About Pocosin Arts

Roger Manley worked as a photographer, folklorist, filmmaker, curator and writer before becoming director and curator of NC State University’s Gregg Museum of Art & Design in 2010. He has scripted videos and films for PBS and has produced exhibitions of his own photographs. His feature-length documentary, MANA—beyond belief, premiered at the International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam and at NYC’s Lincoln Center. His books and collaborations include Self-Made Worlds, Signs and Wonders, The End is Near!, Farfetched, Architecture of Hope: the Treasures of Intuit, books on St. EOM and Howard Finster, three books for the Weird USA series, dozens of museum catalogues, and Walks to the Paradise Garden, with Jonathan Williams and Guy Mendes, published in conjunction with the exhibition, “Way Out There: The Art of Southern Backroads” at the High Museum in Atlanta. Roger lives in Durham, NC, with his wife, writer/photographer Theadora Brack.

John McCann has helped leaders for over three decades work more effectively to build resilient, mission-driven organizations. His work encompasses more than 300 of the nation’s leading cultural institutions including the Association of Arts Presenters, Dance/USA, National Alliance for Musical Theatre, National Council on Education in the Ceramic Arts, Martha Graham Dance Company, Chicago Opera Theatre, New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and the National Symphony Orchestra. McCann is Founder and President of Partners in Performance, a company that designs leadership development programs for the arts and education field, specifically for the League of American Orchestras, National Guild for Community Arts Education, Michigan Library Association, and the Michigan Arts and Culture Council. Between 2012 and 2020 McCann regularly facilitated seminars designed specifically to improve leadership communications within the Central Intelligence Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

James Meyer (MFA, Metalsmithing and Jewelry, State University of New York, College at New Paltz, NY) is an artist with permanent collections in the Museum of Fine Arts - Boston, MA; Museum of Art and Design, NY; Racine Museum of Art, WI; Gregg Museum, NC; Georgia Museum of Art, GA; and Nordenjeldske Museum of Fine Arts, Trondheim, Norway. Professor Emeritus for School of the Arts, VCU and a visiting professor for UGA Studies Abroad program (Cortona, Italy), James also provides workshop instruction for Pocosin Arts (NC), Penland School (NC), Arrowmont School (TN), Haystack School (ME), Peters Valley School (NJ), and Touchstone School (PA). With exhibitions in the US, Europe, Asia and Australia and works published in Catalogues, books and magazines, he has also sat on the boards of Society of North American Goldsmiths, Visual Arts Center (VA), Penland School Craft (NC), and Pocosin Arts (NC).

Sherylyn Pitt MSW LCSW LCAS owns a private practice in Raleigh, NC offering psychotherapy, ecotherapy, and education.  A Summa Cum Laude alumna of Meredith College (BSW) and UNC Chapel Hill (MSW), Sherylyn has served as a mental health trainer for Area Health Education UNC-CH and as a master’s-level instructor at UNC-CH teaching diversity in Mental Health treatment.  She designs and facilitates training/development programs for several nonprofit and governmental organizations, including NC Department of Juvenile Justice and Interact of Wake County.  She is a creative behavioral health clinician, nature guide, and process artist.  When she is not gardening, Sherylyn leads Health Rhythms Empowerment workshops, Hasya Yoga, Labyrinth experiences, Climate Conversations, and eco-therapeutic immersion retreats. 

Sandi Brickhouse Smith is a proud Tyrrell County native, born and raised on “the Creeks Sand Hill” just south of Columbia. She and her husband, Jason Smith—owner and operator of J.S. Electrical and Plumbing Services—have deep roots in the community. Sandi works at Cherry Farms Seed Company, where she serves as Human Resources Coordinator. In this role, she collaborates with the management team to support a quality management system and ensure the production of high-quality small grain (wheat) and soybean seeds that consistently meet or exceed customer expectations. In her free time, Sandi enjoys growing fresh-cut flowers, hunting for antique and thrift treasures, diving into a good book, and taking scenic cruises through Columbia and the beautiful backroads of Tyrrell County.

George Wallace is a dedicated arts advocate and former Associate Vice President at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. From 2014 to 2020, he was a valued and enthusiastic member of the Friends of the Gregg Museum advisory board, where he consistently championed the arts and supported the museum’s mission. George is perhaps best known in the Raleigh arts community as the founder and driving force behind the North Ridge Country Club Art Gala—an innovative event that uniquely integrated artists into the process, creating a mutually rewarding experience for artists, attendees, and the club itself. Though retired, George remains passionate about the arts and is known for his creativity in designing programs that work within the strengths and limitations of their setting. Now exploring new opportunities in retirement, George is eager for fresh challenges where he can contribute his vision and energy. He and his wife, Pat, continue to be engaged supporters of the arts.