This June, Denise Sneller Cook, after serving as Executive Director for the Toe River Arts Council for three decades, releases the helm to Nealy Andrews. Cook’s legacy began over 30 years ago when she relocated to Yancey County from Florida, bringing her family, a graphic design background, and a love for the arts with her. And when the job of Executive Director of TRAC opened up, she applied. “It seemed like a nice fit that would provide interesting experiences for me and my family and a way to be a part of the community through the arts.”
Music in the Mountain Folk Festival, which she considers “the soul of the culture of the community” was already a booming Burnsville event when Cook began, but over the years, her leadership has brought about organizational sustainability through the many additional programs and projects she initiated—the bi-annual studio tour, Paint Out, Toe River Chamber Ensemble, opening of the Burnsville Gallery, purchase and subsequent renovation of the Spruce Pine facility, and more recently, the branding of the Mitchell-Yancey region for the arts and the upcoming installation of the first Burnsville Gateway Telescope. When asked about her own memorable moments, she offered not just one experience but said “It’s a collection, a process—people coming together, working, planning, and finally reaching a point—a celebration point, and experiencing something they have never heard, seen, or participated in. That creates memories and what made my job so important to me and valuable to the community.”
During her tenure, she cultivated partnerships with other organizations, schools, and individuals to foster the growth of the arts. “Her leadership and dedication to the arts as a benefit not only as an integral part of the whole person, but as an economic driver for our community has distinguished Toe River Arts both throughout the region and across the state,” offered Cassie Floan, education coordinator.
