Local artists explore Eastern N.C. diversity with one-of-a-kind creations

From a screenwriter responsible for one of the most popular horror franchises in history to a poet delving into the roots of her childhood in a small Eastern North Carolina town, creative spirits from New Bern, Kinston and surrounding communities have brought their images, words and larger-than-life creations to the world at large.

From the world famous to the up-and-coming, here are five local artists who have used their talent and drive to turn the stuff of dreams into adventurous careers.

Kevin Williamson, screenwriter, New Bern

Ever since New Bern native Kevin Williamson brought his hit series “Dawson’s Creek” to North Carolina to film for six seasons, Hollywood has been following his lead to the Tar Heel State.

Williamson left New Bern prior to beginning high school but returned to the area to attend East Carolina University where he earned a bachelor's degree in theater arts.

In addition to “Dawson’s Creek” Williamson also wrote the screenplays for three installments of the hit slasher film series “Scream,” as well as “The Vampire Diaries,” which premiered on The CW network in 2009 and quickly became one of the network’s most popular shows. Williamson also wrote the screenplays for the films “I Know What You Did Last Summer” (1997), “The Faculty” (1998), and “Cursed” (2005).

To learn more about Kevin Williamson's film projects, visit https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0932078/

Helena Price, photographer, New Bern

Though she has worked with a U.S. president, Silicon Valley CEOs and professional athletes, Helena Price’s journey to photography began in her hometown of New Bern with a disposable camera purchased from Walmart.

In 2009, Price moved to San Francisco after graduating from N.C. State University to pursue a public relations job in the tech industry. Her life took a turn in 2013 when she quit a position at a tech startup to pursue photography full-time.

Since then, Price has built a career as an editorial, commercial and portrait photographer. To date, her work has been featured in magazines such as Time, Glamour and Elle. She has also done work for Designer Fund, Dropbox, Nike and Uber, among other companies.

Learn more about Helena Price's photography at http://www.helenaprice.com/

Dick Knight, musician, Kinston

The list of musicians multi-instrumentalist Dick Knight has backed reads like a who’s-who of late 20th-century music legends, from funk pioneer James Brown to 1960s soul great Otis Redding and R&B queens Dionne Warwick and Gladys Knight. But Knight’s most important gig might just be as a band director and music instructor in Kinston, where he has taught and influenced countless students.

Originally from Georgia, Knight became the band director at Savannah High School in Kinston after graduating college at 19. His first Kinston acquaintance was Nat Jones, James Brown’s musical director, who quickly recruited him for the band.

After retiring from teaching in 2007, Knight rededicated himself to performing. A 2018 North Carolina Heritage Award recipient, he is one of the many musicians featured in the African American Music Trails of Eastern North Carolina and Kinston’s African American Music Park.

To learn more about Dick Knight's music career , visit https://www.ncarts.org/dickknight

Jonathan Bowling, sculptor, Greenville

Working with salvage yard scrap metal, Greenville's Jonathan Bowling creates artwork that is at once surreal and gritty. A Kentucky native, Bowling came to Greenville in 1996 to pursue an MFA in sculpture at East Carolina University and has been working out of his Greenville studio ever since. Welded together from repurposed steel, Bowling’s rust-colored creations have become fixtures in the community and have been displayed throughout the state and nationally. His sculpture "Wind Up Toy," a metal horse on wheels, graces the front of the Pitt-Greenville Airport, while other pieces have shown up in local magazines and promotional videos.

To learn more about Jonathan Bowling's unique sculptures, visit https://jonathanbowling.com/home.html

Shirlette Ammons, musician/poet, Beautancus

Though she is currently known as a Durham-based artist, Shirlette Ammons credits her early years in Beautancus for helping shape her work as a musician, poet, and producer.

Her solo debut album, “Twilight for Gladys Bentley,” a “re-imaging” of 1920’s blues singer Gladys Bentley, was released in 2013. Her follow-up, “Language Barrier,” was released in 2016 and features guest appearances by The Indigo Girls and Meshell Ndegeocello, among others.

Ammons is a Cave Canem Fellow and a 2013 recipient of the North Carolina Arts Council’s Artist Fellowship. In a recent interview with the Arts Council, Ammons, who grew up singing in church, said of her formative years: "We didn't have a lot of money but we had a lot of space, and we were really imaginative. I was always inclined to be creative and was always encouraged to be outside. So I grew up with a wonderful backdrop for being a creative person."

To learn more about Shirlette Ammons' music and poetry, visit http://shirletteammons.com/

Reporter Todd Wetherington can be reached by email at wwetherington@gannett.com. Please consider supporting local journalism by signing up for a digital subscription.

This article originally appeared on Sun Journal: Local artists explore E.N.C diversity with one of a kind creations