Five to be honored for artistic achievements in NC

The 2014 North Carolina Heritage Award recipients are Bobby Hicks, a 10-time Grammy award-winning bluegrass fiddler; Susan Morgan Leveille, a weaver and grand-niece of Penland founder Lucy Morgan; Sid Luck, a fifth-generation potter from Seagrove; Bill Myers, whose band The Monitors has played rhythm and blues and jazz music for more than 50 years; and Arnold Richardson, a Haliwa-Saponi artist who has influenced the revitalization of North Carolina Indian arts.

"As North Carolinians, we celebrate the creative and passionate artists working within the communities of our state to keep our cultural traditions alive," Secretary of Cultural Resources Susan Kluttz said in a statement. "Their mastery preserves our heritage and makes North Carolina a better state, and we are so proud of their outstanding skill, unparalleled diligence and eager willingness to share their artistry with the citizens of North Carolina and beyond."

The program honoring recipients of the North Carolina Heritage Award is open to the public and is scheduled for May 20 at the A.J. Fletcher Opera House in the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Raleigh. Tickets are $22 and are available from PineCone, the Piedmont Council of Traditional Arts.

Since 1989, the North Carolina Heritage Award has honored the folk artists of the state, deepening awareness of the stories, music, and artistry that comprise our rich and diverse cultural traditions.