LAURINBURG — The Arts Council of Scotland County is looking for a new executive director after the recent departure of Erin Rembert.

Rembert served in the position since 2014 and had her last day on Aug. 31. According to current Arts Council Chairman Jonathon Lewis, she left to spend more time with her children and focus on her own small business, Eliza Quinn Creates.

In the absence of an executive director, Lewis has been acting in the position and says whomever they hire will have big shoes to fill.

“Erin was strong, she was firm, and she really believed in the organization,” Lewis said. “We’re all really going to miss her.”

The organization has sent out a call for resumes for the position on Facebook and through its website, calling for someone who loves art as well as someone who would be able to build relationships in the community.

“I really want to see it grow and I want to see Laurinburg be an art capital,” Lewis said. “I really want us to show the community that we’re for them and what they want.”

Lewis has currently been planning many different events and has been preparing for the upcoming Storytelling Arts Festival on Oct. 19 and 20. On Thursday for the first time, Scotland County is welcoming a North Carolina poet laureate. Jaki Shelton Green is the ninth laureate and the first African-American woman to serve as the state’s poet ambassador.

While Green hasn’t officially been installed at the laureate, she still has many engagements.

“We wanted to open the door to having more literacy arts since we are the storytelling capital of the Carolinas,” Lewis said. “It’s a great opportunity for us and Scotland County.”

Green will be reading her own poetry at 3 p.m. Thursday at Scotia Village in the Morris Morgan Entertainment Center and the event is open to the public to attend.

There will be plenty of other activities coming from the Arts Council before the end of the year as Lewis wants to get the name of the Arts Council out in the community as much as possible and hopes for a new director to do the same.

While it’s not necessary to apply for the position Lewis hopes that some locals will consider the position.

“We’d like to have someone local because they know the community but we also want someone who is new and fresh,” Lewis said. “We want to expand what we’re offering and see what we can do to get people to join the organization.”

To apply send a resume to [email protected].

Rembert
https://www.laurinburgexchange.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/web1_erin_cmyk.jpgRembert

Katelin Gandee

Staff writer

Reach Katelin Gandee at 910-506-3171 or at [email protected]