From Forest to Fine Art: Leland’s Growing Art Scene
The 7th Annual It’s ALL Art Show & Sale draws artists and audiences from across the region.
When Barbara Hubbard and Dick Hubbard first moved to Leland, the town looked different: large swaths of undeveloped land were dominated by pine forests, and subdivisions and shopping centers were fewer and farther between. Now, Leland is one of the state’s fastest-growing communities—and alongside that growth is a thriving arts scene.
The 7th Annual It’s ALL Art Show & Sale, hosted by the Art League of Leland, is taking place from May 28 until May 30 at the Leland Cultural Arts Center.
Barbara Hubbard co-founded the Art League of Leland, which formed as a nonprofit in 2018. The organization welcomes artists of any media and provides community, education, and advocacy for the arts. Today, Barbara and Dick Hubbard both serve on the ALL Committee.
“We started as Art in the Forest here in Brunswick Forest. Then, we decided to go over to the Leland Cultural Arts Center to discuss having an actual art league and organization here,” Barbara explains.
“There were one or two initial exhibitions with small groups of artists here,” says Dick. “When we formed [ALL], that’s when we started annual events.”
Thus, the first It’s ALL Art Show and Sale was born. Since its inception, engagement in the Art League of Leland and the It’s ALL Art Show and Sale has increased.
“It’s gotten larger. We draw from a larger community,” Barbara shares. “We have people who apply from Myrtle Beach, Raleigh and even Kentucky … and the organization has grown. We have 225 members now, and we started at 30.”
The It’s ALL Art Show and Sale will showcase a diverse variety of mediums, including acrylic, oil, watercolor, mixed media, woodworking, glassworking, and pottery. Around 175 pieces of art will be displayed on the walls and throughout the room. Prices for the art vary from a few hundred to thousands of dollars.
This year’s exhibition will be juried by Jeffrey and Irina Geller. The Gellers are respected artists who own the gallery Red Springs Art Space.
“It’s become more competitive because the quality keeps going up,” Barbara says. “The improvement from everyone has been incredible as everyone has practiced their craft.”
The Art League of Leland offers monthly meetings that include presentations, classes, and networking opportunities. According to Barbara and Dick, their engagement has been helped by the Leland Cultural Arts Center.
“It’s a real gem in the area,” Barbara said. “This is a venue that has classroom space and gallery space … it’s a major hub for pottery. They do a youth program, summer scholarships, and summer programming for kids. There’s a stage in there, and they have performances.”
“[ALL] has made more people aware of the Leland Cultural Arts Center,” Dick adds. “People show up and they’d never known it existed. And it’s been there for years.”
The Art League of Leland has also encouraged connection among the town of Leland and surrounding areas. Members and participants come from Wilmington, Topsail and elsewhere, and artists in Leland have formed connections in other communities.
“This gave people who might not have had access to the arts in Wilmington a place here,” Dick said.
“A lot of people used to say, ‘Oh, I never go over the bridge into Leland.’ Now, we have tons of members that come from across the bridge and go back and forth,” Barbara says. “Leland has tremendous potential. We have a huge retirement population here. So many of them are getting into the creative energy, taking classes, or rediscovering something.”
The Art League of Leland consists of a mix of artists with formal training and self-taught artists. Seascapes and shorebirds are prominently featured in the work of Leland artists, though abstract styles and 3D artwork have also been flourishing.
The It’s ALL Art Show & Sale will also have a raffle for donated pieces of art, with a portion of the proceeds going to support student arts scholarships and programming.
“I’m amazed and blown away by the level of art in this area and the supportive community,” Barbara says, “which I think is really important.”
The It’s ALL Art Show & Sale will take place at the Leland Cultural Arts Center. The event will be open to the public on May 28 from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., May 29 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., and May 30 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
