Advisory Grassroots Panel

Tango Moore: As grants manager at the Reidsville Area Foundation, Tango is currently working with art, band, chorus, and theater teachers from RCS and The UNCG Moss Street Partnership School to conceptualize an Arts Pipeline in our schools. She values the joy and self-esteem that art education brings to students and admires when art is taught in a culturally relevant way that purposely includes multiple perspectives and integrates the many voices represented in our community.
Tango Moore: As grants manager at the Reidsville Area Foundation, Tango is currently working with art, band, chorus, and theater teachers from RCS and The UNCG Moss Street Partnership School to conceptualize an Arts Pipeline in our schools. She values the joy and self-esteem that art education brings to students and admires when art is taught in a culturally relevant way that purposely includes multiple perspectives and integrates the many voices represented in our community.

Jeff Webster: began playing the piano at age 14, so nearly 40 years. He early influences were Elton John and Billy Powell of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Jeff is a completely self taught musician and is the current keyboardist with The Impacts from Madison/Mayodan and formerly of Outta Time and the Disaster Recovery Band. He is a lifelong resident of the Shiloh Community.

Valencia Abbot: has served in education for 15 years, including 7 years at Rockingham Early College High School. She earned a Masters in Liberal Studies from UNCG and is currently working on 2nd Master's in Education with a focus in Literacy. She holds a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in African American Studies. Valencia is an amateur photographer and, says she's a "really not good at Soul Line Dancer but keeps trying." She is an avid reader and keeper of the Arts and Humanities.

Gerald Summerlin, Jr.: is a Certified Financial Planner with Ameriprise Financial and a generous patron of the arts in Rockingham County. He brings previous experience with the Grassroots Grant program to the panel as well as expertise in finances and organizational sustainability.

Nay Pulliam, fiber artist with Barn Owl Artistry has been doing macrame since she was 7 years-old, and in her teens, she expanded to hemp jewelry. As the style of hemp jewelry gradually faded out, she still had a love of macrame but wasn’t sure what to do with it. Then as an adult, she stumbled upon macrame artists online doing incredible things, making artistic wall hangings, from driftwood and rope. She says, "the complexity and flow and elegance spoke to everything I had always loved about macrame, and it called to me immediately. What draws me to all art is the heat of complex thought and passion, cooled with patience" Nay finds the process meditative, and hopes these pieces "bring the same heat of interest and cooling calm to the people who view them."

Since 1977, the North Carolina Arts Council’s Grassroots Arts Program has provided North Carolina citizens access to quality arts experiences. The program distributes funds for the arts in all 100 counties of the state primarily through partnerships with local arts councils. Rockingham County Arts Council is your local partner in the Grassroots Arts Program.