Durham Celebrates Duke

Duke fans have been celebrating since Tuesday's historic NCAA Championship Men's Basketball win and now the community is invited to Durham to celebrate.

The community will come together to show a little Durham love to the 2015 Duke University Men’s Basketball NCAA championship-winning team with an event on Tuesday, April 14 from 5-6 p.m. at the American Tobacco Campus lawn and amphitheater.

Music and pre-event festivities will start at 4:30 p.m. with the Duke pep band and Duke cheerleaders. At 5 p.m. the team will be welcomed by Durham Chamber President Casey Steinbacher and then recognized by Durham Mayor Bill Bell and Durham County Board of Commissioners Chairman Michael Page. The team will be presented and Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski will give remarks.

The celebration is presented by the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau, Downtown Durham Inc., The Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, The City of Durham, and Durham County to recognize and thank the team for bringing such tremendous honor to Durham through their excellence as a team.

Tenth Anniversary Celebration at American Tobacco Campus This Weekend

Durham's nationally acclaimed American Tobacco Historic District celebrates its tenth anniversary as a world-class destination for everything from business to baseball to Broadway with special events Sept. 4-7.

Events include:

• The finale of the 2014 Back Porch Music on the Lawn series, featuring the ever-popular Chatham County Line on Thursday, Sept. 4, 6-8pm. (Public)
• A private tenant appreciation party with bands and picnics on the fabled American Tobacco lawn on Friday, Sept. 5.
• A private BBQ for former American Tobacco factory workers and people involved in the campus’ renovation on Saturday, Sept. 6, followed by tours of intriguing campus spaces, including private businesses not always open to visitors.
• A public festival on Blackwell Street, Sunday, Sept. 7, 1-5pm. The street party will bridge the original old campus to its recent additions, including Durham Performing Arts Center, Durham Bulls Athletic Park, the coming Aloft Hotel and Diamond View III with its many new restaurants. The festival will also feature tours of intriguing campus places not always available to visitors.

The tenth anniversary story goes back 120 years, to when tobacco barons created a world-beating cigarette factory in downtown Durham. American Tobacco’s factories grew into a powerful economic engine, home to brands like Lucky Strike and thousands of jobs. By the mid-’80s, though, the spark was gone. The factories closed and rotted. Nearly two decades later, Capitol Broadcasting Company joined with the City of Durham to reinvent the icon.

After years of work and tens of millions in private investment, American Tobacco returned in 2004 -- this time as home to champions of all kinds:

• The campus’ roster includes marquee brands such as Burt’s Bees, McKinney, Appia, Bronto, Fifth Third Bank, parts of Duke University and many more.
• The campus is the original home of the American Underground, one of just eight Google for Entrepreneurs Tech Hubs in the world. The Underground -- a launchpad for promising startups -- has grown into a second location in downtown Durham and one in downtown Raleigh.
• An array of restaurants offer popular fare, including award-winning BBQ. The outdoor seating options are unmatched in the Triangle.
• The Durham Bulls and the blockbuster shows at DPAC draw tens of thousands of fans from around the region. Altogether, the campus counts roughly two million visitors each year.

The American Tobacco campus is still growing as a world class place to live, work and be entertained. Its presence in downtown Durham adds to the vibrant character of the city and welcomes visitors from all around the world.

Get all the events happening in Durham on the Durham Event Calendar, and plan a visit online.

Bull City Sculpture Show

In Durham, art is a pretty big deal, so much so that starting tomorrow it will even be on street corners throughout Downtown Durham. Friday, May 2, marks the launch of the Bull City Sculpture Show which will continue through October. The show consists of large-scale installation pieces which will be in place from the Historic Durham Athletic Park to the American Tobacco Campus. Find a map and more information here.

StoryCorps & WUNC Seek Stories of Durham and American Tobacco

As Durham's American Tobacco Campus nears its 10th anniversary as a true live/work/play destination, the interest in its past life is growing. What happened to the people who worked there, and where are they now? What was it like working there? What were the tensions and dramas of factory life?

As part of the American Tobacco Campus' anniversary celebration, NPR's StoryCorps in conjunction with 91.5 WUNC, whose radio studios are located at American Tobacco, will collect answers to these questions, and more, in a month-long story gathering process from April 17-May 16, 2014. This oral history will be recorded as another way of preserving the important history of one of Durham's most famous landmarks.

Structural historic preservation is valued in Durham through numerous adaptive reuse architecture projects like Brightleaf Square and Golden Belt,the interest in oral history is strong here, too. The Museum of Durham History has a facility for people to record and to listen to personal narratives from local residents about Durham's past. Learn more about that project here.

To participate in this project, please contact American Tobacco via email and provide a name, email address and phone number. Describe memories or stories up to 200 words along with photographs or other visuals. StoryCorps’ MobileBooth, an Airstream trailer outfitted with a recording studio, will be parked at the American Tobacco Campus to record the stories. Reservations can be made by calling StoryCorps’ 24-hour, toll-free reservation line at 1-800-850-4406 or visiting StoryCorps online. Additional reservation slots will open on April 18.

Learn more fascinating stories about all of Durham's history online.

Code School Opening in American Tobacco

Kicking down doors and busting through glass ceilings is just another day in the life for aspiring coders in Durham. Now there will be a new code school in Durham to help men and women learn skills in Java, CSS, HTML, Ruby on Rails, and other software languages that are needed for successful careers in technology.

A new code academy, The Iron Yard, is coming to Durham in June at the American Tobacco Campus.The school will partner with Smashing Boxes, a Durham-based technology shop to bring the intensive classes to life. This partnership is just another example of the growing technology sector in Durham, and the integral nature of thriving partnerships in the community.

The code school will hold 12-week courses that will combine practical application, mentorship, collaboration, and teaching, all within close proximity to successful Durham tech entrepreneurs at places like the American Underground and the Startup Factory, just two of many such entities here in town. Students will graduate from the school with the necessary skills to be hired as junior-level coders. There are an abundance of these kinds of jobs in Durham, and this school hopes to close the gap between skilled workers and the need for them.

The Iron Yard will join the ranks of Durham's educational institutions like North Carolina Central University, Duke University, and Durham Tech which prepare talented students to enter the workforce. The new school will also contribute to the growing technology buzz in Durham, already identified and affirmed by Google with its Tech Hub partnership with American Underground. That partnership allows technology developers to interact and have access to Google developers and products.

The Iron Yard and Smashing Boxes aim to teach students who have little or no prior development knowledge. This speaks to the inclusive nature of the technology community in Durham, where diversity is valued and encouraged. Recently Google helped fund Soar, a Durham-based program that connects women entrepreneurs with capital needed to help close the gender gap in entrepreneurship. These programs are just a couple of examples of how the Durham community seeks to support all of its members.

Look online to discover more reasons why Durham is a great place to visit, work, and do business.

American Tobacco Holiday Ice Rink Opens Today

Entrepreneurs turning double axles, rival companies besting each other’s Besti squats and thousands enjoying icy fun are just some of the possibilities in Durham at American Tobacco’s newest can’t-miss attraction: The Ice Factory.

American Tobacco and the Carolina Hurricanes will launch the seasonal ice skating rink on Nov. 15 by transforming the historic campus’ new basketball arena The Cage. Dates, hours and other information below.

“The Canes know the importance of a good teammate and we are happy to partner with American Tobacco to bring the Ice Factory to the center of Durham’s holiday celebration,” says Doug Warf, vice president of marketing, Carolina Hurricanes.  

The new ice rink complements American Tobacco’s already popular holiday celebration including the Triangle Christmas Tree Challenge, Trosa Tree Lot, holiday train rides through Diamond View Park and American Tobacco’s annual Tower Lighting sponsored by University Ford & Kia.

“Each holiday season, our goal is to welcome as many people as possible to American Tobacco,” says Michael Goodmon, vice president of real estate, Capitol Broadcasting Company. “This year we’re expecting tens of thousands of guests to come to the campus for ice skating, singing, dancing, celebrating, community, philanthropy, theater and so much more as we kick off the campus’ 10th anniversary celebration in 2014.”

Below is a timeline of some holiday-oriented events at the American Tobacco Historic District:

The Ice Factory at The Cage - November 16 - January 30

• Tuesday-Thursday: 4-9 pm
• Friday: 4-11 pm
• Saturday: 11 am – 11 pm
• Sunday: Noon-5 pm
• Closed Mondays
• Closed Christmas Day
• $10.00 per person/per session

Triangle Christmas Tree Challenge and American Tobacco Tower Lighting Schedule - Friday, December 6

• Tower Lighting Program: 6-7 pm
• Triangle Tree Challenge Lights and Voting Begins: 7-8 pm
• Voting for Trees continues through December 20
• Trees on Display through January 3

Special FREE Kids Programming @ The Trosa Tree Lot

• Saturday, November 30: 1-3 pm
• Ride the Train through Diamond View Park
• Saturday, December 7: 1-3 pm
• Ride the Train through Diamond View Park
• Make a Holiday craft with the Scrap Exchange
• Saturday, December 14: 1-3 pm
• Ride the Train through Diamond View Park
• Make a Holiday craft with the Scrap Exchange

Learn about more great things to do in Durham with the Durham Event Calendar.

Visitor Demand Drives List of Downtown Durham Hotels to Grow

Increased visitor demand has prompted another hotel announcement for Downtown Durham, this time a 134-room room Aloft.   This announcement makes four new lodging properties expected to come online in and adjacent to Downtown Durham in 2014 and 2015.

The other three are: the 125-room 21c Museum Hotel in the Hill (formerly the SunTrust bank) building, a 54-room boutique hotel in the former Mutual Savings building on East Chapel Hill Street near the post office and a 145-room Residence Inn in Trinity Park near Duke's East Campus. These four hotels will add 458 rooms in Downtown Durham, bringing the total number of hotel rooms to 648 in Downtown Durham alone.

Having enjoyed a fierce coming-of-age in recent years with dining and retail leading the charge, Downtown Durham  is supported by major projects like the American Tobacco Campus, West Village, the Golden Belt Arts Complex, and the ever popular and evolving Brightleaf Square. Nearing its tenth anniversary, American Tobacco is critical on the downtown landscape with the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, and DPAC - Durham Performing Arts Center.

"There has been a huge deficit of downtown hotel rooms in Durham for more than a decade," said Shelly Green, the President and CEO of the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau. "The financial impact of that has been far-reaching including lost business at our convention center and visitors choosing to return home, rather than staying overnight."

Durham currently has 65 hotels with nearly 7,700 rooms.  There are an additional 10 hotels with more than 1,200 rooms under development or consideration in the pipeline.  "But keep in mind," warned Green.  "All of these rooms come empty and it takes marketing the destination to fill them so they can become part of the $840 million visitor-driven economic engine for Durham."

Learn more about why Durham is where great things happen.

Midweek Music Series Coming to American Tobacco

Durham is known for its food, but it is also becoming notable for its music series.

A new music festival will launch on Wednesdays at the American Tobacco Amphitheater from 6 pm to 8:30 pm. The Midweek Music Series will feature local food, bands and brews.

The current lineup includes:

• August 14: The Embers
• August 28: The Breakfast Club (80s Party Band)
• September 4: Abbey Road (Beatles Tribute Band)
• September 25: The Dickens

The Midweek Music Series is sponsored by: Cuban Revolution, Mellow Mushroom, Tyler's Taproom, L'Uva, Harris Beverages, Sweet Water, and American Tobacco

Discover more musical events in Durham at the Durham Event Calendar.

Breaking News - Pit Master Ed Mitchell Announces Durham Restaurant Opening Fall 2013

Durham continues its meteoric ascension as a food destination of note - and the list of reasons continues to grow.  Named as the Tastiest Town in the South by Southern Living Magazine, Durham is now getting another food luminary to put roots in the ground here.

Ed Mitchell, nationally celebrated as a BBQ pit master expert, and who made the Raleigh restaurant The Pit a national focal point, is opening 'Que in Durham in the Fall of 2013.  Interestingly, The Pit, with which Mitchell is no longer involved, is opening a location in Durham this year, as well.

‘Que will be located on the ground floor of the new Diamond View III building and feature patio seating and other amenities alongside lunch and dinner menus starring Mitchell’s authentic whole-hog, pit-cooked ‘Q. The restaurant will have a nice list of features.

• About 150 seats inside with more on a patio
• Casual lunches starting at around $10 and slightly more formal dinners starting at around $15
• Locally produced hogs and vegetables
• A full bar as well as a deep and diverse wine cellar

While Ed Mitchell’s ‘Que’s offerings will make it a standout in the Southeast, Mitchell – who’s been feted on the Food Channel among other media - is just as excited about the location.

“There’s a shared heritage between what I’m doing with BBQ and what’s happening at American Tobacco Campus that makes this unique,” Mitchell said. “North Carolina was built in large part on the Golden Leaf and on BBQ. We’re adding new twists to that heritage. American Tobacco Campus is now a center of 21st century innovation. Ed Mitchell’s ‘Que will feel just as fresh while delivering the best BBQ around.”

Mitchell added that while he has become an international BBQ ambassador to connoisseurs everywhere (recently traveling to Australia), he is eager to establish American Tobacco as a destination for whole hog-lovers from around the state and the world.

Michael Goodmon, vice president of real estate for Capitol Broadcasting Company (which owns ATC), echoed that sentiment: “We’re thrilled that an icon like Ed Mitchell is bringing not only his talent for outstanding BBQ to American Tobacco but a whole lot of new and longstanding fans with him. We always shoot for the best, and with Ed, we’ve got it.”

Local food is a big deal in Durham, so much so that there is a list of locally-owned restaurant that users of Facebook can follow so as not to miss any of the information those restaurants share on the social media platform.  It can be accessed here. Once open, 'Que will be added to the list.  For information about all the dining options in Durham, visit this site.

This story will be updated as additional information becomes available.

American Tobacco Concert Series Moves Location

You can't complain about a free concert in Durham, but American Tobacco is ensuring that visitors will have an even better time at this year's concert series.

American Tobacco’s wildly popular summer music festival is moving to Diamond View Park -- the bigger, even grass-ier expanse between DPAC and DBAP -- allowing more people to enjoy even more attractions.

Now known as Center Stage (previously On the Lawn), the five-event series will feature marque, family-friendly opening and headline bands as well as food trucks, a bounce house, a beer tent and more time to enjoy the fun -- two to three hours.

The high level of quality associated with American Tobacco concerts is guaranteed by the same partnership that’s worked together for years -- the campus’ events team and WUNC-FM’s Back Porch Music.

Signing on as Center Stage’s sponsors are Miller Lite, Yuengling, Leinenkugel’s, Samuel Adams, Railhouse Brewery, North Carolina Mutual Co., Hanging Rock Pure Play, YMCA and DPAC.

Stretching from Friday, May 17 to Friday, October 4, the free series will highlight top flight opening and headlining acts performing from 6-9pm:

• Friday, May 17, 6-9pm - Celtic traditionalists, Solas.
• Friday, June 7, 6-9pm - Dance party with Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band w/ Ironing Board Sam
• Thursday, July 4, 5-8pm - A special collaboration with the Art of Cool featuring The Beast + Big Band as well as DJ, Apple Juice Kid.  
• Friday, September 20, 6-9pm - Yep Roc Showcase: Dave Alvin and the Guilty Ones with Aoife O’Donovan
• Friday, October 4, 6-9pm - Special double bluegrass bill: 3rd Time Out and Mipso 

In addition to music, Center Stage will feature more attractions than American Tobacco has yet seen, including a beer tent, food trucks, a kids’ bounce house and hula hoops, custom corn hole lanes, art and other vendors, plus tents devoted to Bull City Bucks, FOX 50 and WUNC.

“American Tobacco always seeks to raise the bar, and the move to Center Stage means we’ll have more room to deliver more of what has made our music series so popular,” says Michael Goodmon, vice president of real estate for Capitol Broadcasting Company, which owns ATC. “We are immensely grateful to the fans who’ve made our concerts such a success, and look forward to giving them an even bigger and better experience in 2013.”

For more information about events in Durham, visit the Durham Event Calendar.

Aspiring Chefs Head for the Kitchen to Compete for Scholarships

While some teenagers spend their Saturdays studying for college entrance exams or AP classes, ten North Carolina teens will be heading to Durham to showcase their culinary chops. Durham is a widely known haven for food lovers, and we recently named to Southern Living Magazine's list of the Top Ten Tastiest Towns in the South.

Want to see aspiring chefs who crave a future in the culinary world put their kitchen skills to the test?  Go watch them as they compete for tuition scholarships on Saturday, March 2, 2013, 8am-1:15pm at The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Raleigh–Durham, a campus of South University. The school is located in the American Tobacco Campus.

This year’s ten finalists were selected from all entries submitted for the opportunity to showcase their culinary talents. Each finalist will prepare a two-course meal from recipes distributed in advance. They will have two hours to prepare and serve the meal, and will be judged on five technical skills including knife skills, safety and sanitation, organization, cooking techniques and clean-up, and five qualities of the finished dishes – temperature, taste, texture, portion size and presentation.

The Local Cook-off Competitions will be judged by professional chefs and culinary faculty, who will name one first place and one second place winner. The winners will earn tuition scholarships – $4,000 for the first place winner and $1,000 for the second place winner.

The public is welcome to attend this event as spectators. For more information, call The Art Institute at 919.317.3050.

For more information about Durham's great dining scene, click here.

'On the Lawn' Concert Series Expands in Durham

There are lots of ways to enjoy Durham, NC.  Music lovers have great options in the warmer months because Durham is home to several series of music events - one such is On the Lawn, a spring and summer entertainment series with music (and movies), new ways to dine and more.

Bull City BUCK$, an consumer loyalty app designed to help people explore and enjoy Durham (more below).  The loyalty/rewards program will feature a number of fun ways to scan QR codes and earn points to cash in at area hotspots. 

Jazz on the Lawn series is a new series debuting this year. Activities continue until October 5 with events including:

•    Back Porch Music on the Lawn, sponsored by WUNC-FM and now in its sixth year, will feature acts from the legendary Red Clay Ramblers to developing superstars The Old Ceremony
•    Movies on the Lawn, a series of music-themed documentaries selected by the Full Frame Film Festival
•    Other events including Pops for Pops on Father’s Day, three WNCU Jazz on the Lawn concerts sponsored by NCCU and a special performance by the American Dance Festival.

This year, chowing down ‘on the lawn’ is easier -- and tastier -- than ever with the opening of L’Uva to augment campus favorites Cuban Revolution, The District, Mellow Mushroom,  Saladelia Cafe, Tobacco Road and Tyler’s Taproom. 

“On the Lawn is the complete spring and summer get away, right here in your own backyard,” says Michael Goodmon, vice president of real estate for Capitol Broadcasting Company, which owns American Tobacco.  “As we begin construction on our new Diamond View III building, we look forward to serving even more neighbors and fans with great entertainment and opportunities to plug into this dynamic community.” 

On the Lawn’s schedule is as follows:
* Friday, May 4 - NCCU Jazz Ensemble
* Friday, May 11 - Music Makers Relief Foundation Blues Revue
* Friday, May 18 - Tony Rice Unit
* Friday, June 1 - Movies on the Lawn (tbd)
* Friday, June 15 - Adam Hurt
* Friday, June 22 - Lizzy Rose Band
* Sunday, June 17 - Pops for Pop
* Wednesday, July 4 - John Brown & the Groove Shop Band
* Friday, July 6 - Movies on the Lawn (tbd)
* Friday, July 13 - American Dance Festival
* Friday, July 27 - Justin Robinson and the Mary Annettes
* Friday, August 3 - Movies on the Lawn (tbd)
* Friday, August 10 - John Howie Jr and the Rosewood Bluffs
* Friday, August 17 - Bill & Libby Hicks
* Friday, August 24 - Old Ceremony
* Friday, August 31 - Charanga Carolina
* Friday, September 7 - The Red Clay Ramblers
* Friday, September 28 - Movies on the Lawn tbd)
* Friday, October 5 - Movies on the Lawn (tbd)

McKinney Invites Triangle Business to Sixth Battle of the Bands

Durham is full of creativity.  In fact, it's home to the largest advertising agency in the Southeast, McKinney. Turns out, those folks also have a decidedly musical streak, and they get the urge to scratch that itch 'bout once a year.

This year, McKinney’s Triangle Corporate Battle of the Bands gets in touch with its classical side by turning Beethoven lovers into headbangers, Mozart fans into metalheads and symphony-goers into stage divers. McKinney is calling all Triangle businesses to volunteer their musical talents for the sixth Triangle Corporate Battle of the Bands, returning Saturday, September 22, 2012. McKinney’s sixth Battle since 2006 will showcase bands from around the Triangle for one night of corporate rock ‘n’ roll on the American Tobacco Campus lawn.

Why the classical twist? All proceeds from the Battle will benefit KidZNotes, a nonprofit organization that fights poverty and encourages positive decision making by instructing and engaging children in classical orchestral music. KidZNotes serves children in the poorest neighborhoods in East Durham where elementary schools are the lowest-performing in the city with a long-term goal of creating quality youth orchestras around the state.

“KidZNotes and the arts help level the economic playing field for the neediest of children,” said McKinney Chief Operating Officer Joni Madison. “We were so impressed with the great work they are doing in East Durham that we wanted to connect them with local corporations and businesses through the 2012 Triangle Corporate Battle of the Bands.”

“We’re thrilled to be part of the Battle this year. Our kids, who are young budding musicians, will see that music can be an important part of your life always,” said KidZNotes Executive Director Katie Wyatt. “Almost anytime I ask any professional in nearly any field if they’ve ever played an instrument, the answer is yes. The skills and the passion for life and creativity found in the development of a child’s musical skills carry over into the skills they will need as successful students and professionals. The money raised from the event will go to our fast-growing program: We’ll enroll 200 kids who would not otherwise have the opportunity in our program of intense music and instrumental instruction, and build our orchestra to 200 for next year!”

Bands will be allowed entry into the Battle on a first-come, first-served basis. Bands that sign up before May 4 can take advantage of the “early bird special” and register at a reduced price. Each band must have a minimum of three members and a maximum of 10. Bands may have a member or members from a client or an associate company, but the majority of the band members must be on the company’s payroll.

Each year a panel of local celebrity judges and audience text voting determine which bands are rock gods and which are one-hit wonders. Past winners, in chronological order, include GlaxoSmithKline’s The Pharmers, Burt’s Bees’ The Beemones, Capitol Broadcasting Company’s Transmit This! Band from Beyond, McKinney’s Role Playaz and Quintiles’ Counting CROs.

Companies without a band who wish to show their support may participate via corporate sponsorship. Past sponsors of the Triangle Corporate Battle of the Bands include McKinney, American Tobacco Campus, GlaxoSmithKline, Smith Breeden, The News & Observer, VIP Nation, Time Warner Cable, Durham Performing Arts Center, Red Hat and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina.

For more information on more music related events in Durham, visit the Durham Event Calendar.

Art You Need Microscope to See

Seems a bit like there's a trend for small things in Durham right now.  First, The Smoffice competition where the winner will get the world's smallest office rent free for 6 months, and now art so small it can't be seen with the naked eye.

Cutting-edge artists from across the world will participate in the “Art of the Small”, a juried exhibition held in conjunction with the Nanotech Commercialization Conference, April 4-5, 2012 at the American Tobacco Campus, in Durham, NC.  The art exhibition is open to the public on Wednesday, April 4, 2012 from 5 to 7pm at Bay 7 of the American Tobacco Campus in Durham, NC.

Amyloid

Nanotechnology is rapidly transforming industries from medicine to manufacturing to energy.  Since the passage of the 21st Century Nanotechnology R&D Act by the U.S. Congress, billions of dollars have been invested in the science of nanotechnology.  That science is rapidly becoming the business of nanotechnology.  Thousands of new start-ups, bolstering nearly every industry across the globe, are creating jobs, and bringing life changing innovations to market.  The field has also inspired a new category of art, whereby the forms and images of the atomic world are being transformed into new forms of art by the scientific and artistic communities.

The show will be curated by artist and NanoBusiness Alliance founder, F. Mark Modzelewski, an installation artist, who has shown at galleries around the world and curated numerous shows in Boston, Washington DC, and New York.  A panel of expert judges drawn from the worlds of art, science, and science communication will select the winning entries.  The art will be judged on three key criteria:  depiction and representation of the theme, creativity of image representation and innovation in style or technique.

“It’s inspiring to see these inventive and expressive worlds collide to create new art forms,” said Griffith Kundahl, Executive Director of The Center of Innovation for Nanobiotechnology (COIN).  “We are delighted to support and showcase this artwork at this nanotech conference in Durham, a city well-known for both the arts and sciences.”

“My career has combined duel passions for art and technology,” noted curator F. Mark Modzelewski.  “I am excited by this opportunity to work with COIN to expose leaders in the nanotech and biotech communities to leading artists from around the world that are taking science and transforming it into art.”

Dozens of entries have flooded in from leading figures in the art and science fields, from countries ranging from the United States to Cyprus to South Korea.  Following the conference, images of the works from the exhibition will appear in an online gallery supported by COIN for a period of 36 months.

"Jazzilicious" Expressive Jazz Inspired Paintings by Eric McCray

Those who make their home in, or visit, Durham have the good fortune of access to amazing art and culture. On Friday, April 20, 2012, be one of the first twenty-five (25) attendees at the Hayti Heritage Center opening reception of McRay Studios new collection, "Jazzilicious" and receive a free, signed and numbered limited-edition print. The show will be open to the public for viewing from April 3, 2012-May 31, 2012.

Voted Metro Magazine's "Best Local Artist", Eric McRay is proud to call the Triangle home. As a classically trained studio artist, McRay displays his work in the prominent spaces including the NCCU Art Museum, American Tobacco Campus, Duke University Medical Center, NC State University and SAS Institute.

McRay's new exhibition, "Jazzilicious" features fresh-off-the-easel jazz paintings. The collection makes its way to Durham's Hayti Heritage Center for its debut. "We're always excited about McRay's work-his style lends soul and life to each piece," says Hayti's Interim Executive Director, Janella Sellars. Hear some fine jazz music lift off the canvas with each vibrant brushstroke from April 3, 2012 until May 31, 2012.

The Friday, April 20th show reception is free to the public from 8:00p.m.-10p.m.
 

Downtown Durham Businesses Team Up With Bull City Buck$ Program

Durham is widely known as a place of great innovation, so it's only fitting that such a program as Bull City Buck$ launched here this week.  Consider it a quantum leap forward in rewarding customer loyalty in the social space.

It's also really cool and easy to use and can be downloaded from Apple here; the Android app is coming soon.

Several Downtown Durham businesses have joined forces to announce the launch of Bull City Buck$, a new program that gives community members the opportunity to earn rewards by supporting local companies and doing the things they love to do every day -- plus, trying new things.

A consumer rewards application focused on living, shopping, eating and visiting Downtown Durham, Bull City Buck$ debuted at the American Tobacco Campus yesterday with more than ten Durham hot spots on board and more than $5,000 in prizes available for Bull City Buck$ participants.

By simply downloading the Bull City Buck$ smart phone app, Downtown Durham visitors can scan QR codes at participating restaurants, entertainment spots, shops or community destinations to earn varying amounts of Bull City Buck$. Those Buck$ can then be used to purchase prizes in the app’s prize store. Initial prizes include an iPad, tickets to DPAC shows and Durham Bulls games as well as fun experiences like the chance to become a beer brewer for a day.

“We’re thrilled to partner with fellow downtown advocates like the Durham Bulls and American Tobacco Campus on such an exciting program,” said University Ford and University Kia General Manager Jamie Young.  “Bull City Buck$ will reward folks for frequenting the places they love and encourage them to try out new places as well.”

In addition to scanning codes at participating businesses, app users will also be able to find codes at over 20 spots throughout Downtown Durham, like parking decks, landmarks, and various hidden locations.
The application was developed by Albright Digital, a division of Capitol Broadcasting Company’s New Media Group, located in the American Tobacco Campus’ American Underground entrepreneurial hub. Bull City Buck$ will continue to grow as participating locations, ways to earn Buck$, and new prizes are added frequently. Businesses interested in joining the program can email. For more information on Bull City Buck$, please visit the program's website.

The growing list of businesses includes:

•    Durham Bulls
•    DPAC
•    Bull City Burger
•    Mellow Mushroom
•    Tobacco Road
•    Fishmongers
•    Old Havana Sandwich Shop
•    L'uva
•    Cuban Revolution
•    Beauty and Bull Urban Spa
•    201 (restaurant at Durham Marriott)
•    YMCA

Durham Bike Co-op to Benefit from the Tour de Fat

Seriously...it's not gross, although it is a bit funky, just how Durham likes it.

In its 12th season, New Belgium Brewing’s traveling celebration of all things bicycle will make its first mark on Durham, NC on Saturday, June 25 in the Diamond View Park at the American Tobacco Campus when the tour kicks off in the Bull City.  Tour de Fat is more than an event; it’s a rite of passage that includes a costumed bicycle parade, beer, eye-popping entertainment, local food, crazy bike contests and much more.

A highlight of Tour de Fat is the annual car-for-bike swap where one person hands over his or her car keys and commits to one year of living car-free. Each car-for-bike swapper will receive a hand-built Black Sheep commuter bike in return for their car. A swapper to represent Durham in this challenge is still being sought, those interested can visit the Tour de Fat Facebook page.

“We can’t wait to bring our unique style of bike advocacy to Durham,” said Bryan Simpson, spokesman for New Belgium.  “People who haven’t witnessed Tour de Fat don’t quite know what to expect, but that’s what we love.  It’s an uninhibited day of quirky costumes, bikes and entertainment while supporting our non-profit friends.”  However, since Durham is home to the Doughman, it's unlikely that there will be any shocks delivered to Durham's system. 

A few tidbits about Tour de Fat:

• Tour de Fat encourages everybody to team up and present each city with the most colorful, respectful and creative bike parade ever witnessed. (Hint: No one stands out like the guy who was too cool for a costume!)
• Tour de Fat seeks to leave as small an environmental imprint as possible and composts and recycles waste.  The waste diversion rate for 2010 was 91 percent.
• Tour de Fat is free to attend, but beer and merchandise proceeds go to local cycling non-profits. During its lifespan, Tour de Fat events have raised more than $1.75 million for philanthropy.  Last year Tour de Fat raised $331,428.
• All musical acts perform on a solar-powered stage decorated with recycled materials; trucks and transport use biofuel sourced from recycled waste oils; and all vendors operate off the grid.
• This is a pro-bike celebration, not an anti-car rally…non-cyclists are more than welcome to join the festivities. 

The Durham Bike Coop will be a recipient of proceeds from this event, as will the North Carolina Active Transportation Alliance and the Triangle Spokes Group.

2011 Annual Tribute Lucheon "A Huge Success"

The 2011 Annual Tribute Luncheon, held today at Bay 7 in American Tobacco for a sell-out crowd, was, according to Shelly Green, "A huge success."  Green is the President and CEO of the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau, the organization that produces the event each year.

Annually, the Tribute Luncheon honors individuals and groups who have helped shape and preserve Durham’s unique sense of place. This year it celebrates three Durham institutions and some of the individuals associated with them who have worked tirelessly and artfully to achieve greatness. Their organizations have become synonymous with Durham and they have made even richer the tapestry that comprises the fabric of Durham.

For 2011, the theme was "Great Rhythm. Great Blues." and showcased three of Durham's most enduring organizations: the African American Dance Ensemble, the American Dance Festival and the Bull Durham Blues Festival.

The African American Dance Ensemble expresses the rhythm of life and is more than a dance troupe. The ensemble is an agency of positive social change and reinforcement of the human values of peace, love and respect, as well as a world-renowned arts education organization.

The American Dance Festival has its hands on the pulse of modern American Dance. Relocating to Durham in 1978 from Connecticut, the festival floods Duke's campus each summer with about 500 dancers, choreographers, musicians, critics and scholars from around the globe.

Durham loves to sing the blues, but not the kind that speaks of bad luck, hard times and lost love. Showcasing an art form that is reflective of Durham’s rich musical heritage, the Piedmont or Carolina Blues style is upbeat, and just as likely to make listeners jump up and dance as shake their heads in reflection. For more than two decades, the Bull Durham Blues Festival has been held in Durham as a showcase of some of the finest contemporary blues artists today.

This event is produced annually and in the past has recognized the culinary arts, architecture, authors and civic organizations.  To see some images from today's event, click here, here and here.

The event is always a "who's who" of Durham and of the respective community being celebrated with today's event being no exception.  "Events like this help to remind us all how special Durham is, and why we are all so proud to be here," Green added.

Innovation Invasion: MIT’s ‘Fab Lab’ Arrives, Breakthroughs to Follow

The arrival of a graffiti-tagged truck has led to the creation of a wireless antennae for network access in Afghanistan, analytical instrumentation for healthcare and agriculture in India, solar-powered turbines for energy in Norway, and locally responsive low-cost housing in Barcelona.

Organizers from Capitol Broadcasting Company, Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation and Piedmont Conservation Council are thrilled to see what the arrival of the MIT ‘Mobile Fab Lab’ will lead to when it rolls into Durham’s American Tobacco on March 13. The lab will depart the Bull City on March 26.

The Fab Lab will give the community the ability to conceptualize, design, develop, fabricate and test almost anything they can create. From new games to robots to whatever the users can imagine, the Fab lab puts priceless equipment, typically out of reach for most, into the hands of anyone, with the goal of creating innovative ideas, products and services to enrich our community and world.

“When it comes to innovation and entrepreneurialism, Durham is a national leader,” said Mayor Bill Bell. “So it's only fitting that Fab Lab sets up shop here, to show young and old how to turn their biggest ideas and wildest dreams into reality. As a retired IBM electrical engineer, I have a few notions that I may try out myself."

Added Michael Goodmon, vice president of real estate, Capitol Broadcasting Company, “The mobile Fab Lab arriving in Durham is going to be a game changer for so many innovators in our community. They’ve been tinkering with incredible ideas but now have access to the tools that can make them a reality. I’ve got a few ideas of my own that I can’t wait to work out while watching schoolkids, inventors, designers and developers create!”

The Fab Lab includes a computer-controlled laser to cut out parts to assemble 2D and 3D structures, a sign cutter that plots in copper to make antennae and flexible circuits, a high-resolution table-top milling machine to make molds and circuit boards, a larger milling machine to make furniture- and house-sized parts, and electronic components and programming tools for working with low-cost high-speed microcontrollers.

Tushar Mahale, a local entrepreneur and Board Member of Piedmont Conservation Council, said, "Durham has such a rich community of organizations, non-profits, and businesses trying to make life better for all types of people - we want this community to understand what is possible with a Fab Lab and find ways to use it to benefit their target groups or society at large."

MIT has developed easy to use software, materials, and workflows to bring these tools together for use in the field, and people off the street can come in and see how prototyping/fabrication technologies work. They can take a test run, or sign up for lab times to take their concept through from idea to design to prototype.

The Fab Lab will be located at American Tobacco in the ‘Down Under’ at American Tobacco (adjacent to Saladelia restaurant) and will be open to the public from 11am-8pm (Tuesdays & Thursdays) and on Saturday the 19th 10am-6pm. The lab will be open to community groups, schools and other organizations Monday through Friday March 14-March 26. Time slot reservations should be made in advance by interested organizations by emailing stephanie.grant@fablabscarolinas.org and visiting fablabscarolinas.org.

Support of the Arts Only for Deep Pockets?

As many should know and even more need to be told, support of the arts slid dramatically with the economy. Families are working harder than ever to put food on the table and keep roofs over their heads, and philanthropy has become something of a theoretical budget line relegated to the "future" or when "things are better." It's a practical position and few are immune from being forced to think that way, corporations and families alike.

So then, it is remarkable when some, like Duke Medicine and American Tobacco continue to prioritize such expenditures. To them, support of the arts is akin to basic functions like marketing, payroll and taxes - community support is simply not an optional expense.

"The art and culture community are of paramount importance to us and central to visitors at Duke Medicine," said MaryAnn Black, Associate Vice President of Community Relations at Duke Medicine.  "That is why we display artwork from local artist throughout our facilities.  We consider our contribution to the arts community to be a great investment in the quality of life," Black  added.

Durham's upcoming Annual Tribute Luncheon is a celebration of an aspect of Durham's unique sense of place.  This year's theme, "Great Rythm, Great Blues" is an opportunity to shine a light on three Durham organizations that have brought music and dance to the place where great things happen, and given them a base from which to bring those things to the world.  The African American Dance Ensemble, the American Dance Festival, and the Bull Durham Blues Festival will be honored at the April 27th event at Bay 7.

"Durham thrives on the arts, and American Tobacco has always been a hub for homegrown music, painting, photography and films.  In boom times and tough times, the arts capture who we are and inspire us to be more," said Michael Goodmon, vice president of real estate for Capitol Broadcasting Company, which owns American Tobacco where Bay 7 is located.

Sustaining those things that speak to a community's identity is a valuable position, and Durham is lucky to have heavy hitting players in the business community standing guard at the gates.  That said, levels of giving for individuals are still low.  A great thing for Durham is that residents hold these forms of expression in high regard, and as the economy improves, so will support for the arts.