HEARTS Sacred Grounds ‘25 - Important Update to Saturday’s Event
We received exciting news this morning that local steel guitar phenom DaShawn Hickman, who was scheduled to perform at this Saturday’s HEARTS Sacred Grounds in Statesville, was asked to fly to Los Angeles a week early to perform on America's Got Talent! We're very excited to see him showcase his pedal steel talents on national TV, but we'll miss him at HEARTS Sacred Grounds.
Presenting Thomas Rhyant
HEARTS is thrilled to announce that Thomas Rhyant will be joining us as musical guest at HEARTS Sacred Grounds. Rhyant's incredible voice was recognized by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the best moments at the 2022 Newport Folk Festival, and we were blown away when he performed for HEARTS guests in the past. Rhyant's greatest influence is Sam Cooke, and he has the voice that will take you there! Join us this coming Saturday at the Iredell Arts Council for HEARTS Sacred Grounds from 2:00-4:00 PM, and get ready to be amazed and inspired at this special event. More about Thomas Rhyant: https://www.musicmaker.org/artist/thomas-rhyant/
Thomas Rhyant at the 2022 Newport Folk Festival.
HEARTS Sacred Grounds is our third annual exploration of historic burial grounds of the enslaved in our region, featuring Dr. Julia Robinson Moore on Saturday, August 16, 2025, from 2-4 PM at the historic Iredell Jail in downtown Statesville, NC, in partnership with the Iredell Arts Council. Dr. Moore will share her journey exploring African-American sacred spaces across our region in her presentation, “Preserving the Past for Our Future: The History of Catawba Presbytery and its Sacred Grounds.” Visual art by Tony Griffin, poetry by William Baldwin, and an ecology spotlight on historic burial ground plantings.
HEARTS (history, ecology, arts, reunion, trails, store) happenings are curated events sharing specific local history, nature, and the arts. Attendance is free to the community, but seating is limited and reservations are required.
