Artists, community members, lawmakers and more gathered at ArtWorks of Sampson on Thursday for a night of art appreciation, wine and jazz music.
The event was labeled “A Toast to the Arts” and was held to celebrate one year of the gallery’s operation, in addition to the art and artists who have contributed to the many walls of the establishment. Attendees chatted over glasses of both white and red wine, or beer if preferred, as the sound of soft soothing jazz music filled the room.
The gallery, located on 306 Vance St. in Clinton, opened in the summer of 2024. Over the course of the past year that they have been in operation, ArtWorks of Sampson has provided a bright, shining spotlight on the North Carolina art scene and its many talented artists. The event caused the spotlight on said artists to be further intensified as many shoes filled the room to appreciate their hard work and dedication to their craft.
“ArtWorks has been working hard to get new faces in the door and bring fine North Carolina art to the public,” said ArtWorks Director of Art Peter Butler. “North Carolina is ripe with many fine artists. I think this shows that visual art in North Carolina is alive and well and I am happy to play a part in it.”
Butler, a painter from Clinton, has worked hard with the rest of the ArtWorks staff to ensure that the gallery is filled with the best of the best when it comes to visual artistry. It is his goal to make sure that everyone who walks into the gallery, walks out with something they will treasure for years to come.
“Hopefully, tonight, people will find something they like well enough to take home with them,” Butler said.
The sentiments made by Butler were amplified by those of the gallery’s Director of Financial Operations Johnny Pridgen, who stated that the event provided a way for the gallery to give back to the community and the many North Carolina artists who have contributed to the past year of the gallery’s success.
“This is just a beautiful event,” said Pridgen. “It’s really amazing to see the outpouring of love here tonight. This is our way of saying thank you to the community and the artists.”
As the night progressed and the sun faded over the horizon, the crowd seemed to only grow. As people went out the door and on with the rest of their day, more began to pile in, contributing to the outpour mentioned by Pridgen. As the bottles of wine were emptied in to the many glasses, more were quickly brought out in their place. The sight of many people in the room, while certainly a nerve-wracking one, was a welcome one nonetheless. This statement couldn’t have been truer for the gallery’s Director of Outreach and Art Teaching Brenda Nordin.
“This is just a fabulous turnout,” Nordin said. “We’re truly blessed to be able to enjoy the company of so many people and artists.”
As the city street lights were cut on, signaling the day’s end and the night’s start, the jazz music wound down and the last glasses of the night were poured. As the eventful evening came to a close, and people began filtering out, a toast was made to close the first chapter of the story of ArtWorks of Sampson. A story that celebrates the Tar Heel State’s art and its many artists.