You’ve seen it at bookstores and newsstands everywhere, but you probably didn’t know that more than 800,000 people in every state in the union and 42 countries worldwide enjoy this incredible periodical that just happens to be entirely devoted to North Carolina people, places, history and travel. It’s Our State magazine, celebrating 80 years of awe-inspiring photographs and fantastic stories.

The monthly’s success hasn’t gone unnoticed by the magazine industry’s leading trade publication FOLIO. Last year FOLIO awarded Our State an Eddie Gold Award for the Best Full Issue in the regional consumer magazine category. Our State’s January issue is no exception and you’ll find it at newsstands, bookstores, and on line at www.OurState.com.

This month in Our State you can find out about the Avett Brothers and their early beginnings growing up in Cabarrus County before the major labels came knocking. You'll also learn about whirligigs, snow cream, and how North Carolina helped Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin go to the moon.

Editor in Chief Elizabeth Hudson certainly has her finger on the pulse of Our State. She stopped by to share her enthusiasm for what she does and what she’s learned about her home state along the way.

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On Triad Arts Weekend (1:00 p.m.):

You’ve seen it at bookstores and newsstands everywhere, but you probably didn’t know that more than 800,000 people in every state in the union and 42 countries worldwide enjoy this incredible periodical that just happens to be entirely devoted to North Carolina people, places, history and travel. It’s Our State magazine, celebrating 80 years of awe-inspiring photographs and fantastic stories.

The monthly’s success hasn’t gone unnoticed by the magazine industry’s leading trade publication FOLIO. Last year FOLIO awarded Our State an Eddie Gold Award for the Best Full Issue in the regional consumer magazine category. Our State’s January issue is no exception and you’ll find it at newsstands, bookstores, and on line at www.OurState.com.

This month in Our State you can find out about the Avett Brothers and their early beginnings growing up in Cabarrus County before the major labels came knocking. You'll also learn about whirligigs, snow cream, and how North Carolina helped Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin go to the moon.

Editor in Chief Elizabeth Hudson certainly has her finger on the pulse of Our State. She stopped by to share her enthusiasm for what she does and what she’s learned about her home state along the way.

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If you’re a parent or grandparent looking for good quality, wholesome entertainment options for children The Children’s Theatre of Winston-Salem is a great place to start.

This week they’ll be presenting the incredible New York-based company Theatreworks USA performing Bunnicula, Friday, January 11 at 10:00am and noon, and Saturday, January 12 at 11:00am at the Arts Council Theatre 610 Coliseum Drive. Bunnicula is recommended for grades 2-6, and coming up in February it’ll be The Little Engine That Could Earns Her Whistle for grades PreK-3.

Children’s Theatre of Winston-Salem General Manager Karen McHugh and Artistic/Education director Bobby Bodford talked with David Ford about vampire bunnies, and the secret to CTWS's wildly successful Theatre Summer Camps for kids.

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Nilla Childs is a great storyteller, and it really comes out in Puzzled:100 Pieces of Autism, a thoughtful collection of true stories about a determined mother who never gives up on her quirky son. Nilla is a Winston-Salem based author and she shares the story of her family.

Her oldest son was diagnosed with Asperger’s when he was 23 and her book highlights the everyday struggles and triumphs associated with Asperger’s Syndrome. You can join Nilla for a discussion of her book at the Forsyth County Public Library, Walkertown Branch on Tuesday January 22nd at 7pm. And in the meantime, Nilla recently joined Triad Arts Associate Producer Bethany Chafin to talk about her book.

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Q: How is lightning like a viola player’s fingers? A: Neither one strikes the same place twice. And that’s one of the kinder gentler viola jokes out there! The fact is the instrument and those who play it have been maligned for centuries. Viola has always been the middle child in the orchestra: larger, heavier and harder to finger than its smaller sister the violin, and unable to achieve the lowest lows of its big brother the cello.

But in the hands of a great performer, the viola is a wonderful string, often vocal-sounding string instrument in its own right with lots of great music to play. University of NC School of the Arts professor of viola Sheila Browne is one such performer, and you can hear for yourself during her upcoming recital with Czech pianist David Kalhous and harpist Jacqui Bartlett. The performance is Tuesday night, January 15 at 7:30pm in the beautiful Watson Hall on the UNCSA campus. On the wide-ranging program titled “The Viola in My Life” is the Morton Feldman piece by the same name, music by Turkish composer Hasan Ucarsu, Haydn divertimenti (originally for cello), Paul Hindemith’s 1939 Sonata, and Benjamin Britten’s Lachrymae just in time for the composer’s 100th birthday.

Sheila stopped by for a Studio A talk & performance on all things viola.