About Hickory Arts
A relationship-driven creative studio for Music Lessons, Acting Lessons, Artist Development, and Creative Services in Hickory, NC.
Our Philosophy
The key to this business is personal relationships.
Quality over quantity isn’t just an idea—it’s how Hickory Arts operates. We believe in working with fewer students so that each artist receives the time, attention, and mentorship they deserve. Instead of asking what students can do for a studio, we focus on what a studio should do for its students.
This approach allows us to build real connections, foster trust, and create an environment where artists can grow without pressure, distraction, or unnecessary noise.
What Hickory Arts Is
Hickory Arts is an “un-studio”—a custom, specialized teaching and production environment designed around the individual needs of each artist.
We are not a retail-driven lesson business or a one-size-fits-all program. Instead, we are a network of working artists who teach, mentor, and create. Your goals determine the direction. Your interests shape the curriculum. Your ambition defines the outcome.
Everything we do is built around you.
About You
The goal isn’t to promote ourselves—it’s to support you.
You don’t wear our brand. We help you build yours. Whether you’re taking your first lesson, preparing for an audition, or creating original work, our role is to guide you from where you are to where you want to be.
Every artist’s path looks different. Some take small steps. Others take big leaps. We’re here for all of it—lessons, mentorship, collaboration, and creation.
You deserve the credit. You deserve the visibility. We’re here to help make that happen.
A Creative Home
Home is where the art is.
At Hickory Arts, the line between personal and professional is intentionally thin. Strong relationships create better collaboration, better creativity, and better outcomes. We believe artists thrive in environments where they feel supported, challenged, and free to explore.
This is a place to take risks, connect with others, and develop your voice—on your terms.
About the Artistic Director
Jeff Hartman is the Artistic Director of Hickory Arts.
“I’m first and foremost a husband and father, committed to family and representing something much larger than myself. I’m a teaching artist dedicated to investing in and elevating others, and an arts professional who has chosen to commit much of my career to the local arts community.
I began my journey in music at age nine and discovered theatre at twelve. Over the years, my work has expanded across music, theatre, and film, both on stage and behind the scenes. In 2010, I shifted my focus toward supporting other artists and helped found Down to Hear Studios to meet the needs of developing creatives in Hickory and the surrounding area.”
The studio relocated closer to Union Square in 2011 as Hickory Arts and has since become a crossroads for artists, organizations, and creative collaboration in the region.
Our Values
Hickory Arts is built on involvement, connection, and responsibility.
We believe studios should exist to further the artist—not the other way around. Our role is to provide a space where people can learn, grow, and transform through creative work.
With over a century of combined experience across our network of artists, we bring together diverse perspectives—musicians, actors, composers, filmmakers, educators, and creators—united by a shared commitment to the arts and to each other.
People. Community. Experience. Growth.
We’re a small team with big ideas and a passion for doing things right.
