Hickory Arts on WHKY
A 2011 interview with Jeff and Carol Anne Hartman about building a creative and performing arts studio in Hickory, NC.
In 2011, Jeff and Carol Anne Hartman joined WHKY’s First Talk for a conversation about Hickory Arts, music lessons, acting, theatre, photography, recording, community arts, and the early vision for a creative and performing arts studio in Hickory, North Carolina.
At the time, Hickory Arts was still taking shape. The vision was ambitious but simple: create a place where artists, musicians, actors, students, teachers, and creative people could learn, collaborate, perform, and grow under one roof.
Looking back, much of what was discussed in this interview still reflects the heart of Hickory Arts today.
The transcript below has been edited for clarity, readability, and flow.
About the Interview
Program: First Talk on WHKY
Host: Ralph Mangum, filling in for Hal Row
Guests: Jeff Hartman and Carol Anne Hartman
Original Date: August 16, 2011
Topics: Hickory Arts, music lessons, acting, theatre, photography, recording, creative services, community arts, and the Hickory creative community
The Vision for Hickory Arts
Ralph Mangum: You are here for several reasons, but first and foremost is the Creative and Performing Arts studio, a new endeavor the Hartmans are working on together and raising funds for. Why don’t you give us an overview?
Carol Anne Hartman: The idea was born out of the space we had been working in. There were smaller rooms that could be used for private lessons or small group lessons, and a larger space that could be used for bigger group classes or gatherings.
We really wanted to build a community space where people from performing arts, creative arts, and visual arts could come together, learn, connect, and collaborate with each other.
Ralph: And where was this space?
Carol Anne: The original space was on Highland Avenue, near Johnson Piano.
Building Slowly and Carefully
Ralph: I know there had been a fundraising effort underway, and as these things often go, you didn’t raise all the funds just yet. What were the plans going forward?
Carol Anne: We planned to continue fundraising. We actually raised about half of what we needed in a very small window. We were hoping to open in September, and we gave ourselves about three weeks to see if we could put the funds together.
Considering the economy at the time, half was good, and we felt very blessed. But we were afraid to move forward with only half of what we needed, so we began looking toward a January opening instead.
We also wanted to talk with businesses about advertising opportunities inside the building. With the community aspect of the space, there was potential for hundreds, maybe even a thousand people to come through in a month, so it could be a meaningful opportunity for local businesses to support the project.
Scholarships, Instruments, and Access
Carol Anne: We also hoped to exceed our fundraising goal so we could set up scholarships for students who could not afford classes. We wanted to create a storehouse of instruments that we could lend or give to students who otherwise might not have access.
The plans were fluid because we wanted the people who became involved to help shape what Hickory Arts would become.
Jeff Hartman: We had a vision, but we were holding onto it loosely. We wanted the community not only to be part of it, but to help create it.
Carol Anne: We also wanted to collaborate with as many arts organizations and groups as possible in the area. We wanted to ask, “What do you need? What would be helpful?”
Hickory as an Arts Community
Ralph: We are blessed in this community. Hickory is not a huge city, but you have The Green Room, Hickory Community Theatre, Foothills Performing Arts, Lenoir, musicians performing at events, visual artists exhibiting work, and so much happening.
Your organization has a chance to be the latest part of that.
Carol Anne: There are so many artists in the area, and there are not enough places to display their work. If we had a large building with wall space, we wanted to give local artists another opportunity to show their work.
Instructors and Collaboration
Ralph: I see that you’re involved with John, which is exciting to me. Talk a little about what he was going to do.
Jeff: John had been gone for about eleven years, living and working in New York, working on and off Broadway, touring, music directing shows, and playing piano. He was coming home and was going to teach piano. He is a phenomenal teacher and a phenomenal person.
Ralph: Trained at Juilliard, with the credentials to go along with being a nice guy.
Jeff: Absolutely.
Ralph: Who else was interested in teaching?
Jeff: Dustin Ousley and his wife had expressed interest in teaching acting and voice. We had a good-sized list of instructors who wanted to be involved. That was one of the reasons we were anxious to get the space going. We wanted to provide not only a place for the community to come together, but a place for instructors from all walks of life to come together.
Lessons, Recording, and Creative Services
Ralph: Jeff, you had your own recording studio. You taught lessons. You recorded. What was the status of that work?
Jeff: For the past year, I had my own teaching and production space. We had done everything from singer-songwriter development to recording, guitar lessons, piano lessons, and voice lessons. We also had the opportunity to do film post-production work, including scoring and featuring a song in the local film Pendulum Swings.
Ralph: And while the new space was coming together, you were teaching some lessons out of Hickory Community Theatre?
Jeff: Yes. Hickory Community Theatre was generous and allowed us to temporarily set up there until the space was ready. Students could contact us for voice lessons, singer-songwriter development, acting coaching, piano, classical piano, self-accompaniment, bass, guitar, and more.
The idea was that if someone wanted to get involved with something artistic, we wanted to help make it happen.
Carol Anne: If there was a need for it, or a desire for it, we wanted to find a way.
Theatre, Family, and The Sound of Music
During the interview, the conversation turned to theatre, where both Jeff and Carol Anne had remained active.
Ralph: Carol Anne, you were playing Maria in the upcoming production of The Sound of Music at Hickory Community Theatre.
Carol Anne: Yes. It was a lot of fun. I had not done a show with that many kids in a while, so having all the children running around was wonderful.
Ralph: And it opened on your wedding anniversary?
Carol Anne: Yes, our eleventh anniversary. The funny thing is that Jeff and I were married on the stage at Hickory Community Theatre, and now I was playing Maria and marrying another man on that same stage on our anniversary.
Ralph: Symbolically.
Carol Anne: Yes. Symbolically.
Their oldest son, Timmy, was also appearing in the production as Kurt von Trapp, making the production a family experience as well as a theatrical one.
A One-Stop Shop for Artists
Near the end of the interview, Ralph returned to the larger vision for Hickory Arts.
Ralph: For people just joining us, give us another overview. What is this Creative and Performing Arts studio meant to be?
Jeff: It is a one-stop shop for artists, musicians, and thespians. We want it to be a community-driven art center that can fulfill the needs of people who want to learn, present their art, perform, and bring everything together under one roof.
Carol Anne: We also wanted it to be a community space. Our hope was that lessons would help pay the monthly bills for the building so we could open the doors and offer a safe place for groups to meet when possible.
Performances and House Concerts
Ralph: Would there be performances open to the public?
Jeff: Yes. That was one of the things we really wanted to make happen.
The space had a cabaret-style area, similar to the Firemen’s Kitchen at Hickory Community Theatre. It was an intimate listening space. We had already hosted singer-songwriter Charlie Parr and a master class with Billboard-charting artist Kyle Vincent.
Carol Anne: We also wanted singer-songwriter nights, open mic nights, and a space for local performers to have a venue.
Gratitude and Community Support
Carol Anne: We were especially grateful to everyone who had given so far and helped fund half of what was needed. These were tough times, and every little bit helped. Some people gave ten dollars, and that adds up when many people participate.
Ralph: It has been especially fun having old friends in the studio. Good to see you both.
Jeff and Carol Anne: Thank you for having us.
Looking Back
Listening back now, this interview captures Hickory Arts at an important moment.
The name was still growing.
The model was still forming.
The exact building and path forward were still uncertain.
But the philosophy was already clear.
Hickory Arts was never intended to be just another lesson studio. It was imagined as a connected creative space for music, acting, theatre, photography, recording, performance, artist development, and community collaboration.
Years later, that same spirit remains at the center of what Hickory Arts does.
Private music lessons.
Acting lessons.
Artist development.
Recording and creative services.
House concerts.
Photography.
Performance opportunities.
Community relationships.
A place where students and artists can learn, create, and grow.
Home is where the art is.
