Sirens on the Mountain

10/06/2024

Friends of Sirens on the Mountain, our Western NC community was devastated by Hurricane Helene just over a week ago. We are only beginning to comprehend the scale of the recovery effort, but we know already that our community's short-term and long-term needs are overwhelming and massive. To aid in the recovery, Mountain Mermaids Collective is collecting donations in a special campaign, Brittany's Fund (link below). Donations are tax-deductible and will go directly toward meeting critical needs in our community. Our good friend Valentine Cranford Reilly has been a leader in organizing this mutual aid endeavor, which is being coordinated at the Zionville Ramp Company. They are doing amazing work to send supplies, food, and aid to where it’s needed most. Please consider donating to support this crucial effort.

https://www.zeffy.com/donation-form/c26a482d-8fb8-42ee-aa06-5376ca0d05d3

Mountain Mermaids Collective and Kind Design are taking donations to provide rural hubs for supplies, food, water, and essentials in areas most affected by the western North Carolina Helene hurricane. Our goal is to find where support is most needed and provide funding to meet the most critical post...

09/19/2024

Silent Auction is LIVE!!! Click through to take a gander at the amazing art and creations donated by the talented friends of the Mountain Mermaids. We have a range of beautiful items - paintings, sculpture, original art cards and jewelry, handmade quilts, exquisite floral arrangements and eye catching bejeweled plant stakes! You can donate online and participate in the auction even if you are unable to attend the fundraising event this Saturday at the TThe Todd Mercantile Bidding closes 7:45PM on September 21st. A few items need to be collected in person (paintings, floral arrangements), but many can be shipped! We thank you in advance for your participation and consideration. Many many thanks to our friends & their generosity We are honored to share their art with you, and we look forward to raising money to support our mission! Examples of a few of the iterms are seen in the photos. All items can be seen at the zeffy link!🙏🧜‍♀️🧜🧜‍♂️🩷
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/9e5a1687-bcb8-42d5-b760-602bc87e164c

09/14/2024

DIY: Heal the World!

One week until The Mermaids welcome you at The Todd Mercantile for fun, frolic, food….and fellowship. For those who have bought their tickets, THANK YOU! For those who have not yet, be prepared for a week of reasons why you SHOULD.

The first being that this is how we will heal the world. Lofty ambition, perhaps, but hear me out. The Mermaids’ mission is about building an inclusive and diverse arts community here in Western North Carolina. This is a worthy goal, and the effort to build it is indeed a great thing in and of itself. What I am talking about though, is a little bit bigger than even that.

Lots of talk today about the divisive culture. Lots of signs and buttons and WAY TOO MANY TV ads asking you to pick a side. But in general, in life, we folks DON’T pick sides. We all work together. Even though we spend time solo, punching keyboards, we here in the High Country DO go out. To concerts, to art, to church, to First Friday, to BBQs and floats. But when was the last time you made a NEW friend? We often go back to our same familiar group we don’t spend enough time with anyway. And all those people on the internet. Facebook, email…..maybe you think you have enough friends. I know I’ve been guilty of thinking that.

But this is how we change the world, heal it. By making NEW FRIENDS. Listening to different stories and sharing your own. Making new friends is a nice goal, but honestly it’s hard to achieve. Personally, I aim to be friendly to everyone I meet in the world, but being friendly isn’t making a new friend.

That’s where we Mermaids come in. We provide the space, the entertainment and the food - it is always good to break bread. $20 gets you in the door, and a delicious dinner to boot! Money raised goes towards supporting art education in the High Country. Gathered for a good cause, we dance a jig, sing a song, get our bellies full and maybe even make some new friends. All this without cleaning your house or dirtying a dish!!! We do all that, you just bring $20 and your kind sweet selves. Time to get started healing the world.

I’m looking forward to it.

TICKET LINKS:
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/355b9c08-ec2a-4c36-be47-e4599459d41e?fbclid=IwY2xjawFSYD5leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHVN1nqZSicEGAXhTzRB9Vq6rYOGDXS7pqdd4Xa2tdDy3qXnYQYRUT01B1A_aem_oC0Ic1-NSqVCOvBuD3alTQ

08/08/2024

BIG NEWS!
PROJECT EXPANSION
NEW FESTIVAL DATE
SEPTEMBER PARTY IN TODD!!!

The Mountain Mermaids Collective is excited to announce the expansion of our Mermaids Mentors Project, which will now include five mentors. This project was developed to help young artists in the high country gain professional experience with a mentor, and the expansion aims to provide even more support and guidance to young artists in the Western North Carolina community. Along with this expansion, the program dates have been shifted to better accommodate the needs of the participants.

The Mermaids Mentors Project, originally consisting of three mentors, will now grow to include five talented local artists who are passionate about supporting young artists. Artists working in all mediums who want to contribute to the development of a diverse, sustainable, and inclusive arts community in Western North Carolina may apply. Preference is given to applicants who have experience as mentors or educators. Additional information about the Mentors Project, including the application, are at the Collective’s website: www.mtnmermaids.org

The original program dates were set for a summer program concluding in September 2024, but the newly expanded program will begin in January 2025. The final projects of the Mentors Project will be presented at Sirens on the Mountain, now scheduled for May 31st, 2025. This shift in dates allows for a more comprehensive and impactful program for the participants.

In addition, the Mountain Mermaids Collective is proud to announce that we have been selected as the recipient of a Watauga County Grassroots Arts Grant. This grant allows for the expansion of the Mentors Project. To celebrate these milestones and to further support our initiatives, we will be kicking off a matching funds campaign with a party at the Todd Mercantile on September 21st. This event will feature live music, a silent auction, and a delicious BBQ dinner.

For more information about the Mountain Mermaids Collective and the Mermaids Mentors Project, please visit our website (www.mtnmermaids.org) and follow us on social media.

Applications to be a Mermaids Mentor can be found HERE:
https://form.jotform.com/WataugaArts/mermaid-arts-collective-mentorship-

We hope you will join us on September 21st in Todd!!! See you then.

Please click the link to complete this form.

06/16/2024

CALLING ALL HIGH COUNTRY ARTISTS, ages 13-18!
Applications are open for the Mountain Mermaids Mentor Program 2024. If you have a creative spark, we are excited to hear your voice! From the applicants, three youth artists (age 13-18) will be selected to work with a local professional artist in a supportive environment. During the course of the mentorship, these young artists will have an opportunity to take an idea from inception to presentation. Final projects are presented at Sirens on the Mountain, our annual festival, now in its eighth year.

APPLICANTS: You will need to be available for two dates in particular: Sirens on the Mountain, Saturday, September 21 (please be available ALL DAY), and for our orientation on Tuesday, July 9, from 3-6PM. Over the course of the summer, mentors and mentees will craft their own schedules for continued collaboration. If you can commit to being with us on 7/9 and 9/21, then please apply!

The Mountain Mermaids Collective is proud to be the recipient of a 2024 Watauga County Grassroots Arts Grant, and we are thrilled to partner with three outstanding mentors for the second year of our program. Biographies of the mentors are available on our website (mtnmermaids.org).

Liz Lanham (bluegrass musician & teacher)
Kelsey Merrick Wagner (mixed media artist)
Katie Rose DeLucia (visual artist, mental health advocate)

We can’t wait to meet you and celebrate your passion. Apply today! Thanks in advance for your consideration.

https://www.mtnmermaids.org
https://form.jotform.com/WataugaArts/mentee-application

Mountain Mermaids Collective supports the development of an inclusive, diverse, and sustainable arts community in western North Carolina.

04/19/2024

****CALLING ALL ARTISTS!!!******

In the spirit of the spring season blossoming around us, the Mountain Mermaids Collective is honored to kick off the second year of our Mermaids Mentors Project! Currently, we are seeking artist mentors working in any genre or medium to participate in our 2024 Mermaids Mentors Project.
We are thrilled to announce that after our successful program launch in 2023, the second year of the Mermaids Mentors Project will be supported by a $2500 Grassroots Grant from the Watauga Arts Council!!!! The Mermaids Mentors Project pairs professional artist mentors with young artists (ages 13-18) selected from the applicants. Over the summer (June through August 2024) mentors work with these young artists to develop their art (examples may include songwriting, painting, metal work, culinary arts, spoken word, fashion design) with their Mermaid Mentor. Final projects are presented at our festival, Sirens on the Mountain, which will take place on September 21, 2024. During the course of the project, the young artists will take their ideas from inspiration to completion, eventually sharing finished products with a larger audience and receiving feedback. We hope that young people will not only develop their talent through the program but also gain an understanding of what it is to be a WORKING artist.
Mentors will receive $300 to cover expenses, and they will also receive priority consideration for performance at the Sirens on the Mountain Festival. Artists interested in becoming a Mermaid Mentor should fill out the form here: https://forms.gle/Z8N8pPJzXVRUyHFr7
This form and more information are also available on our website (http://www.mtnmermaids.org) to apply. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until mentor positions are filled. For more information, contact Beth Carroll at [email protected].
Thank you for considering this opportunity. Please share this post and information with potential mentors and students! We are looking to develop a roster of artists we can pair with students. Even if Summer 2024 is not an ideal time for you, please contact us if you have interest in participating. We intend to expand the program by adding more students and offering partnerships in ALL SEASONS. We are excited to move forward on Year Two. Join our mission!!!!

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01/01/2024

As the year comes to a close, please remember the Mountain Mermaids Collective in your year end giving! As a 501(c)3 non profit, all donations to our mission are tax deductible. Thank you for supporting our effort to create a sustainable, diverse and inclusive arts community here in the High Country. We look forward to year two of our Mermaids Mentors Project!
Thank you for your support...and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
XO The Mermaids Collective
follow the link below to donate through our campaign:

While Mountain Mermaids Collective aims to provide art and music experiences to people of all ages, at our core is a belief in supporting young artists and musicians. Our Mermaids Mentors Program offers young artists the opportunity to develop their craft with the guidance of a professional artist m...