Statesville City Hall will show off its newly renovated lobby during the April 20 Art Crawl with a special exhibit of paintings by Statesville native Robert Gantt Steele.

In 1995, Steele painted more than 20 paintings depicting the history of Statesville. The paintings were sold at auction and the proceeds were used to purchase, move and restore the Statesville depot, which was set to be torn down.

As many as 13 of these paintings and other Statesville paintings by Steele will be on display this Friday from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on the first floor of City Hall.

“We are extremely grateful to the owners of the paintings for loaning them to us for this occasion,” said Statesville Mayor Kutteh. “The sampling we have gathered is going to be spectacular. And the venue in which we showcase them is magnificent as well.”

Steele, who is part of the family-owned business J.C. Steele & Sons, grew up in Statesville and was trained as an architect at NCSU and at the University of California, Berkeley. He studied art in Austria as a Fulbright scholar and is now a renowned artist living in California. He has never forgotten his roots, assisting the fundraising efforts of the Statesville depot and Fort Dobbs preservation campaigns by donating paintings from which prints were made and sold.
Steele is unable to attend the event, but was in town recently to visit with friends and family.

He stopped by City Hall and toured the building with Kutteh and City Council member Roy West. West owns Steele’s painting of J.C.’s Toot’n Tellum drive-in which is part of the exhibit.
“I think it’s a perfect match – historic building, historic-themed paintings, hometown artist – I hope it’s the first of many events we can host in City Hall,” said West.

Although all of the original paintings will not be on display, prints of them, along with the narratives Steele wrote about each painting, have been framed and will be part of the exhibit. These prints will be on sale through GG’s Art Frames Gifts in Downtown Statesville.

City Hall is just one of the dozens of venues hosting as many as 80 artists for the April 20 Art Crawl. It is self-guided and attendees can begin at any location. Sidewalk markers will indicate a participating business and a program guide is available at all locations.

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Reserve your table now for New Year's Eve.

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City offices are closed Monday, May 31 in observance of Memorial Day

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The City Statesville is in need of volunteers to serve on a variety of its boards and committees to help in the administration of local government activities.

The Planning Board has two vacancies: one must be a City resident and the other must live in the extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ), which is typically within a mile outside city limits.

The Design Review Committee has three vacancies: one must be a member of the Downtown Statesville Development Corporation and the other two must own property or work in the Downtown Municipal Service District.

The Airport Commission has two vacancies; members may reside outside Statesville.

The Board of Adjustment has four vacancies: all four members must reside in Statesville.

City Council is responsible for appointing members to these boards. Applicants must complete a volunteer form indicating their interest and experience in the area for which they are applying. The applications are reviewed by staff and presented to Council for action. Forms are available through the City Manager’s Office by calling 704-878-3583 and are kept on file for three years.

“We can’t operate our government without volunteers,” said Statesville Mayor Costi Kutteh. “We are hoping that our citizens will step up and let us know their willingness to serve.”

The duties and descriptions of the boards are listed below. For more specific information, call the Statesville Planning Department at 704-878-3574.

Airport Commission: Consults on matters concerning the Statesville Regional Airport; meets monthly on the first Thursday at noon; appointed to a three-year term.

Board of Adjustment: Quasi-judicial board with authority to consider appeals of planning staff orders or decisions and requests for variances in the zoning ordinances; meets as needed; appointed for three-year term.

Downtown Design Review Committee: Reviews changes to exterior facades of historic structures in the community business district, community district perimeter and the downtown municipal service district; meets monthly on the second Thursday at 8:30 a.m.; appointed to a three-year term.

Planning Board: Reviews and makes recommendations on planning policies, ordinances, procedures and site plans and advises City Council on these matters; meets monthly on the fourth Tuesday at 7 p.m.; appointed to a three-year term.

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Budget is 5.3% higher than current budget due to increased costs of operations.

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They should be visible from the street - so place on mailbox or around the front door.

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There’s no need to fear the voices you might hear coming from the Fourth Creek Burying Ground in downtown Statesville on May 12-13. That’s the weekend of the Twilight Cemetery Tours and the voices are characters from the past sharing bits and pieces of their own stories and the cemetery’s history.

Visitors will walk back in time as history comes alive through the tales of costumed actors and actresses portraying people who are buried in the historic cemetery or who were a part of its history. A guide will lead groups through the cemetery to meet these characters and look at the fascinating tombstones.

The Twilight Cemetery Tour is sponsored by the Iredell Arts Council, City of Statesville, Theater! Statesville, Downtown Statesville Development Corporation and First Presbyterian Church.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased by calling 704-873-6100. Reservations are required for tours starting at 3 p.m., 3:45 p.m., 5 p.m., 5:45 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

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Even though there are no Statesville City Council elections on the ballot, please vote!

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Recent security updates may be causing the problem. Click here for instructions.

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The Statesville Greenway system has its own website. Check it out!

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Action comes after months of investigation into the future of the historic downtown building

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City Council will not discuss the proposed Sanitation fee at its Monday night meeting.

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Public can remove items before March 23, 2012

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Girls Youth Softball, Women's Leagues & Men's Leagues available.

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Street Department prepares to spread sand on bridges if needed.

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Attend the Feb. 16 Call-in and show your support.

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Offices for Planning, Fire Admin. & Marshal, City Manager and Clerk are located inside.

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Traffic will flow south from Broad St. to Front St.

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The removal of an 85-foot tree is complete.

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The City of Statesville survived and flourished in 2011.

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