Hickory NC Blog-People, Places & Happenings

Do You Love Arts & Crafts - Check Out The Hive

2010-09-17T11:32:00.000-07:00

If you love arts and crafts, you will love this new online community - The Hive..

Check it out and join.. You will not regret it.. Where else can you find other creative minds to share ideas, resources, etc..

CreatingTheHive.com - Arts & Crafts Community

"Art On The Bench" Phase 2 - Hickory NC

2010-06-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

The Hickory Public Art Commission held a successful Art on the Bench project that finished up in early 2008, and the 20 painted benches from Phase I of the project have been well received by the community.

Phase 1 was so successful that now Phase 2 of "Art on the Bench" is completed with 20 public art benches around the city.. Public Art Commission Chairman Phil Barringer said "One of our goals on the Public Art Commission is to integrate public art into public space and help create a visual sense of the community, and we feel the both bench projects has been excellent examples of this goal."

This bench was painted by Michelle Major. The bench is called "Voice of Hope". It's dedicated to promote awareness about domestice violence.

Beth Palermo painted this "Hickory Crawdads" Bench - The design includes the Hickory Crawdads Baseball logos and Texas Rangers logo.

“Marilyn” – in a 60's Corvette ~ by

Artist - Ned Houston

"Art on the Bench" is a project of the PAC that enlists artists to paint benches that are placed at bus stops and other public space locations around the city. The metal benches were designed by David Zagaroli, designer and former PAC Chairman, constructed by Baker Waste Equipment Company, and the steel was donated by Benco Steel Company. (See the blog and photos of Phase 1- Art on the Bench) .

"Art On The Bench" - Local Artists Bring Color To Hickory NC - Part 2

2009-06-17T13:08:00.000-07:00

The City Of Hickory's Public Art Commission brought color to Hickory in a unique way last year. Local artists were chosen to paint 21 metal benches to be placed around town.

See my first installment of "Art on the Bench" Hickory Artists Bring Color To Hickory NC - Part 1 for photos of the first 4 benches on Union Square in downtown Hickory.

Two of the art benches below are located in the "SALT Block"(Sciences, Art, Literature Together) of Hickory.

Ocean Fantasy by Heidi Rice is a tribute to children's creativity - located in front of the Millholland Planetarium.

Beth Palermo created this bench featuring "The Hickory Choral Society".... with colorful swirling musical notes.

"Da Benchi" by Becky Wisniewski of The Morganton Day School created this contemporary composition of the "Mona Lisa" - located in front of the Hickory Women's Resource Center.

The next 3 benches are located on Hwy 127 in Hickory through the Viewmont community..

A tribute to the "American Military Aviators" by Michael Kincaid in front of Viewmont Baptist Church.

"Bench Marx" by the students of Morganton Day School. This is a tribute to the Marx Brothers in black and white.....

This beautiful landscape with a lake is by Charles Garrett, Jr. >>>

An abstract art bench in Hickory NC

The "Hot Rod" bench !!

All the metal benches were provided by Bakers Waste Equipment in Morganton NC.

For more information about the "Art on the Bench" program please call Public Art Commission Staff Liaison Donna Cullum at (828) 261-2215 or email her at dcullum@ci.hickory.nc.us .

"Art On The Bench Program" Hickory NC photos by C. Gilliam

"Art On The Bench" - Local Artists Bring Color To Hickory NC - Part 1

2009-06-17T12:39:00.000-07:00

Early in 2008, the City of Hickory's Public Art Commission began the search for local artists to participate in a new program called "Art On The Bench". Artists submitted designs for the benches and the PAC made 21 colorful choices. The benches are placed at various locations around Hickory.

The first 4 benches are located in beautiful downtown Hickory on Union Square. I will be sharing other benches in Part 2..

Vickie Jo Franks created this folk
art sun and floral design..... It's hard to
see in my photo but it reads "Please Do Not Litter" on the bottom of the bench.

Matthew Ninemire painted this bench with musical symbols and overlapping concentric circles.

This is probably one of my favorite benches since I love dogs.... The artist is Tom Perkins and he reminds us to Adopt from The Catawba County Animal Shelter.

This bench was designed and painted by Jeff Morgan. It portrays a downtown sidewalk with cracks and a fire hydrant.

Hickory Public Art Commission Chairman David Zagaroli said "it was such a success that we are planning to have a Phase 2 of "Art on the Bench.

Enjoy and come back for more benches.. See Part 2 of Art on the Bench - Hickory NC

"Art On The Bench Program" Hickory NC photos by C. Gilliam

Love Photography? Check Out The Catawba Valley Camera Club-Hickory NC

2008-11-07T12:00:00.000-08:00

I have always loved photography, even took a class with the late Beemer Harrell once, many moons ago. The problem is that lately, I haven't really tried to improve my skills much. I am sure that the Catawba Valley Camera Club in Hickory would be a great place to start.

The Catawba Valley Camera Club meets on the first and third Wednesdays of each month from 7-9pm in the North Annex of the Arts Center in Hickory NC (SALT Block). Meetings consist of competition among members as well as instructional lectures(that's what I need). Field trips are planned throughout the year to enable members to share and demonstrate techniques as well as spend time enjoying photography together.

They would like to invite anyone with an interest in photography to join them at the meetings and field trips. This is a great opportunity to glean from some of Hickory's best photographers.

This gorgeous floral photo was a Beginner’s Division Club winner-
Rick Bell won first place with “Unidentified Flowering Object”.

The Catawba Camera Club wants to invite anyone to participate in their Image*ination Competition Check out the rules and guidelines here. HURRY, final date for entries is Saturday 11/15/08.

Membership is not required to attend meetings or participate in field trip activities. Membership is required to participate in club competitions.

Membership dues are $35.00 per year ($15.00 for students). Anyone interested can attend our regular meetings at the Arts Center or contact the following for additional information:
Ed Lane: 322-6226 (Office) 322-8675 (Home)

John Setzler, Jr.: 234-3557

Viewmont Camera: 327-2959

(Mike)Club Website: http://www.cvcameraclub.org/

Hickory NC - A Great Friendly Town With Lots of Opportunity!

2008-07-31T20:58:00.000-07:00

Hickory NC is a pretty diverse area, a medium sized city with small town charm and friendly folks. Beautiful surroundings at the foot of the Blue Ridge mountains but still an easy commute to Charlotte NC. We have recreation areas, Lake Hickory and a short drive to Lake Norman and Lake James. The community and the Economic Development Commission has certainly been seeking new markets to bring jobs and divesity to our area..

Catawba County NC which includes Hickory, Newton and Conover recently landed a large Target warehouse which is currently under construction and Convergys - a 450 person call center. My personal fave since I am a decorator is - Sutter Street Mfg - a subsidiary of the national home furnishings retailer Williams-Sonoma Inc., that will open a product development, regional distribution and upholstered manufacturing facility here in Hickory NC.

Howard Lester, Williams-Sonoma's chairman and CEO, said the company chose Hickory for this project after conducting a comprehensive analysis of potential sites. "We selected the Catawba County area based on its highly skilled workforce and North Carolina's commitment to supporting the furniture industry and related jobs in the state," Lester said. "We are excited about the opportunity to make an investment in North Carolina and Catawba County in an effort to protect the high level of furniture-related skills that exist here."

Just up the road from Hickory NC in Lenoir, it's all about the GOOGLE buzz.. Lenoir is the construction location site for a Google Server Farm and has 24 hour security.. Caldwell Community College in Hudson has even added classes to help prepare potential Google employees.

Come see my beautiful hometown - Hickory NC !! Photo by C. Gilliam - Downtown Hickory

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Classic Cars, Edsels & Customs Coming To Hickory NC

2008-07-18T12:24:00.000-07:00

The classic Edsel still has quite a following. One of the largest Edsel clubs with members from all over the world will be coming to Hickory NC, July 23-26.

The yearly rally will be held at the Hickory Park Inn & Gateway Center. The public is invited to come out. These Edsel enthusiasts love showing off their classic vehicles, especially on Saturday - 7/26/08. That's when all the cars will be shined up for judging.

The Edsel was Ford's failed car line from the 1950s. The club will have cars from the 3 years of production - 1958, 1959 and 1960.

This photo is Jim Peeler's Edsel. Jim has a unique website for all things Edsel - check it out at http://www.edsel.net/ . If you need more info about the show - contact Jim at jim@edsel.net

Edsels are not the only cars coming to Hickory. This weekend the American Legion Fairgrounds on US 70 SE will feature custom cars by Kustoms Of America. The show starts today - Friday 7/18 till Sunday 7/20/08. Hours are from 8am-6pm Firdday and Saturday, 8am-2pm on Sunday.

You can check out street rods, bikes, choppers, rat rods and mini trucks.. Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and free for children 12 and under. You can see some of these at http://www.kustomsofamerican.com/

"Empty Bowls" Event-Hickory NC On Saturday 2/23/08-Help Feed The Hungry

2008-02-22T16:11:00.000-08:00

Beautiful, colorful pottery bowls are just waiting to be filled on Saturday 2/23/08 from 5-7 pm at St. Stephens High School in Hickory NC.. They not only will be filled with delicious soups donated from local restaurants on Saturday - they will continue to help feed the hungry around the Hickory, Newton-Conover area. How awesome is that??

Becki Henderson-Gow, an art instructor at St. Stephens is helping with this "Empty Bowls" fundraiser along with her students and other teachers. Empty Bowls is an international project that helps feed the hungry. The proceeds from this effort will go directly to our soup kitchens, The Corner Table in Newton and the Hickory Soup Kitchen.

Becki and the St. Stephens art students have been busy designing, making and firing the pottery bowls. Other items and art have been donated for the silent auction as well. You can buy tickets at the school on Saturday - $15 for adults and children's smaller bowls for $5.

Now, here comes the tough part - you have to choose a bowl and they are all so incredible - what's a girl to do- I guess you need to buy 3 like I did - remember it's for a great cause... The choices don't end there, now select your choice of 15 different soups, donated by Longhorn Steakhouse, Golden China, 1859 Cafe, Backstreets, Bob Evans, Sagebrush, Chili's and Atlanta Bread Co.. Yummo, as Rachel Ray would say!!

Culinary students are cooking up yeast rolls and cookies. Theatre students will do a live performance about hunger awareness - where else can you go on a Friday night for great food, fun and entertainment for a great cause for only $15... Of course, you might just want to donate a little more and be sure to participate in the silent auction goodies..

In addition to the ticket sales for the soup and bowls, there will be a silent auction with art pieces, restaurant gift certificates, a 2 Nt Cabin Stay in the Smoky Mountains, a One Day Room Redesign/Makeover along with a "Design A Room In A Box" accessories..

All proceeds will go to the two soup kitchens. So get on over to St Stephens High School on Saturday from 5-7pm and do your part to help stop hunger in the Hickory area.. Buy a pottery bowl, enjoy some soup, bid on the auction items and ENJOY!! Please pass this along - let's help them break their record from last year !! EVEN if you are not able to go by on Saturday- I am sure that you can still donate. Call Becki Henderson-Gow at 828-256-9841 x402 at St. Stephens.

Photo by C.gilliam

Championship Beagle Right Here In Hickory NC

2008-02-14T13:32:00.000-08:00

No- our beagle, Samson might not be in the class with Uno the beagle that just won the coveted Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show but he's still a champion in our eyes!

He recently tried to slay a coyote near Bakers Mountain in Hickory NC - or so we think. He has the battle wounds and we thank the Lord - he survived after a trip to our friends at Mtn View Animal Clinic - can't thank Dr Gary Stutsman enough.. Unfortunately, we are not so sure that he learned a lesson about tangling with something twice your size.

We are thrilled to at last see a beagle as America's top dog. Uno became the first of his breed to win best in show at the nation's biggest canine competition.

"He's a people's dog, a merry little hound," handler Aaron Wilkerson said. A sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden that called and chanted Uno's name stood and roared when he was picked as numero uno. He got right into the act, jumping on Wilkerson and confirming his other title: noisiest in show. Uno - Info Courtesy of Fox News website.

Finally - SNOW in Hickory !

2008-01-17T09:27:00.000-08:00

The wait is over, we finally got SNOW in Hickory NC... What is it about snow that brings such excitement and anticipation? Since we don't see much of it anymore - I guess it brings out the kid in us. It might mean a snowball fight, building a snowman or snow-woman, sledding, skiing or for the "older" kid - the desire to snuggle up, sit by the fire, stay in for the day, read a book or just be lazy!!

Well, that dream of staying home ended about 10:20am this morning as we headed to the office. It was a beautiful drive, very light traffic, everything white and pristine. Here are a few snow day photos around Hickory...

The beautiful pink camelias that I shared with you below last week are even more spectacular covered with snow and ice...

The brilliant red nandina bush also makes a striking contrast with the white snow - reminding me of Christ's blood that makes us whiter than snow when we accept Him as Lord and Saviour.

A snowman happily constructed by a family near Frye Regional Medical Center and our office - Weaver Insurance. I just missed the kids as they went inside to warm up...

Stop To Smell The Camelias in Hickory NC

2008-01-10T13:34:00.000-08:00

Anyone around Hickory NC certainly knows all about our recent drought so I am thanking God today for the blessed rain here. As I looked at the rain from our office window, not only did I enjoy seeing that rain..... I saw another blessing - our winter camelias blooming in all their glory... I grabbed my camera and headed out in the rain to get a few shots.

It's really amazing each winter to get an early glimpse of spring from this hardy bush. It normally overflows with beautiful pink blossoms. We have even had lovely flowers peeking out from under snow in years past.. My husband has practically scalped it a few times only to have it grow back bigger than before.

One thing that I never remembered seeing before this year are the multiple camelia blooms or blossoms on one individual stem... Not only are there many double blooms, but triples and one quadruple camelia flower which I photographed above... Now, of course this could be natural or ordinary but since I have absolutely NO horticultural experience and definitely no green thumb - I wouldn't know but I truly enjoy this little blessing from the Lord ! So....take a minute to stop and smell the camelias or flowers or anything that brings you joy today..

Blessed Winter Camelia photo by C. Gilliam

Hickory NC Downtown Photos

2007-06-14T16:59:00.001-07:00

FINALLY, the blog about my hometown - Hickory NC... Since I have numerous blogs and several businesses - just can't find enough hours in the day to indulge in all my interests...

I received an email comment from a reader of my Living Lean For Life Blog. She saw my reference to Hickory and liked my photo above of downtown. She is thinking about moving to NC and is considering Hickory so she emailed me!! I thought that was pretty cool - so I was motivated to share more info and photos of the beautiful Hickory NC area...

We are blessed to have a very attractive and active downtown business district with restaurants, coffee shops, retail and offices. One of my favorite things is the historic mural of Hickory past. More to come soon .... I hope