VGCC to kick off arts celebration with free bluegrass concert at McGregor Hall

The opening event for Vance-Granville Community College’s second annual “Fine Arts Days” will be a concert at by members of , a Nashville-based bluegrass group that includes a former VGCC student.

The concert is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 17, at 7 p.m. McGregor Hall is located at 201 Breckenridge Street in Henderson. The 1,000-seat venue opened earlier this year, and “Fine Arts Days” represents the first partnership between VGCC and the state-of-the-art performing arts center.

The concert, like all the events that will follow on Oct. 18 on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County, will be free of charge and open to the public.

The Barefoot Movement consists of singer-songwriter/fiddler Noah Wall and mandolinist Tommy Norris, both from Oxford, along with guitarist/singer Alex Conerly from Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The musicians say that the elements of the “Barefoot sound” are “lush harmonies, thoughtful instrumentation, and memorable melodies.”

A South Granville High School graduate, Wall attended VGCC for two years in the Associate in Arts (College Transfer) program. As a student, she performed on stage with friends at two VGCC cultural fairs, received an endowed scholarship, earned Dean’s List honors and was inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa honor society. From VGCC, Wall transferred to East Tennessee State University, receiving a full scholarship specifically designed for outstanding students transferring from two-year colleges.

Heralded by CMT Edge as “one of the most promising bands on the bluegrass scene,” The Barefoot Movement has released two full length albums along with an EP of traditional music, and made appearances at some of the top bluegrass festivals in the United States. The group has enjoyed almost non-stop touring, including a trip to Burkina Faso in Africa, where they were guests of the American Embassy. In 2014, they received a Momentum Award, naming them “Band of the Year” by the International Bluegrass Music Association.

The band has been featured in Country Weekly Magazine, RollingStone.com, CMT Edge, Music City Roots, Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour, the Outdoor Channel program “Huntin’ the World: Southern Style,” and the Zuus Country Network. They have been selected as showcase artists at both the International Bluegrass Music Association and the Americana Festival conferences and were first runners-up at the 2013 Telluride Bluegrass Festival’s New Band Competition.

According to Betsy Henderson, VGCC’s Department Chair/Instructor of Humanities and Fine Arts, the purpose of “Fine Arts Days,” which has expanded from a single day last year , is “to celebrate the arts and arts education, showcase VGCC students and the arts programs we offer, and partner with talented local artists and organizations.” October is National Arts and Humanities Month, a time when artistic and cultural organizations traditionally open their doors to connect with their communities.

The day after the concert, the members of the Barefoot Movement will be the keynote presenters for the second day of Fine Arts Days, on Tuesday, Oct. 18, at 10 a.m., in the small auditorium in Building 2 on VGCC’s Main Campus. Other presenters and artists will be announced by VGCC prior to the event, which also includes a juried student visual art competition.

For more information about Fine Arts Days, contact Betsy Henderson at hendersonb@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3371.

 

Above: From left, Tommy Norris, Noah Wall and Alex Conerly are “The Barefoot Movement.”