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North Carolina Living Treasures: 2013 Call for Nominations
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North Carolina Living Treasures

Brief Description
Throughout North Carolina, artists living their legacy have been honored since 1986 with
the North Carolina Living Treasures designation by the UNC Wilmington Museum of
World Cultures. This recognition celebrates the value of traditional crafts, craft artists and
their talents, and their contributions to education and society. Since its beginning the biannual
honor has recognized craft artists who are boatwrights, potters, luthiers, marqueters,
blacksmiths, gunsmiths, basket-makers, chair-makers, and glass-makers. These craft artists
reflect talents that were developed over decades of study and work and the highest levels of
achievement in their respective fields.
 
The North Carolina Living Treasures Award is made possible by an endowment to the
University of North Carolina Wilmington from Martin Meyerson, M.D, founder New
Hanover Radiation Oncology Center (now known as Coastal Carolina Radiation Oncology
Center), in Wilmington, N.C., in memory of his mother, Dorothy Meyerson.
The award was originally conceived by UNCW faculty member Dr. Gerald ‘Jerry’ Shinn,
who coordinated the processes until he retired and moved from Wilmington. Dr. Shinn died
January 26, 2013, in Albemarle. Dr. Shinn was an enthusiastic educator and a strong advocate
for this award. We honor his spirit and dedication this year, in 2013. The award is given
every two years. The last recipients, in 2011, were glass artists Mark Peiser and Richard Ritter.
In addition, the Penland School of Crafts was especially acknowledged for their mission of
supporting “individual and artistic growth through craft.”
 
Focus on Book Art
In previous years, nominations of craft artists who work in any or all of the traditional craft
fields were welcome.This year, we have decided to focus on one craft in particular -- book art. In celebration of book artists as craftspeople, we recognize active explorations of both contemporary and traditional artistic practices related to the book as an art object.
 
Exhibit and Reception
The North Carolina Living Treasures 2013 exhibit and reception will be held at the Ann
Flack Boseman Gallery in UNCW’s Fisher University Union. The exhibit and reception will
be co-hosted by the Division of Student Affairs, Department of Art and Art History, and
Randall Library. Details about the exhibit and reception follow:
 
 
Nomination and Selection Process
Nominations of established book artists are welcome. Nominations will be solicited from people
broadly identified throughout the state and accepted from anyone who may make a nomination.
To be selected, the artist must be a current resident of North Carolina and currently working
at the highest levels of accomplishment in the book arts. A selection committee will assemble information on each nominee and will select a person or persons to receive the award this year. We are in the process of identifying the North Carolina Living Treasures 2013 Selection Committee. Judges will include faculty from UNCW’s Art and Art History and English departments, members of the Randall Library staff and a UNCW Art and Art History student.
 
Placing your Nomination

To make nominations, send the following information to Sarah Barbara Watstein at watsteins@uncw.edu no later than August 29, 2013.

  • Your name and contact information
  • The name and contact information for each person that you nominate
Resources
For more information about the North Carolina Living Treasures Award, see http://library.uncw.edu/archives_special/special/north-carolina-living-treasures
 

 

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North Carolina Living Treasures
Let us begin
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Welcome!

Here in Randall Library's Special Collections, we're kicking off the start of a new school year with a new blog- a space we would like to purpose for the discussion of projects in process, new acquisitions, exhibits and to showcase some of our rare, one-of-a-kind or otherwise unique items housed in the department. It should be fun for us and for you, and we'll all learn something!

Special collections encompasses the full gamut of research topics and formats, serving every discipline in the academic curriculum in addition to a diverse patron base- from the general public to special interest groups to students and research scholars at all levels of higher education. We are home to approximately 17,000 rare and special books, 330 manuscript collections, 1500 oral histories and a variety of maps, photographs and artwork. Focusing on Wilmington and Lower Cape Fear regional history, highlights from our collections include: 

 
  • The Southeast North Carolina Collection, containing books, monographs and maps pertaining to the region or authored by southeastern North Carolina residents.
  • Manuscript collections of prominent Cape Fearians, Wilmington businesses and civic groups, and the North Carolina coastal environment. 
  • An Oral History collection entailing interviews of Wilmington College and UNC Wilmington alumni, southeastern North Carolina artists, military veterans and chaplains, and health care professionals in New Hanover County. 

Other collections distinctive to Special Collections include:

  • The North Carolina Visual Arts and Artists collection created by artist and former UNC Wilmington professor, Claude Howell. The collection comprises newspaper clippings, posters, exhibit programs and other ephemera documenting more than 20,000 artists working in North Carolina between 1900 and 1986.
  • The John Gunn Sports collection, embodying nearly 8,000 game day programs and media guides focusing on both college and professional sports, primarily football.
  • The History of Science Rare Book collection donated by Dr. Ralph W. Brauer, representing international scientific thought spanning three centuries.
  • The History of Medicine Collection, donated by Dr. H. William Gillen, consisting of medical literature dating back to 1600 with an emphasis in neurology.

Planning your visit:

Special Collections is located on the second floor of Randall library. During the Fall and Spring semesters, our hours of operation are Monday-Thursday 9-5 and Friday 9-12; however, we encourage researchers to make an appointment.

  • Only pencils, paper and laptop computers are permitted in the reading room to ensure collection safety. Digital cameras are allowed for use with unrestricted materials, however we ask that you please turn off the flash element. Lockers are available for storage of personal belongings. 
  • Access to certain collections may be limited under the following conditions: when donor restrictions are imposed; when physical condition warrants restricted use; or when papers are being processed. Staff will work with researchers to facilitate access in the case of collections in process.
  • Photocopying is a service determined by Special Collections.

More information regarding our collections can be found on the Special Collections home page. 

 

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