. .    Ashe County Arts Council sponsors performances and arts residencies in the local schools. These cultural arts programs provide every student with an opportunity to experience the arts. Programs range from music, dance and drama to living and historic music traditions to origami and paper making instruction. Programs may involve residencies of 1-2 weeks in duration, or singles classes or performances. 2009-2010 Scheduled School Art Assembly Programs   Ron Jewell will present Mark Twain at Large at the Ashe County High School on Friday, September 18 as part of On the Same Page, Ashe County's Literary Festival   Tarradiddle Players will present "Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel" on Tuesday, September 29 at Blue Ridge, Mountain Vew and Westwood  K-3 group   Billy Jonas will perform at the Ashe County High School and the Ashe Middle School  on Thursday, October 8   Missoula Children's Theatre will present theatre workshops for classes at Westwood Elementary and Ashe County High School Wednesday, October 21.   Roger Day will perform at Blue Ridge Elementary, Mountain View Elementary and Westwood Elementary for K-3 group on October 27 and 28.   Hunt Family Fiddlers will perform for the 4-6 grade students from Mountain View Elementary at the Ashe Civic  Center on November 16. Kelly Swanson will hold two workshops at  the Ashe County High School for the 9th and 10th grade students on November 13 Poety Alive will perform for 4-6 grades at Blue Ridge and Westwood Elementary. They will perform for the 1-3 and 4-6 groups at Mountain View Elementary. They will perform for the 7-8 grades at Ashe Middle School and the 11-12 grades. October 19-20     Mike Wiley Productions will present Noble Journey for the 7-8 grade at Ashe Middle School and the 9-10 grades at Ashe County High School January 19 at the Ashe Middle School and Ashe County High School. Orville Hicks will do tell stories for the 4th grade classes at Mountain View and 4-5 grades classes at Blue Ridge Elementary on February 18 Molasses Creek will have performances at Blue Ridge Elementary and Westwood Elementary for 4-6 grade. They will perform for the Ashe Middle School and Ashe County High School on March 11-12.   ASU Young  People's Theatre will perform at Blue Ridge, Mountain View and Westwood Elementary March 23, 25 and 30.   Very Special Arts Festival April 16   Spring Fest April 17   Ashe County Choral Festival April 20 Ashe County School Choral programs perform at the Ashe County High School     The Mountain Arts Program (MAP) also sponsored by the Arts Council, brings artists to Ashe County Schools for hands-on experiences in clay, paper making, creative writing, music, dance, weaving, jewelry making, storytelling, opera, photography, puppetry and origami! MAP provides a spectacular diversity in arts experiences by bringing top quality professional performing and visual artists to western North Carolina counties.   The J.A.M. Program (Junior Appalachian Musicians) was initiated in order to provide instruction to 4th-6th graders in playing old-time, traditional guitar, banjo or fiddle. We would like to add to our list of instructors. If you are an "old-time" musician and would like to be involved in working with local youth and help to preserve our valuable heritage (in addition to making some extra money!), please give Rebecca a call at 336-846-ARTS.   The JAM Program is in its sixth year in Ashe County schools, and will be offered to students at Blue Ridge Elementary, Mountain View Elementary and Westwood Elementary. Students will work with gifted old-time musicians from our area. We see the JAM Program as being a critical element in preserving our Appalachian heritage and the musical gifts that have been passed down through the generations, while helping children tap into talents and abilities that they did not know they had.