By VIRGINIA BROWN

When Pat Smith, a former clogger and retired preschool teacher, walked into the Crews Recreation Center in Matthews to participate in a free Culture Blocks program, she never expected it to have such a profound effect on her spirit.

As a senior, her goal was simply to keep moving. Drawn to Patrice Commodore’s “Dance Without Limits” program, she spent a series of weeks exploring salsa, African, jazz, and other kinds of dance.

“I was having fun and making friends,” she said. “Yes, it was a dance class, but it was much more for me: It was also a place of connection, where participants could be heard sharing local happenings, encouragement, and support.”

During these weekly check-ins, Commodore learned that “Ms. Pat,” as she became known, had a passion for crafting. As the dance program was about to end, Commodore asked Ms. Pat to join her STEAM-focused summer camp to lead a craft.

“At first, she was nervous,” said Commodore. “Ms. Pat had worked with preschoolers, but these students were much older.” Commodore reassured her that it would work, and it became a standing appointment at the camp. “The campers and Ms. Pat built strong connections and learned through the experience. Their time together has affirmed my long-standing belief that, when boundaries are eliminated, the possibilities are endless.”

ASC launched the Culture Blocks program in 2015, after studying data from Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s 2013 Quality of Life Explorer, which indicated that a majority of predominantly minority-based, lower-income neighborhoods had drastically lower levels of arts participation than others in the region.

“Many areas across Mecklenburg County had limited access to Charlotte’s arts and culture scene due to transportation and financial barriers. Culture Blocks bridges that gap by providing free arts, science, and history experiences directly within these communities, bringing the programming closer to where residents live,” said Claudia Griffin, Program Director for ASC’s Culture Blocks.

Culture Blocks began that year, with five geographical blocks. Nearly 10 years later, in fiscal year 2024, the ASC has doubled the number of represented blocks, offering 1,037 programs through 71 providers at community spaces across the county. Over 35,000 residents participated in the programs last year. 

Given the program’s success, the ASC is dedicated to expanding offerings like Commodore’s to the suburbs, from Matthews-Mint Hill to Cornelius and Huntersville. “We want to support cultural experiences, not only in the Charlotte region, but also all around the wider county,” said Griffin.

One newer provider is Burnt Reeds, a musical quintet made up of local musicians. In 2023, the ensemble commissioned local composers to write music inspired by the Carolinas.

“We value playing music by different types of people and different genders, ethnicities, and we realized, with the reed quintet, that a lot of composers for this genre are still Eurocentric men,” said Teil Taliesin, one of the musicians. “We put a strong focus on bringing as many voices to the table as possible—younger composers, more established composers, those of different ethnicities and different types of music.”

“One For Me, One For You,” by Zach Zubow, pays homage in six movements to Carolinas’ beer culture, with odes to Charlotte breweries, including Legion, Triple C, Free Range, and Birdsong. “Land of the Sky,” by Jessica Lindsey, juxtaposes field recordings of a Carolina wren with the sounds of a train to question the price of progress. And Amber Ferenz’s “From the Mountains to the Sea” takes listeners on a musical and emotional journey across North Carolina, from the Blue Ridge to the Outer Banks.

The commission process took only a year, and last August, the group toured “Homegrown Melodies,” for free to all 10 Culture Blocks.

At Marion Diehl Recreation Center, an unexpected encounter took place. “A photographer showed up, took photos of us, and wrote this amazing poem about how much the program impacted him, and the feeling of home,” said Taliesin. “It’s wonderful to see how the music affected all these people so differently, and it really showed us that we made a huge impact.”

The group especially enjoyed going out to the farther reaches around Charlotte. Their first performance last August took them to Matthews. “It was a packed house,” she said. “So many people from the community showed up and were excited to hear the pieces.”

But what affected the group the most was the sense of connection they got with the participants. “All of us are classically trained, so we’ve performed from stages for a long time, but there’s always that physical divide between the audience and the music,” said Taliesin. “We like to remove the physicality of the stage, because it allows for a connection where people can walk up and talk to us.”

They also opened the floor for questions and introduced their instruments so audience members could see how each sounded individually before they played together.

“Burnt Reeds really wants to make sure that music programming is accessible and in comfortable environments,” she said. “Traditional stages aren’t necessarily the most comfortable environment for everybody, and that’s why we really like to change up where we’re playing, whether it’s in a recreation center or a library or brewery.”

Other barriers to the arts include transportation to traditional performance venues, admission costs, or a lack of a sense of belonging or fear of not knowing “the rules”—when to sit or stand, when to clap, what to wear. 

Longtime Culture Blocks provider Nicci Canada, founder of Dapper Street Productions, recently brought her “Jazzin’ with the Seniors” musical programs to Northern Regional Recreation Center in Cornelius and David B. Waymer Recreation Center in Huntersville.

“I believe that everyone should be exposed to the arts,” she said. “Music – the arts – brings communities together, which is what I see on a regular basis.”

With the ASC’s expanded focus on the suburbs, artists, creative organizations, and partner locations have additional ways to build awareness about the type of programming they’re offering to a wider audience, according to Giovanna Torres, communications manager with the ASC.

“Culture Blocks have been a game changer to our community and our programs,” said Reggie Cummings, facility manager at Berewick Recreation Center. “We’ve held concerts, circus and dance camps, fitness dance classes, salsa, and creative arts classes, just to name a few, and with each program, there was a different experience and a significant influx of new participants.”

To learn more about Culture Blocks programs in your area, visit artsandscience.org/cultureblock