BOONE, N.C. — In support of its arts and cultural programming, Appalachian State University has received a $15,000 grant from National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), which will help fund the university’s 35th annual An Appalachian Summer Festival.

The festival, which begins Saturday, June 29, features a broad array of music, dance, theatre, film and visual arts offerings, as well as a variety of educational programming — including exhibitions, lectures, tours, workshops, student internships and employment opportunities for students seeking experience in arts presenting.

Denise Ringler, director of arts engagement and cultural resources at Appalachian, is the grant recipient.

This annual celebration of the performing and visual arts — presented by Appalachian’s Office of Arts and Cultural Programs — began in 1984 as a chamber music series and has evolved into one of the nation’s leading arts festivals, bringing over 27,000 visitors to the High Country each summer.

In recent years, the festival has been selected as one of the “Top 20 Events in the Southeast” by the Southeast Tourism Society. Additionally, The New York Times has consistently included An Appalachian Summer Festival in its “Summer Stages” issue, which profiles the nation’s most prominent and interesting summer arts festivals.

This year’s festival lineup includes Patti LaBelle, The Temptations, the Punch Brothers, the Warriors of Anikituhwa, the Tesla Quartet, dance company Pilobolus, Grammy Award-winning master trumpeter and composer Chris Botti, and others.

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An Appalachian Summer Festival

Music – Dance – Theatre – Visual Arts – Film

Presented by Appalachian State University’s Office of Arts & Cultural Programs, this annual celebration of the performing and visual arts is held every July in venues across the university campus, and features a diverse mix of music, dance, theatre, visual arts and film programming.

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About the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts

Located on 423 W. King St. at the crossroads of campus and community, the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts at Appalachian State University engages visitors in dynamic and accessible exhibition, education, outreach and collection programs. These programs inspire and support a lifelong engagement with the visual arts and create opportunities for participants to learn more about themselves and the world around them. Learn more at https://tcva.appstate.edu/about/visit.

About the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts

The Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts is a 1,673-seat, multiuse auditorium located on the campus of Appalachian State University. The center, which features orchestra and balcony level seating as well as a proscenium stage, is dedicated to enhancing the artistic and cultural landscape of Appalachian and the surrounding region by providing a venue devoted to the year-round presentation of campus and community events that enrich, educate, inspire and promote quality of life. The Schaefer Center is also home to the Smith Gallery, which presents work by students and faculty members during the academic year. Learn more at http://theschaefercenter.org.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.