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.

A Year of Fiber Art by Quilters by the Sea
2026-05-04 10:00 - 2026-07-26 16:00 | The Bellamy Mansion Museum, 503 Market Street, Wilmington, NC, 28401, United States
Bellamy Mansion Museum is hosting an art exhibition, “A Year of Fiber Art,” featuring 40 quilts made by members of the Quilters by the Sea Guild. The exhibit includes pieces created for three quilting challenges, which showcase a mix of patriotic, whimsical, and abstract designs. An artists’ reception will be held on May 22nd from 6-8 PM. Visitors can view the exhibit free of charge any time the museum is open (Mon-Sun, 10 am-4 pm). Please stop by the Carriage House Visitor Center to gain admission.

"BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions" screening at Jengo's Playhouse
2026-05-15 19:00 - 21:00 | Jengo’s Playhouse, 815 Princess Street, Wilmington, 28401
Adapted from Kahlil Joseph’s renowned video art installation, BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions is a distinctive cinematic experience that mirrors the sonic textures of a record album, weaving fiction and history in an immersive journey where the fictionalized figures of W. E. B Du Bois and Marcus Garvey join artists, musicians, Joseph’s family, and even Twitter chats, in a vision for black consciousness.

Hello Dolly presented by the Thalian Association
2026-05-15 19:30 - 2026-05-24 18:00 | Historic Thalian Hall, 310 Chestnut St, Wilmington, 28401
Hello Dolly!
Tickets at www.thalian.org/
Showtimes
Dates: Friday May 15, 2026 – Sunday May 24, 2026
Friday – Saturday Time: 7:30 pm
Sunday Time: 2:00 pm
Location
Main Stage Thalian Hall
310 Chestnut St.
Book by Michael Steward Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman Based on the play the Matchmaker by Thornton Wilder Original production Directed and Choreographed by Gower Champion Produced for the Broadway Stage by David Merrick and Champion Five, Inc. This musical adaptation of Thornton Wilder’s hit play The Matchmaker bursts with humor, romance, energetic dance and some of the greatest songs in musical theatre history. The romantic and comic exploits of Dolly Gallagher Levi, turn-of-the-century matchmaker and “woman who arranges things,” are certain to thrill and entertain audiences again and again.
Hello Dolly has won many awards, including:
Ten 1964 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Author and Composer/Lyricist
New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical
Two 1968 Outer Critics Circle Awards
Four 2017 Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical
Three 2017 Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Revival of a Musical

Hello Dolly presented by the Thalian Association
2026-05-15 19:30 - 2026-05-24 18:00 | Historic Thalian Hall, 310 Chestnut St, Wilmington, 28401
Hello Dolly!
Tickets at www.thalian.org/2025-2026-season/hello-dolly/
Showtimes
Dates: Friday May 15, 2026 – Sunday May 24, 2026
Friday – Saturday Time: 7:30 pm
Sunday Time: 2:00 pm
Location
Main Stage Thalian Hall
310 Chestnut St.
Book by Michael Steward Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman Based on the play the Matchmaker by Thornton Wilder Original production Directed and Choreographed by Gower Champion Produced for the Broadway Stage by David Merrick and Champion Five, Inc. This musical adaptation of Thornton Wilder’s hit play The Matchmaker bursts with humor, romance, energetic dance and some of the greatest songs in musical theatre history. The romantic and comic exploits of Dolly Gallagher Levi, turn-of-the-century matchmaker and “woman who arranges things,” are certain to thrill and entertain audiences again and again.
Hello Dolly has won many awards, including:
Ten 1964 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Author and Composer/Lyricist
New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical
Two 1968 Outer Critics Circle Awards
Four 2017 Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical
Three 2017 Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Revival of a Musical
