also going on, this Saturday (12/2) in the main building, 10 AM till 4 PM - shop for fine art gifts, and grab a meal or snack at the Tacos La Chulada food truck in the parking lot!

ART HOLIDAY MARKET POP UP ! ClearWater Arts Center & Studios invites you to its 2023 Holiday Market, Saturday December 2, 10am - 4pm! Come shop for outstanding original artworks as holiday gifts, by ClearWater Tenant Artists and guest artists;

Artists will be set up in studios and/or on sale tables in the Main Gallery as well as downstairs in “The Pass” (Base of stairs). Join the ClearWater tenant artists and other local artists and makers to find one-of-a-kind gift ideas and exceptional art that are sure to delight everyone on your gift list. Scroll down for more info—

Everyone is welcome – with open studios, light refreshments, the Tacos La Chulada FOOD TRUCK, and a wide variety of arts and crafts, it is an event not to be missed.

ClearWater's Ceramics Center, too, will be open with its inaugural Saturday "Intro to Clay" class going on, 10am - 12:30pm and a Luminaria Workshop from 2-4pm … open for viewing!
With a Food Truck in our parking lot opposite the Main Entrance, this makes a fun outing for everyone!

New Exhibition of ClearWater Tenant Artists' works will be featured on view in the Main Gallery - Show install is the previous day. Be the first to see the new show!

Saturday, December 2nd, 2023 10am – 4pm

ClearWater Arts Center & Studios, 223 Crowell Dr. NW, Concord NC 28025

Gibson Village loves our senior citizens! That is why partnered with the City of Concord Government to invite Legal Aid to share details about their Senior Project at our community meeting on November 28th. They will provide valuable information on the type of free legal services that they offer to our senior citizens. Please help to get the word out and bring a senior to our next meeting from 7-8pm at ClearWater Arts Center & Studios located at 223 Crowell Dr. NW.

ClearWater Arts Center & Studios Provides the venue for the Gibson Village Community Association, a Recognized Neighborhood Association of City of Concord NC, for its Community Meetings. These meetings have been rescheduled in mid-2023 to the 4th Tuesday evening, every other month. Residents of the Gibson Village Neighborhood, in Concord NC are welcome to attend and learn about their community and meet each other.

Often, a selected 'authority' will be invited to share something of particular interest with the community. Members of Police are there to report on the latest crime statistics and receive community members' recommendations and questions. ClearWater Coordinator Sarah Gay is usually there to give updates on the Arts Center.

Community Association President, Tara Bengle has recently been also making Community Meetings available on Zoom, for residents who cannot make it in person. The link is available on request.

WHERE TO GO: Meetings are held in the LOWER LEVEL Greenway Gallery; Go to the GLASS DOUBLE-DOORS facing Kerr Street near the driveway entrance from Kerr Street, at the end of our largest, long (‘Operations’) building.

The Main Entrance, at 223 Crowell Dr NW, is NOT open for these meetings.

Why is this neighborhood called Gibson Village? Because the houses were built for the workers at the Gibson Mill (@gibsonmillnc) near by.
(Gibson Mill now houses two breweries, a board game center, axe-throwing outlet, and come pretty sweet places to grab a bite! Oh yes and the giant antiques mall, The Depot...)

ClearWater Arts does not determine the Agenda nor content of these meetings. For more information please use the Gibson Village Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/gibsonvillage

ReImagine McGill

Hosted by City of Concord Community Development Team

Planning & Neighborhood Development Department

WEDNESDAY, 11/15/23: 4:00p.m. GREENWAY GALLERY

You’re invited, #ConcordNC! City of Concord (@ConcordNCGov) has purchased properties on McGill Avenue in the Gibson Village Community, just a short walk from our studio. In an effort to identify innovative solutions that address community-needs, you’re invited to join us for a community meeting to help us Reimagine McGill! We also have a survey online- See below for links!

📅 Wednesday, November 15

⌚ Beginning at 4:00 P.M.

📍 ClearWater Arts Centers and Studios - 223 Crowell Dr

Imagine more 🍴 food options, 🤝 small business support, and ♥ community involvement in the McGill Avenue area! We’re working to reimagine McGill and need your help! Take our quick survey at https://publicinput.com/McGill

..OR by clicking the 🔗 in our bio on Instagram!

imagina mas opciones de comida, apoyo a pequeñas empresas, y ¡Participación comunitaria en el área de McGill Avenue! ¡Estamos trabajando para reinventar McGill y necesitamos su ayuda! Responda nuestra encuesta rápida 👉 http://publicinput.com/McGillEspanol

Pine Needle Basket Weaving with Shakeeka

- Cabarrus Art Guild 2nd Sunday ART DEMO AT CLEARWATER - Greenway Gallery - organized by Cabarrus Art Guild

When: Sunday November 12, 2023
Time: 2 PM
Where: ClearWater Arts Center and Studios, GREENWAY GALLERY; 223 Crowell Dr NW Concord, NC 28025. Enter at Kerr Street side double- doors, lower parking lot (Greenway Gallery Entrance). PLEASE NOTE, MAIN ENTRANCE ON CROWELL DR NW WILL BE LOCKED!

Please join us as local artisan Shakeeka Watts teaches us about the art form and techniques in creating pine needle basket weaving.

“Through my basket weaving, I want to introduce a part of my African American culture to the world. I also want give acknowledgment to my ancestors for their accomplishments and God giving talents. I hope the work that I generate will inspire the younger generation to appreciate and understand their ancestors’ struggle and inspire them to carry on their traditions and legacy.”

No pre-registration is needed.

Please be on time as to not interrupt the speaker’s presentation.

See Shakeeka’s extensive work on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HandWorksByShakeeka, and Instagram and her website: https://handworksbyshakeeka.square.site/

For more information about the Guild, www.cabarrusartguild.org

If you are an artist (of any kind) local to the Concord area, join us each 2nd Saturday for Caffeinate with Creatives to network with your creative community!

Artists from the public are welcomed to our Main Gallery to join us and some of our tenant artists for coffee and creative conversations. This is an opportunity for the many different artists in our area to get to know each other and build a community.

Featuring Mattie Ruth’s Coffee House! Mattie Ruth’s is a Concord, NC Original - with specialty coffee drinks available for purchase. Mattie will soon be opening MattieRuths Coffee House over on McGill Road just across from Gibson Mill and Gibson Mill Market.

Join us every second Saturday of the month, ALL artists of all talents are welcome (Musicians and Writers, Performers and Painters! Ceramicists and Scultors and Jewelry makers!)

Date: Every 2nd Saturday of the month

Time: 10am - 11am

Location: 223 Crowell Drive NW, Concord, NC 28025 in the Main Gallery

If you have any questions, contact our ClearWater Coordinator at (704) 920-6600