UNC-TV Hosts Virtual Concert Series With North Carolina Museum Of Art And Come Hear NC

‘Offstage Live: Museum at the Museum’ Exits the Stage and Enters the Galleries

to Celebrate and Support North Carolina Artists During Pandemic

Raleigh, NC, 8/25/2020 — This fall, art jumps off the walls and comes alive at the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA). Offstage Live: Music at the Museum is a series of four live, streaming concerts showcasing some of the state’s top musical talent from inside the Museum’s galleries. A collaboration between UNC-TV Public Media North Carolina, the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources’ Come Hear NC series, and the NCMA in Raleigh, Offstage Live: Music at the Museum kicks off Tuesday, September 1, at 8 pm, with acclaimed Americana stars Chatham County Line.

"We have updated our beloved summer concert series to be a unique experience that people around the state, and even the world, can enjoy from the comfort and safety of their own homes,” said North Carolina Museum of Art Director Valerie Hillings. "With the great partnerships of UNC-TV and Come Hear NC, we will continue to bring art to the people of North Carolina and beyond in innovative ways."

These free, live-streamed concerts not only represent the state’s rich musical landscape, but also showcase performing art as an integral part of the programming organized and presented by the NCMA and Come Hear NC. Additionally, the concert series provides a direct avenue for supporting the featured artists, underscoring the importance of the arts and artists throughout North Carolina during this crushing time for live music. The livestream broadcasts will include PayPal or Venmo links for viewers to provide monetary donations for each featured band.

The impact of the concerts will be extended further by future over-the-air broadcasts on UNC-TV’s statewide PBS network featuring behind-the-scenes interviews and more. ”We are thrilled to be helping to bring together great musicians and audiences during these uncertain times, and delighted that the performances are taking place at the beautiful North Carolina Museum of Art,” said Rita Mullin, interim chief content officer of UNC-TV.

Tune into Offstage Live: Music at the Museum streaming live on the NCMA’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/ncartmuseum.

     Tuesday, September 1, 8 pm—Chatham County Line, Raleigh

Chatham County Line ushered in the aughts as an invigorating string band, topped the bluegrass charts through the teens, and now embarks on its third decade with a decidedly fresh, expansive Americana sound.

    Tuesday, September 15, 8 pm—Dreamroot, Durham

Dreamroot features five talented players creating positive, energizing, mostly instrumental jazz/neo-soul fusion jams punctuated by the spoken-word/scat stylings of its poet/saxophonist.

      Tuesday, September 29, 8 pm—S.E. Ward, Chapel Hill

S.E. Ward creates dreamlike sounds that conjure some thoughts of Southern Cocteau Twins with meditative, if melancholic or at least moody, and undeniably mesmerizing music or, as she succinctly states, “somber, big guitar songs.”

     Tuesday, October 20, 8 pm—Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba, Pittsboro

Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba create an addictive, bouncy groove, incorporating the Senegal emigrant’s rich musical traditions merged with the band’s Piedmont musicians, suitable as much for dancing as for getting work done while on lockdown.

Learn more about the series at ncartmuseum.org/offstage.

About the North Carolina Museum of Art 

The North Carolina Museum of Art’s collection spans more than 5,000 years, from ancient Egypt to the present, making the institution one of the premier art museums in the South. The Museum’s collection provides educational, aesthetic, intellectual, and cultural experiences for the citizens of North Carolina and beyond. The 164-acre Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park showcases the connection between art and nature through site-specific works of environmental art. The Museum offers changing national touring exhibitions, classes, lectures, family activities, films, and concerts. The North Carolina Museum of Art is led by Director Valerie Hillings, PhD. Located at 2110 Blue Ridge Road in Raleigh, the NCMA is the art museum of the State of North Carolina and an agency of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, serving under the leadership of Governor Roy Cooper and the direction of Secretary Susi Hamilton, DNCR. Learn more at ncartmuseum.org.

About the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and Come Hear NC

The NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources oversees the state’s resources for the arts, history, libraries, and nature. The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources is home to the state’s 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, two science museums, three aquariums and Jennette's Pier, 39 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C. Zoo, the N.C. Symphony, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, State Preservation Office, Office of State Archaeology, the African American Heritage Commission, and the Office of Land and Water Stewardship. The State of North Carolina, through the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and the North Carolina Arts Council, launched Come Hear North Carolina after Governor Roy Cooper declared 2019 the North Carolina Year of Music. Learn more at ncarts.org/comehearnc.

About UNC-TV Public Media North Carolina

As North Carolina’s statewide PBS network serving the country’s third-largest public media market, UNC-TV educates, informs, entertains and inspires its statewide audience on-air, online and in-person. Through its unique partnership of public investment and private support, the statewide network includes in-person engagement, digital-first social and online content delivery, and four over-the-air channels—UNC-TV PBS & More, the North Carolina Channel, Rootle 24/7 PBS Kids and the Explorer Channel. Its transformational events and content spark curiosity and wonder for all North Carolinians. Additionally, UNC-TV serves as the backbone for North Carolina’s state’s emergency services. Visit unctv.org and join the conversation at facebook.com/publicmediaNC,instagram.com/publicmediaNC and @publicmediaNC on Twitter.