About Us

The Blowing Rock Community Arts Center Foundation, Inc. was formed in December 2000 by community members to promote the advancement of cultural arts and humanities in Blowing Rock and the North Carolina High Country through a regional Arts Center; The Mariam and Robert Hayes Performing Arts Center. These individuals believed the High Country critically needed a cultural Arts Center not only to make high quality arts programming accessible to a rural mountain population, but also to bring together diverse communities previously isolated from one another and to allow underserved artists and school children to interact in the kind of institution usually found in America's larger cities. The Arts Center benefits residents and visitors by providing a permanent home for a multitude of arts groups and a facility in which to host live theatre, dance groups, a variety of musical performances, visual arts displays, classic films, and children's theatre workshops. For the first time in the history of the North Carolina High Country, residents have had the opportunity to establish an Arts Center that will make quality arts programming accessible to a rural population.

For nearly two decades, Blowing Rock's arts community has revolved primarily around the Blowing Rock Stage Company. Since 1986, the Stage Company has provided professional theatre and educational programs to Blowing Rock and the surrounding five county region, enriching the area's cultural environment and providing entertainment and education for residents and visitors. The company has presented more than 100 plays to audiences of more than 275,000. The stage company is the primary user of the Arts Center.

The Mariam and Robert Hayes Performing Arts Center is a true community collaboration. From fundraising to ticket buying to performing, the community has been involved in every aspect of the project. The Center is a source of pride for the community and will continue to serve that community for decades into the future.