About

In 1982, the Hiddenite Art & Heritage Center, a non-profit arts organization serving Northwestern NC, and Appalachian State University partnered to create the Sharpe Chair, which promotes art and culture in our region.

Made possible through an endowment established by Hiddenite Arts & Heritage Center founders R.Y. and Eileen Lackey Sharpe, the position helps develop arts programming at the center and throughout Alexander County. 

The center, which was founded in 1981 in Hiddenite, inspires and cultivates artists to share their creative talents. Students, staff and faculty have worked  and performed for people of all ages at the Hiddenite Center's Lucas Mansion and Educational Complex as well as in Alexander County Schools and surrounding venues.

Sharpe Chair and students at Welcome to Hiddenite sign

Sharpe Chairs are selected from tenured faculty in the College of Arts and ScienceHayes School of Music or the College of Fine and Applied Arts.

Faculty who have been honored to serve as the Sharpe Chair position include:


Teresa Lee (Theatre and Dance)

Scott Meister (Hayes School of Music)

Jason Miller (Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment)

Ed Pilkington (Theatre and Dance)

Eric Reichard (Technology)

Jody Servon (Art)

Max Smith (Hayes School of Music)

Kevin Werner (Theater and Dance)

The Hiddenite Arts & Heritage Center is a non-profit organization that is under the leadership of Director Kara Smith. For more information, visit the Center's website.

Contact

Kara Smith, Director of Hiddenite Arts & Heritage Center, may be reached at karahiddenitearts@gmail.com.

William Schumann, Sharpe Chair at Appalachian State University, may be reached at schumannwr@appstate.edu.