2026 Events In The Courtyard
The Courtyard is a beautiful outdoor art space, located in downtown Manteo. Join us for one of our upcoming events, listed below.
Friday, July 3: We will have live music by The Blue Crab Boys in The Courtyard from 6pm to 8pm during First Friday.
Friday, August 7: We will have live music by The Brian Smith Band in The Courtyard from 6pm to 8pm during First Friday.
Friday, September 4: We will have live music by Brooke & Nick in The Courtyard from 6pm to 8pm during First Friday.
For more information on our summer and fall Courtyard installation, please read below.
Summer 2026 Courtyard Installation
Weather The Storm, a mixed media installation by artist Lara E. Parks, will be on display in The Courtyard Friday, July 3 through fall. There were will be opening reception on Friday, July 3 during First Friday in downtown Manteo. Viewers can meet Lara at the opening reception.
About the Art: Weather the Storm is a public installation project that creates an atmospheric experience during both the day and night hours. It fosters a direct, immersive connection between viewers, nature and the environment. The project will encompass light, shadow, sound, and natural movement to allow the public's observation of the art to become less passive, and more of an interactive experience. The piece speaks to the emotions we may all feel as we experience our days; that may at times be bright and colorful and at other times quite stormy. Viewers are asked to return on and off as the installation is hanging to see how it weathers the storm.
Artist Bio: Lara Parks is a mixed media artist with a BFA in Textile Art. She enjoys combining fabric with non-traditional materials and she has a love for printing and slow stitching, which allows her to tell a story with each piece that she creates. Working with dyes and fabrics gives Lara the right sense of satisfaction, but when it comes to displaying textile art, she has felt limited by proper materials, frames, and hanging techniques. She often asks herself how to get her art off the wall and out of the frame, and the answer so far has been through public installations, theatre sets, costume designs, and other wearables. Creating environments and pulling viewers into a world has become a regular component of Lara's art within the last few years. Having designed and built sets for our local theatre, Lara has found a love for art that surrounds and immerses you.
The Mural
Developing the west side of the Courthouse into a multi-purpose Courtyard was always part of the long-term vision for revitalization of the property. An Alley Art Walk was one of the original components approved under the Courtyard concept and we are pleased to finally move forward in developing the space with our first mural. Public art, specifically murals, enhance the visual appeal of public places while creating an inviting atmosphere. Murals foster community pride and this one in particular celebrates the arts, history, and culture of Manteo. By expanding our offerings to include a mural, we are honoring Dare Arts’ mission of providing opportunity and enrichment through art.
This mural, created in 2025 by local artist Willow Rea Temple, is based on archival photographs from the Outer Banks History Center. Located on the back wall of Dare Arts’ Courtyard, in the area affectionately referred to as “the alley-way”, the mural is open for public viewing.
The mural features the Manteo–Hatteras Bus Line, which carried passengers before modern roads connected the two towns, blending into a view of Budleigh Street—just to your left—as it looked in the 1930s. Also interwoven are images of two women on a dock near the turn of the century, and a young boy on a horse in front of the historic Dare County Courthouse, now the home of Dare Arts.
About The Courtyard
The Courtyard Project’s Groundbreaking Ceremony was hosted on Tuesday, March 3, 2020.
The project transformed the yard behind the 1904 Courthouse building into a multi-functional courtyard that enabled Dare Arts to expand its programming, serve additional segments of the community and showcase a broader range of creative endeavors including outdoor artwork, workshops and artist demonstrations.
To learn how to participate in the Courtyard, please email Jessica Sands at DareArtsInfo@gmail.com.
The Courtyard was designed by Ben Cahoon of Cahoon + Kasten Architects.
Courtyard Project Supporters
A special thank you to the Percy W. & Elizabeth G. Meekins Charitable Trust, Dare County Tourism Board, Outer Banks Community Foundation, The Cannon Foundation, The Camp-Younts Foundation, Dominion Energy, Southern Bank Foundation, Lowe’s, Walmart Giving, Ace Hardware, The McLaughlin Family Charitable Fund and generous community donors for supporting this project.
This project is funded in part by the Dare County Tourism Board.