Looking for arts and cultural close to home? Each Wednesday look for a brief article, Art Beat, from the team at the Arts of the Pamlico to learn about arts and cultural programming offered in Beaufort County. AOP is a nonprofit organization and the state-designated regional arts council for Beaufort and Washington counties, serving eastern North Carolina and beyond. AOP is one of the longest operating arts councils in the state, at 46 years. AOP is based in its historic Turnage Theatre in downtown Washington. With live theater, exhibits, film, music, comedy and virtually every artistic medium represented, anyone who stops by is sure to find an art activity to enjoy.

Each month, AOP offers three art exhibits to the public. AOP is open Tuesdays through Sundays. Learn more about AOP at artsofthepamlico.org and on Facebook. In April, two month-long photography exhibits are on display and details about the AOP’s annual juried photography show are released.

When was photography invented? Literature shows that Joseph Niepce developed the dark room camera and took the first photo with it in the late 1820s. It took eight hours of light exposure to make a picture, and the picture faded with time. The first color photograph made by a three-color method was taken in 1861 by Thomas Sutton. Today, photographs are all around us — conveying messages, advertising products, capturing special moments, documenting history, educating and enlightening us, and more.

On display in the Turnage Gallery are the works of eastern region members of the Carolinas’ Nature Photographers Association. More than a dozen of their members contributed diverse works that share the beauty and wonder of our region. Founded in 1992, the association seeks to promote nature photography in the Carolinas, to help conserve and preserve the diverse natural ecosystems in the Carolinas and to educate others interested in wildlife and nature photography. In the Lane Gallery, the works of Chris Rawls, a talented local photographer, are on display, demonstrating his eye for detail in photographs of local architecture, iconic scenery and large cityscapes — some of which you may recognize!

Interested in dusting off your camera and sharing a special moment, a treasured space, a beautiful place with our community? Submissions to the juried photography show with cash and gift prizes will be accepted July 18-22, during operating hours. Check out details for the annual photography and upcoming art shows at www.artsofthepamlico.org/artist-opportunities/.

Art Beat is written by AOP Executive Director Debra Torrence and Crystal Holman, AOP’s weekend coordinator.