Arts of the Pamlico: Nearly 60 years and stronger than ever

This article was written by our sponsor, Washington Tourism Development Authority.

Author Thomas Merton once said, "Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time." Surely the arts have found their place in Washington, North Carolina.

Arts of the Pamlico (formerly Beaufort County Arts Council) is one of the oldest arts councils in North Carolina.

From its humble beginnings in 1963 when a group of art lovers was asked to oversee an exhibit at the county fair, to its incorporation in 1972, to its purchase of the Historic Turnage Theatre in 2013, AOP is keeping the arts alive by providing cultural opportunities through initiation, support, and presentation of artistic programs in Beaufort County and the surrounding region.

Former Executive Director Debra Torrence stepped into that role in 2016 and has left a legacy of securing Washington and Beaufort County as a strong, vibrant arts center in the state. When asked about her biggest accomplishment during her five-year tenure with AOP, Torrence said, "Taking the vision that the community had for this crown jewel of a theater and being able to engage the community and funders and taking it to the next level and really preserving it for generations to come."

She recalled, "People come in and say, 'I did my first cartwheel on this stage' or 'I had my first kiss here.'" Torrence hopes memories will continue to be made for many years to come.

The Historic Turnage Theatre building first opened as a bakery and shoe store with a vaudeville playhouse on the second floor. Then in the mid-1930s, C.A. Turnage built a second theater, palace-style, on the rear of the building.

Today the theater, under ownership of Arts of the Pamlico, houses art exhibits, hosts musical and stage performances, movies, podcasts, coordinates art walks and homes tours, and even has its own fashion and entertainment museum. However, the beautifully restored, 432-seat theater didn't happen overnight.

"There are thousands of people's time, investment, energy, passion and performances that have happened in this building, and I think being a steward of that for the last five years has allowed me to see the richness and the depth of that," Torrence said.

AOP's Artistic Director Jeff Phipps said its 57th Fine Arts Show, (on exhibit Nov 10 through Jan. 8), is indicative of how area artists have evolved and how the public truly treasures the arts in Washington.

"It's so wonderful. I believe the quality of the art just keeps getting better and better in this community. That's so fun to see. I think the quality of everything we [AOP] do keeps getting better and better, and that's because we're hiring people that have expertise in those areas," Phipps said.

Phipps said the theater staff couldn't do it all alone.

"We have such fabulous volunteers here. They really have stepped up."

Phipps is thrilled to see the theater and the arts alive and so vibrant.

"Arts of the Pamlico is such a wonderful organization, and I'm proud to be a part of it. I think it adds so much to our downtown," he said. "The events that we plan, like our podcasts, First Fridays with local bands and musicians, and our improv comedy group. We have Tuesday matinees with classic movies and Broadway offerings on the big screen for free. It's very exciting."

AOP also offers children's camps and pottery classes for adults.

AOP is in the process of restoring the upstairs theater, which means the Historic Turnage will eventually have not one, but two working theaters in the same building.

Former Executive Director Joey Toler was impressed with the amount of support in the area for the arts.

"I'm very proud of the arts council and its history. Of what everyone in the community has done, and that [the Historic Turnage Theatre] is such a focal point for the arts," Toler said.

For more information about Arts of the Pamlico and the Historic Turnage Theatre, or for event tickets and exhibit listings, go to https://www.artsofthepamlico.org/ or call 252-946-2504.

This article was written by our sponsor, Washington Tourism Development Authority.