The Arts Council Of Wilmington/NHC

Jengo's Fall Film Series- "Bunnylovr"
2025-10-03 19:30 - 21:30 (America/New_York) | Jengo’s Playhouse, 815 Princess Street, Wilmington, 28401
A drifting Chinese American cam girl struggles to navigate an increasingly toxic relationship with one of her clients while rekindling her relationship with her dying estranged father.

App State Steely Pan Steel Band in FREE Concert
2025-09-28 15:00 - 16:00 | Music on Market, 1416 Market St., Wilmington, NC
Join us for a musical journey with the Steely Pan Steel Band from Appalachian State University! This dynamic ensemble delivers an exhilarating mix of calypso, classical masterpieces, classic rock and roll and even some heartwarming Appalachian mountain music. These talented musicians will have you dancing in your seat and singing along. Don’t miss out on this unique celebration of sound!
*All Music on Market Concerts are free, open to the public and family friendly*
*Tickets are not required. Venue Seating is Limited. Seating is on First-Come, First-Served basis.*

DareDevil Improv Presents: The Cargo District Comedy Powder Keg
2025-09-27 19:30 - 21:30 | Azalea Station, 1502 Castle St., Wilmington, NC, 28401, United States
Join Wilmington’s finest comedians and improvisers for a night of SNL style sketches, outrageous characters, and hilarious improv based on your suggestions! 18+

Jengo's Fall Film Series- "Muppets from Space"
2025-09-26 19:30 - 21:30 | Jengo’s Playhouse, 815 Princess Street, Wilmington, 28401
When Gonzo’s breakfast cereal tells him that he’s the descendant of aliens from another planet, his attempts at extraterrestrial communication get him kidnapped by a secret government agency, prompting the Muppets to spring into action. It’s hard to believe Gonzo’s story at first, but Kermit and friends soon find themselves on an epic journey into outer space filled with plenty of intergalactic misadventures.

Wilmington Voices Chamber Recital
2025-09-26 19:30 - 20:30 | landfall/Kenan Chapel, 510 Arboretum Drive, Wilmington, NC, 28405, United States
Join us for a captivating performance of classical music featuring acclaimed concert pianist and collaborative pianist of Wilmington Voices, Elizabeth Lopartis as well as celebrated cellist, Hillary Flowers.
This exceptional duo will perform masterworks by Chopin, Schubert, Liszt, and Rachmaninov to name a few. The listener will experience a program of expressive depth and virtuosic beauty. Don’t miss this unforgettable FREE musical experience.
Tickets will be distributed to guests on Monday September 22 at the public library: 1421 Military Cutoff Rd. For more information: www.wilmingtonvoices.com or contact angela@wilmingtonvoices.com

Soup to Nuts Live! Featuring Dear MariBella and the Pigkickers
2025-09-25 19:30 - 20:30 | McErny Gallery at WHQR, 254 North Front Street, Suite 300, Wilmington, 28401, United States
Dear MariBella and the Pigkickers will perform on Thursday, September — at 7:30 pm (doors open 6:30 pm) in the MC Erny Gallery at 254 N. Front St. in downtown Wilmington. Price: $10 suggested donation at the door. Reserve a seat by sending an email to soup@whqr.org or call 910-343-1640 Ext 203 during regular business hours.
With music rooted deeply in the Blue Ridge Mountains and feet planted firmly in the Carolina sand, their style is not just a sound, but a journey through family ties and tradition.
Dear MariBella and the Pigkickers are an up-and-coming sibling bluegrass band. Born and raised near Wilmington, NC, the band formed in 2021 when the siblings decided that there was no reason not to! The band features Isabella on the fiddle, AnnMari on the guitar, Pete on the banjo, Chris on the mandolin and Dad on bass. They are set to serenade your soul with their harmonious melodies and foot stomping fun. Catch a live show and get ready to be swept off your feet as they infuse their performances with a blend of music, faith, kinship, and a whole lot of heart.
Dear MariBella and the Pigkickers were recently honored to be chosen as the opening act for Sam Bush in Wilmington, NC. They played on the IBMA World of Bluegrass official youth stage in 2024 and 2025, Merlefest 2025, and they are also selected to play at the NC Folk Festival this September!
Find out more about the band on their website, Facebook, or Instagram.
Join us for an exciting evening of original music with MariBella and the Pigkickers at STNL!

Adult Story Hour with CFLC
2025-09-23 17:00 - 19:00 | Azalea Station, 1502 Castle St., Wilmington, NC, 28401, United States
Adult Story Hour is a six-week series of once-weekly events held at Azalea Station in Wilmington’s Cargo District. Modeled after NPR’s Selected Shorts, each evening features local authors, artists, and entertainers reading short pieces they love (but didn’t write) to a live audience. With great drinks, follow up panel discussions, and nearby delicious dining options, it’s a great night out for anyone who enjoys stories.
Featured speakers are:
Rhonda Bellamy, Nina de Gramont, John Jeremiah Sullivan, Anita Thomas, Zach Hanner, and Celia Rivenbark.

Artist Reception – “Earthly Elements” with Debra Bucci & Brian Evans
2025-09-21 14:00 - 17:00 | 970 Inspiration Drive, Wilmington, NC 28405, 970 Inspiration Drive, Wilmington, NC, 28405, United States
Need a creative afternoon of art, live music, and refreshments? Join us in the gallery on Sunday, September 21st, 2-5pm for our Artist Reception featuring Debra Bucci & Brian Evans. Enjoy special refreshments, meet our artists, and enjoy live music by jazz guitarist Roger Davis!
Art in Bloom Gallery is excited to pair the creations of painter Debra Bucci and ceramicist Brian Evans in their elementally inspired exhibit. After surviving an action-packed year, Debra’s newest acrylics uncover the “calm” in nature, featuring rippling waters, radiant light, and abstract textures. Meanwhile, Brian’s altered vessels emerge from nature’s fundamental building blocks. Formed from soft, wheel thrown clay, Brian’s glazes emulate the water erosion, oxidation, and scorched surfaces of nature. Stop in to see their newest works from the studio!
Gallery events are always free and open to the public. On view along with these exhibits, Art in Bloom Gallery showcases a plethora of fine art by over 30 local artists. Art in Bloom is open Monday–Thursday 10am-5pm, Friday – Saturday 10am–6pm and Sunday 12-5pm at 970 Inspiration Drive, Mayfaire Town Center, Wilmington, NC.

A NEW ERA: OPENING NIGHT WITH PETER ASKIM
2025-09-20 19:30 - 21:30 | Wilson Center Cape Fear Community College, 703 N 3rd St, Wilmington, 28401
2025 GRAMMY-winning Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz’s incandescent Kauyumari kicks off the WSO’s New Era with a bang, its pulsing rhythms and its relentless energy serving as a metaphor for this exciting new chapter in the orchestra’s history. Following the success of the world premiere of his commissioned work Elegy for the Victims of 1898 at the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra’s November 2023 concert Project 1898, the WSO is proud to once again commission a new piece from Wilmington’s own Algernon Robinson. Drawing on his lifelong connection to the city and the orchestra, Robinson brings a fresh, forward-looking approach to composition, making him a visionary voice who bridges the WSO’s past and future, tradition and innovation. Tchaikovsky’s powerful, lyrical Symphony No. 5 is a journey through human emotion itself, from tragedy to triumph. Encompassing the melancholy of the first movement, the timeless beauty of the second movement (whose Horn solo has inspired numerous popular songs) and rhythmic excitement, it leads to a glorious, joyous conclusion: setting the scene for an exciting season – and Era – to come.

Cape Fear Arts in Motion Shimmer, Steps, Strings
2025-09-19 19:30 - 21:30 | Thalian Hall Main Stage, 310 Chestnut Street, Wilmington, NC
Dance

William and Judith - a play by Cody Daigle-Orians
2025-09-18 19:30 - 2025-09-28 21:30 | Thalian Hall – Ruth & Bucky Stein Theatre, 310 Chestnut St, Wilmington, NC, 28401, United States
“William and Judith” imagines the relationship between William Shakespeare and his equally talented sister, Judith, who arrives in London after being disowned for refusing marriage. Will is facing a crisis of his own- nearing his career’s end, his creative well is running dry, forcing him to rely on collaborators like young John Fletcher. When Burbage requires a play, and Will has none, an act of creative thievery threatens to bring his career- and family life- to an end.

Cape Fear Arts in Motion Shimmer, Steps, Strings
2025-09-18 19:30 - 21:30 | Thalian Hall Main Stage, 310 Chestnut Street, Wilmington, NC
Dance with musical artists

Tomáš Kubínek— Certified Lunatic & Master of the Impossible
2025-09-12 19:30 - 22:30 | UNCW Kenan Auditorium, 515 Wagoner Dr, Wilmington, NC 28403, Wilmington, NC, 28036, United States
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s Tomáš Kubínek in Certified Lunatic & Master of the Impossible! A collision of theatre and music-hall, this exuberant one-man show is equal parts comic brilliance, virtuosic vaudeville, and irresistible charm. With The Seattle Times calling the show, “Equal parts old-time clowning and Monty Pythonesque silliness…the hottest ticket at the festival!”
The show is intended for Adult Audiences.
Tomáš Kubínek – (toh-mawsh koo-bee-neck), was born in Prague and at the age of three was smuggled out of the country by his parents to escape the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia.
After two months in a refugee camp in Austria, the Kubínek family was granted asylum in Canada and it was there, in St. Catharines, Ontario, that Tomáš, age 5, witnessed his first circus.
He became passionately interested in clowns, circus, theater and magic and his perplexed yet well-adjusted parents took him to see every show that passed through town.
At age 9 he presented his first performance before a circle of elderly magicians. By age 13 he had an agent. He performed in coffee-houses between folk-music acts and while still in his teens, he made his circus debut with a Brazilian clown duo as the rear half of a two-person horse. There was no turning back…
Working any and all jobs related to showbiz, the enterprising Mr. Kubínek was able to save money and travel to Europe to study with some of the world’s greatest teachers of theatre including; Monika Pagneaux, Pierre Byland, Jaques Lecoq and Boleslav Polívka.
These studies, combined with his own tireless experiments in the art of live performance, led to the creation of his award-winning solo stage shows which play to capacity crowds at theaters, international arts festivals, and in television broadcasts throughout the world.

Little Lunch Music with Harken Here Folk Ensemble
2025-09-08 12:00 - 13:00 | McErny Gallery at WHQR, 254 North Front Street, Suite 300, Wilmington, 28401, United States
WHQR’s “A Little Lunch Music” is back on Monday with a live performance by the new Wilmington Americana music group, Harken Here Folk Ensemble. Join us for tea and treats and a free concert of bluegrass, Americana and more – this Monday at noon in the MC Erny Gallery at WHQR in downtown Wilmington.

“Discovering the Art of Dr. Seuss” Weekend Pop-Up Exhibit
2025-08-30 - 2025-08-31 | 970 Inspiration Drive, Wilmington, NC 28405, 970 Inspiration Drive, Wilmington, NC, 28405, United States
While Theodor Seuss Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, is best known through his fantastic body of children’s books, his varied artistic journey extends far beyond the printed page. Beginning his career in the 1920s as a little-known editorial cartoonist, The Art of Dr. Seuss project offers a rare glimpse into the artistic life of this celebrated American icon and chronicles almost seven decades of uniquely Seussian work.
Join us in the gallery on Saturday, August 30th & Sunday, August 31st for this Weekend Pop-Up, Free and Open to the public. The Pop-Up features The Art of Dr. Seuss Collection! This exhibit is presented in collaboration with the Gallery of Fine Art – one of just 99 Authorized Galleries entrusted to offer these limited-edition reproductions by the Seuss Estate. Explore lithographs, serigraphs, and sculptures reproduced from Seuss’s original drawings and paintings, discover the stories behind his creations with The Gallery of Fine Art owner Mike Golonka, and meet National Gallery Accounts manager Jes Stiner, representing the Estate of Dr. Seuss!
Join us for our special events during this Weekend Pop-Up! The following events are free and open to the public:
Saturday, August 30th, 12-2pm ~ ARTIST TALK with ART EXPERTS
The talk is free and open to the public and will focus upon the Art and Life of Theodor Geisel, Dr. Suess presented by Seussian art experts.This special talk will be led by Mike Golonka, Owner of The Gallery of Fine Art, and Jes Stiner, Manager of National Gallery Accounts for The Art of Dr. Seuss based in Los Angeles. Their talk will be followed by a Q&A session as we learn about the extraordinary life and art of Dr. Seuss and his inspirational legacy. (Click here to register)
Sunday, August 31st, 2-5pm ~ RECEPTION
The reception is free and open to the public. Join us for a special reception to view the art of Theodor Geisel! Meet the Art of Dr. Seuss experts Mike Golonka and Jes Stiner, while you enjoy food, drink, and conversation.
———
The Art of Dr. Seuss Collection
For over 60 years, Dr. Seuss’s illustrations brought a visual realization to his fantastic and imaginary worlds. However, his artistic talent went far beyond the printed page. Revealing a dazzling rainbow of hues not seen in the primary-color palette of his books for children, Ted’s “Secret Art” paintings exhibit a sophisticated, technically accomplished, and often quite unrestrained side of his talent.
Seuss always dreamed of sharing his “Secret Art” with his fans and had entrusted his wife, Audrey, to carry out his wishes once he was gone. In 1997, this dream was realized when The Art of Dr. Seuss project was launched. For the first time, collectors were able to see and acquire lithographs, serigraphs, and sculptures reproduced from Ted’s original drawings and paintings. In her introduction to the collection Audrey Geisel wrote: “I remember telling Ted that there would come a day when many of his paintings would be seen, and he would thus share with his fans another facet of himself—his private self. That day has come. I am glad.”

Happy Hour with Gary Gillespie Israel & The Dorothy M. Gillespie Foundation
2025-08-19 17:00 - 19:00 | 970 Inspiration Drive, Wilmington, NC 28405, 970 Inspiration Drive, Wilmington, NC, 28405, United States
Join us in welcoming Gary Gillespie Israel, President of the Dorothy M. Gillespie Foundation, for another Happy Hour at Art in Bloom! Gary and The Foundation have donated original art by Dorothy Gillespie (1920-2012) to over a dozen locations throughout our community – including a new selection of works at Art in Bloom!
Visit us in Mayfaire Town Center on Tuesday, August 19, 5-7pm, for this special reception! Enjoy hors d’oeuvres, drinks, a chance to speak with Gary, and view the acclaimed sculptures and creations of Dorothy Gillespie (1920-2012).
Gallery events are always free and open to the public. On view alongside this exhibit, Art in Bloom Gallery showcases a plethora of fine art by over 30 local artists.
Preview the works and discover the story behind Dorothy Gillespie’s close ties to Wilmington at: https://aibgallery.com/artist/dorothy-gillespie/ See less

"Fanged Dreams" Featuring the works of Carolyn Colby and HP Fangs
2025-08-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Elsewhere Salon, 511 Castle ST, Wilmington, NC, 28401, United States
Elsewhere invites you into “Fanged Dreams”, a one-night mashup of wild imagination, luminous beauty, and unapologetic goofiness.
Wilmington artist Carolyn Colby conjures dreamscapes that shimmer like stained glass—only if stained glass could sprout cats in flower crowns wearing space helmets, mermaids made of petals, and flocks of cosmic owls sailing through surreal universes. Her work pulls you in with jewel-toned layers and “how-did-she-even-make-that?” detail, the kind that makes you lean in until your nose almost touches the glass.
HP Fangs brings the bite — but in the dopest way possible. Known for putting big teeth on just about anything (seriously, nothing is safe), Fangs’ illustrations are fueled by 80s/90s pop culture, comic book swagger, and a sharp sense of humor. His characters grin, snarl, and smirk at you in marker-bright colors, all while reminding you that art can be both cool and ridiculous.
Together, Colby and Fangs serve up a visual conversation that’s part daydream, part Saturday morning cartoon — a “what if?” collision of beauty and bite, sparkle and snicker. It’s gonna be dope.

"Fanged Dreams" Featuring the works of Carolyn Colby and HP Fangs
2025-08-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Elsewhere Salon, 511 Castle ST, Wilmington, NC, 28401, United States
On August 16th, Elsewhere invites you into “Fanged Dreams”, a one-night mashup of wild imagination, luminous beauty, and unapologetic goofiness. Wilmington artist Carolyn Colby conjures dreamscapes that shimmer like stained glass—only if stained glass could sprout cats in flower crowns wearing space helmets, mermaids made of petals, and flocks of cosmic owls sailing through surreal universes. Her work pulls you in with jewel-toned layers and “how-did-she-even-make-that?” detail, the kind that makes you lean in until your nose almost touches the glass.
HP Fangs brings the bite — but in the dopest way possible. Known for putting big teeth on just about anything (seriously, nothing is safe), Fangs’ illustrations are fueled by 80s/90s pop culture, comic book swagger, and a sharp sense of humor. His characters grin, snarl, and smirk at you in marker-bright colors, all while reminding you that art can be both cool and ridiculous.
Together, Colby and Fangs serve up a visual conversation that’s part daydream, part Saturday morning cartoon — a “what if?” collision of beauty and bite, sparkle and snicker. It’s gonna be dope.

Jengo's Summer Film Series: "Burnout"
2025-08-15 19:30 - 21:30 | Jengo’s Playhouse, 815 Princess Street, Wilmington, 28401
Ada is the girl next door— who sells pot. When a vote to legalize marijuana passes, she finds her unusual and illegal livelihood suddenly threatened. Her brother urges her to quit her alternative lifestyle and go get a ‘real’ job.
Her alcoholic roommate can’t pay the bills.With both girls strapped for cash, one of Ada’s customers tells her about a money-making opportunity ‘foot modeling.’ Meanwhile, the barista at the local coffee shop asks Ada on a date, but Ada wonders if she is merely the “girl with the drugs” to him. Is she just the “girl with the drugs” to everyone? And what happens if the demand for the “girl with the drugs” becomes obsolete? Welcome to Ada’s quarter-life crisis.
Burnout was NC native Lydia Hyslop’s debut feature film, and screened at the 19th annual Cucalorus Film festival in 2013.

Lyrics and Verse Featuring SolTree Reign
2025-08-14 19:00 - 21:00 | McErny Gallery at WHQR, 254 North Front Street, Suite 300, Wilmington, 28401, United States
WHQR and SpeakYaPeace NC Present: Lyrics and Verse Featuring SolTree Reign, a night of live music, poetry and art celebrating James Baldwin’s Birthday, happening August 14 at 7pm in the MC Erny Gallery at WHQR!
RSVP to this event by emailing rsvp@whqr.org or by calling (910) 343-1640 ext. 203! ($10 suggested donation)
Founded by Brooklyn-born, poet and artist Carrie Assata, SpeakYaPeace NC is a movement where poetry, music, and truth-telling build community and spark change.
At the center of that movement is SolTree Reign—a 5-piece band blending R&B, soul, and spoken word into a vibe that’s part movement, part meditation.
SolTree Reign features:
Mahlaynee Cooper – Vocals + Spoken Word
Royce Williams – Keys
Mike Hanson – Master Conga playa / Original Last Poet
Junious Fulton – Drums
Robert Bellamy (ScaleHamHawk Da Poet) – Percussion + Spoken Word
Additionally Featuring:
“Prism” – visual art by Taisha Benjamin
Join SolTree Reign and Speak Ya Peace NC in bringing an unforgettable night of live music, poetry, and power to the MC Erny Gallery — honoring the legacy and brilliance of James Baldwin.
The MC Erny Gallery at WHQR is located at 254 N. Front Street, 3rd floor.

V-J Day - 80th Anniversary Commemorating the End of WWII
2025-08-14 18:00 - 20:00 | Hannah Block Historic USO/Community Arts Center, 120 South 2nd Street, Wilmington, NC, 28401, United States
Please join us on August 14, 2025 as we remember and celebrate V-J Day, On
this day 80 years ago, our servicemen and women who had served their country
at home and abroad were able to think about coming home and living in peace.
From 6 pm to 8 pm we will gather at the Hannah Block Historic USO /
Community Arts Center in Wilmington with a program of remembrance and
Celebration.

V-J Day 80th Anniversary Commemoration

"Solvent" screening at Jengo's Playhouse
2025-08-13 19:30 - 21:30 | Jengo’s Playhouse, 815 Princess Street, Wilmington, 28401
While searching for Nazi documents in an Austrian farmhouse, a team of experts uncovers a hidden secret buried in its bowels. American expatriate Gunner S. Holbrook becomes obsessed with solving the mystery, and as his sanity wanes, he must confront an insatiable evil. Can he find redemption before it drains the life out of him?
The filmmakers, Johannes Grenzfurthner and Jasmin Hagendorfer, will be in attendance for the screening. They may or may not be the Ambassadors of Soviet Unterzoegersdorf who attended Cucalorus 30, but you’ll have to find out yourself!

UNCW’s CAB Art Gallery Presents: “2025 Studio Art Faculty Biennial"
2025-08-11 - 2025-08-24 | CAB ART Gallery, 5270 Randall Dr, Wilmington, NC, 28403, United States
University of North Carolina Wilmington’s “2025 Studio Art Faculty Biennial” will open in UNCW’s Cultural Arts Building Art Gallery on July 31, 2025. A public reception will be held on Thursday, August 28, 2025 from 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.
The exhibition will run through Wednesday, September 10, 2025.
The 2025 Faculty Biennial features current work in a diverse range of media explored by University of North Carolina Wilmington’s studio art faculty members:
Shannon Bourne, Rebecca Chappelear, Madison Creech, James Farley, Gene A. Felice II, Matthew French, Courtney Johnson, Katie Knoeringer, Anne Lindberg, Anna Pagnucci, Abby Spangel Perry, Ana Rankin, Loraine Scalamoni, Andi Steele, Taro Takizawa, Pam Toll, and Aaron Wilcox.
The exhibition was thoughtfully organized, hung, and presented by UNCW Art History alumni, Skye Dlugy-Hegwer.
The CAB Art Gallery is located in the UNCW Cultural Arts Building, 5270 Randall Drive, Wilmington, NC 28403 – UNCW’s campus on the ground floor of the Cultural Arts Building, near the building’s main entrance. Visitors can access the gallery from South College Road or Racine Drive, and parking is available in front of the box office entrance to the building.
Summer gallery hours (May 22 – August 8, 2025) are 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday through Thursday, closed on Friday. Regular gallery hours are 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
For more information visit www.linktr.ee/cabartgallery

Jengo's Summer Film Series: "The Grave"
2025-08-08 19:30 - 21:30 | Jengo’s Playhouse, 815 Princess Street, Wilmington, 28401
Two men escape from prison to search for buried treasure and get caught up in a web of greed and betrayal. A classic myth twisted into a suspenseful and deftly sarcastic tale set against the bizarre social structures of the south. The Grave stars Craig Shaffer, Gabrielle Anwar, Keith David and Anthony Michael Hall.

Artist Reception – “Wrapping It Up” Jo Ann Alford & Elizabeth Darrow
2025-08-03 02:00 - 17:00 | 970 Inspiration Drive, Wilmington, NC 28405, 970 Inspiration Drive, Wilmington, NC, 28405, United States
Join us in the gallery on Sunday, August 3rd, 2-5pm for the Artist Reception featuring the collaged creations of Jo Ann Alford & Elizabeth Darrow! Enjoy special refreshments, meet our artists, and enjoy live music by Robert Beauchene.
Art in Bloom Gallery is celebrating the artistic careers of gallery artist Elizabeth Darrow & guest artist Jo Ann Alford through their collaborative exhibit, “Wrapping It Up.” After pursuing a variety of artistic approaches, these lifelong artists & friends are coming together to embrace the strengths of shape, pattern and collage. Whether by layering wrapping paper over oil backgrounds, or building abstract scenes from a single paper element, both artists allow their pieces to emerge intuitively from their creative processes. So even if Jo Ann Alford & Elizabeth Darrow are moving closer to “wrapping up” their artistic journeys … their ever innovating work will continue to develop and inspire!
Gallery events are always free and open to the public. On view along with these exhibits, Art in Bloom Gallery showcases a plethora of fine art by over 30 local artists. Art in Bloom is open Monday–Thursday 10am-5pm, Friday – Saturday 10am–6pm and Sunday 12-5pm at 970 Inspiration Drive, Mayfaire Town Center, Wilmington, NC.
About the Artists
From weaving to watercolor, multimedia artist, adventurer & educator Jo Ann Alford continues to pursue her independent path. After studying fiber arts and calligraphy in the West Coast, Jo Ann returned to North Carolina to expand both her own creativity and the world views of her students. Though she finds herself more “settled” now in retirement, Jo Ann still has a wanderlust for life, within and outside of herself. She is currently focusing on nonobjective collage to offer a more open, personal invitation of her work.
About the series, Jo Ann says, “The first element that is adhered to the paper is a catalyst and may disappear as I respond to the lines, shapes, colors, textures, and negative space. As I travel across the surface, I enjoy the surprises that occur during the process. I’m always eager to see where my artistic journey will lead me.”
Multimedia painter Elizabeth Darrow has made Wilmington her home since 1977. Elizabeth has worked in oil and collage throughout her career, exploring a variety of abstract & figurative styles depending on her medium, but never works “from life” in the traditional sense. Most of the imagery that comes to her seems to hatch of its own accord, emerging from the process. Says Elizabeth about her newest works, “I enjoy playing with color and shapes and patterns, and watching their interplay … watching them take on a life of their own. It’s a magical process.”
In this exhibit, Elizabeth has incorporated patterns found in wrapping paper, and juxtaposed them with each other against a background of oil paint and gestural drawing to create something altogether new. “That may be why the show is called ‘Wrapping It Up’… Or maybe it’s because we’re wrapping up our artistic careers (a process that could take years)… Either way, it’s always fun to play and see what happens.”

Artist Reception – “Wrapping It Up” Jo Ann Alford & Elizabeth Darrow
2025-08-03 02:00 - 17:00 | 970 Inspiration Drive, Wilmington, NC 28405, 970 Inspiration Drive, Wilmington, NC, 28405, United States
Join us on August 3rd, 2-5pm for an Artist Reception featuring the collaged creations of Jo Ann Alford & Elizabeth Darrow! Enjoy special refreshments, meet our artists, and enjoy live music by Robert Beauchene.
Art in Bloom Gallery is celebrating the artistic careers of gallery artist Elizabeth Darrow & guest artist Jo Ann Alford through their collaborative exhibit, “Wrapping It Up.” After pursuing a variety of artistic approaches, these lifelong artists & friends are coming together to embrace the strengths of shape, pattern and collage. Whether by layering wrapping paper over oil backgrounds, or building abstract scenes from a single paper element, both artists allow their pieces to emerge intuitively from their creative processes. So even if Jo Ann Alford & Elizabeth Darrow are moving closer to “wrapping up” their artistic journeys … their ever innovating work will continue to develop and inspire!
Gallery events are always free and open to the public. On view along with these exhibits, we showcase a plethora of fine art by over 30 local artists. Art in Bloom is open Monday–Thursday 10am-5pm, Friday – Saturday 10am–6pm and Sunday 12-5pm at 970 Inspiration Drive, Mayfaire Town Center, Wilmington, NC.
About the Artists
From weaving to watercolor, multimedia artist, adventurer & educator Jo Ann Alford continues to pursue her independent path. After studying fiber arts and calligraphy in the West Coast, Jo Ann returned to North Carolina to expand both her own creativity and the world views of her students. Though she finds herself more “settled” now in retirement, Jo Ann still has a wanderlust for life, within and outside of herself. She is currently focusing on nonobjective collage to offer a more open, personal invitation of her work.
About the series, Jo Ann says, “The first element that is adhered to the paper is a catalyst and may disappear as I respond to the lines, shapes, colors, textures, and negative space. As I travel across the surface, I enjoy the surprises that occur during the process. I’m always eager to see where my artistic journey will lead me.”
Multimedia painter Elizabeth Darrow has made Wilmington her home since 1977. Elizabeth has worked in oil and collage throughout her career, exploring a variety of abstract & figurative styles depending on her medium, but never works “from life” in the traditional sense. Most of the imagery that comes to her seems to hatch of its own accord, emerging from the process. Says Elizabeth about her newest works, “I enjoy playing with color and shapes and patterns, and watching their interplay … watching them take on a life of their own. It’s a magical process.”
In this exhibit, Elizabeth has incorporated patterns found in wrapping paper, and juxtaposed them with each other against a background of oil paint and gestural drawing to create something altogether new. “That may be why the show is called ‘Wrapping It Up’… Or maybe it’s because we’re wrapping up our artistic careers (a process that could take years)… Either way, it’s always fun to play and see what happens.”
