Summer is calling, and so are we – for teen artists! Opportunities are open for two creative programs this summer at the DAC: 

Summer Teen Intensives (Ages 13-18) are designed for students with a creative interest, who want to learn more about a specific media in depth. Each intensive is one week and runs for 3.5 hours per day. Bundle a morning and afternoon intensive for a full day! Teen Intensive artists will have the opportunity to exhibit in DAC’s annual Our House show in the Fall. Classes include: 

June 22 – 26: Comic Journaling & Sculptural Mask Making

June 29 – July 2: Plein Air Watercolors & Printmaking

July 6 – 10: Scene Writing & Clay Hand-Building

July 13 – 17: Portraiture & Anime/Manga Sketching

July 20 – 24: Drawing Skills & Perspective Drawing/Design

July 27 – 31: Painting Like the Masters & Clay Wheel-Throwing

August 3 – 7: Oil and Chalk Pastels & Mixed Media Collage 

Scholarships are available for families in need of support! Apply for a Teen Intensive scholarship HERE

DAC’s Summer Arts Volunteer Program (Ages 15-18) gives rising 10th – 12th graders the opportunity to develop resume-building work skills, while getting mentorship from professional teaching artists and having creative fun assisting campers in our youth classrooms. Got required volunteer hours for school or a membership organization? This is the perfect opportunity to get those hours in the most fun way! Teen Volunteers will have the opportunity to exhibit in DAC’s annual Our House show in the Fall.

Tickets are going fast for Art of the Party, happening this Saturday, February 28, and now is the time to secure your spot! This lively evening brings together art, food, music, and community for a one-of-a-kind celebration that supports local artists, arts education, and creative programs throughout Durham. Experience immersive party showcases, interactive art moments, delicious bites, and plenty of chances to dance and celebrate the creative spirit of our community.

The Silent Auction Is Now Open! You don’t have to wait for the event to start bidding. osilent auction is live, featuring unique artwork, experiences, and locally inspired packages from talented artists and community partners. Take a look, place your bids, and help support the arts while scoring something special. Every bid helps fuel programs that keep Durham’s creative community thriving.

Here is our monthly featured artist(s) to highlight the Durham Arts Network and get more traction. 

Larry & Joe were destined to make music together. Larry Bellorín hails from Monagas, Venezuela and is a legend of Llanera music. Joe Troop is from North Carolina and is a GRAMMY-nominated bluegrass and old-time musician. Larry was forced into exile and is an asylum seeker in North Carolina. Joe, after a decade in South America, got stranded back in his stomping grounds in the pandemic. Larry works construction to make ends meet. Joe’s acclaimed “latingrass” band Che Apalache was forced into hiatus, and he shifted into action working with asylum seeking migrants.

Currently based in the Triangle of North Carolina, both men are versatile multi-instrumentalists and singer-songwriters on a mission to show that music has no borders. As a duo they perform a fusion of Venezuelan and Appalachian folk music on harp, banjo, cuatro, fiddle, guitar, maracas and whatever else they decide to throw in the van. The program they offer features a distinct blend of their musical inheritances and traditions as well as storytelling about the ways that music and social movements coalesce.

See what they’ve got going on!

Website | Watch PBS Special with Dulé Hill

For Booking & Management contact Kayla Oelhafen at kayla.oelhafen@gmail.com

The Durham Arts Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and local arts agency dedicated to supporting the arts in Durham and the NC Triangle Region since 1954. Each year DAC serves over 400,000 visitors and participants, over 2,000 artists, and more than 300 arts and cultural organizations through classes, workshops, events, grants, and advocacy.

DAC is a catalyst in the cultural development of Durham – it leads, inspires, and promotes excellence in and access to the creation, experience, and active support of the arts for all the people of our community.