The Arts Council Of Wilmington/NHC

“Desire Path” Featuring Hannah Fridholm & Lisa J. Mullikin
2026-04-24 08:00 - 2026-06-07 17:00 (America/New_York) | 970 Inspiration Drive, Wilmington, NC 28405, 970 Inspiration Drive, Wilmington, NC, 28405, United States
Art in Bloom Gallery is eager to introduce you to the ceramic sculptures and paintings of guest artists Hannah Fridholm & Lisa J. Mullikin – two recent arrivals to our area with fresh perspectives to share! Ceramicist Hannah Fridholm explores the fragility of memory and the fleeting moments that shape our lives, using clay as a medium to embody transformation and impermanence. Through hand-built sculptures and textured forms, she captures the delicate nature of human experiences. Painter & architect Lisa J. Mullikin focuses on the relationships we have with regional landscapes, and the cultural connections we have to place. Since moving to Wilmington, Lisa’s oils have reflected the area’s unique relationships between the placid land, dynamic sky and the formidable ocean.
In the landscape of human experience, a “desire path” is the unplanned route carved by choices, losses, and transformations. Through incorporating mixed media into their creations, Hannah & Lisa explore the intersections between nature, history, and imagination – the transitory moments when we move from one space to the next. This is not unlike our lives in transition, when we are heading down a certain path but suddenly feel compelled to walk through the untrodden meadow searching and hoping for something wild and unexpected. Altogether, “Desire Path” honors memories and the trail we carve into the earth when we stray from the path.
Join us in the gallery on Sunday, April 26th, 2-5pm for our Artist Reception. Enjoy special refreshments, meet our artists, and enjoy live music by jazz guitarist Roger Davis! This exhibit will run through June 7th, alongside a new selection of featured works by our 30+ Gallery Artists.
About the Artists
Clay, for Hannah Fridholm, is not just a material but a vessel of memory. It has a life of its own, requiring attention and care throughout its journey. Like us, it is vulnerable — subject to cracking, breaking, and sometimes even exploding. The process of working with clay becomes a sanctuary, a space where emotions can be expressed and explored. The fragile results of this process mirror the fragility of our own lives. In creating these precarious objects, Hannah’s aim is to make a statement about the precious, fleeting nature of existence.
Hannah’s newest works are a testament to the precious, fleeting nature of life and the resilience found in nature’s lifecycles. Hannah works with clay because it is a material that embodies memory, mirroring the fragility of life. These sculptures act as shrines to moments lost, realized, or imagined. By turning the scars of life into decorative regalia, these figures wear their histories as adornments.
Lisa J. Mullikin’s painting career has been a continuation of her architecture career. She continues to be intrigued by nature, light, and space, and what decisions we make when we are passing through “in-between spaces” – those moments when we move from one space to the next, when the light opens up or closes down and we become hyper aware of our surroundings.
Many of Lisa’s pieces explore these dreamlike experiences where will and acceptance collide. Her recent series add a layer of exploration into the interconnectedness of life. To Lisa, the women in these paintings quietly hold up the world and protect us. They are a part of nature, as are the animals, who are always messengers, storytellers, and deep thinkers. They free us to trust our intuition. They compel us to be our wild selves. Through making, Lisa investigates a world where she can be the animal.

Disney's Newsies Jr.
2026-05-01 - 2026-05-10 | Hannah Block Historic USO/Community Arts Center, 120 South 2nd Street, Wilmington, NC, 28401, United States
Disney’s Newsies JR.
https://www.etix.com/ticket/e/1051614/newsies-jr-wilmington-hannah-block-historic-usocommunity-arts-centerthalian-assoc
Showtimes
Dates: Friday May 1, 2026 – Sunday May 10, 2026
Friday – Saturday Time: 7:30 pm
Sunday Time: 3:00 pm
Location
2nd Street Stage Hannah Block
Historic USO/Community Arts Center
Music by Alan Menken Lyrics by Jack Feldman Book by Harvey Fierstein JR. Script Adaptation by Davis Simpatico
Based on the Disney film written by Bob Tzudiker and Noni White
Disney’s Newsies JR. is a 60-minute version of the 2012 Broadway musical, based on the 1992 film. Inspired by the rousing true story of newsboys in turn-of-the-century New York City, Newsies JR. features a Tony Award-winning score by Alan Menken and Jack Feldman and a book by Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein. When powerful newspaper publishers raise prices at the newsboys’ expense, the charismatic Jack Kelly rallies newsies from across the city to strike against the unfair conditions. Together, the newsies learn that they are stronger united and create a movement to fight for what’s right. Including the now-classic songs “Carrying the Banner,” “Seize the Day,” and “Santa Fe,” Newsies JR. is a timeless story full of spirit and heart.

Robert W. Winston Memorial Organ Concert
2026-05-03 16:00 - 17:00 | St Paul’s Episcopal Church, 16 North 16 Street, Wilmington, NC, 28401, United States
This annual, free organ concert is made possible in part by a generous bequest from the estate of Robert W. Winston, a long-time member of the Wilmington, NC Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.
