Featured poet, followed by open mic.
“Artists Respond to Poetry” Art Exhibition at Arts-Mid Hudson
This exhibit features 16 poets and 16 visual artists in our seventh annual celebration of National Poetry Month. The participating visual artists have selected a poem to respond to through their own work.
Poets: Jeni Ascosi, Timothy Brennan, Augusta Block, Susan Chute, Kim Ellis, Lea Graham, Marian Grudko, Jared Harél, Jennifer Howse, Linda McCauley Freeman, Kirsten Meehan, Kate Sarah Mitchell, Susan Sindall Schickele, Brendan Tanner, Ted Taylor, Edwin Torres
Visual Artists: John Ackerman, Karen Allen, Nicolas Dalton, Stacie Flint, Don Freeman, Karen E. Gersch, Kay Kenny, Josh Kramb, Dori Miller, Janell O’Rourke, Renee Pasquale, Myah Perino, Enne Tesse. Patricia Walsh, Anthony Wells, Coulter Young
Leading with Artivism – a conversation with Poet Gold and Sammie B
“Leading with Artivism” is a live quarterly interview series, created and curated by Poet Gold in collaboration with Arts Mid-Hudson, featuring a diverse mix of Artivists (Artist Activists) who have taken up the charge through their art to highlight social issues. We invite you to ask questions and get an inside look at the hearts and minds of these courageous creatives. RSVP here!
Poet Gold is a rare talent who grabs you by the heart and says “Recognize” – Poet, author, performer, songwriter, community “Artivist” and speaker, Bettina “Poet Gold” Wilkerson is pushing the boundaries of poetry and the spoken word. Living with a chronic illness since childhood, Poet Gold, or as she is affectionately known as “Gold”, brings a soul-searching insight about the human existence, love, dreams, challenges, and triumph.
Guest Bio: Sammie B is a genre-defying, female artist, musician, and creator, from the Hudson Valley, NY. Born June 26th, 1994. Not only is she a rapper/singer-songwriter, poet, DJ, and beat producer, but she is a visual artist as well. A single braid in her hair along with her taglines “Brliing” and “I literally made the beat” are her recognizable trademarks- along with her vibrant yet calming aura. She is also a recovery coach for those struggling with SUD and mental illness. After many years battling with depression, loss, heartbreak, and addiction, she lives on to give others hope by telling her story of overcoming through music and art while radiating positive energy and authenticity. Sammie B makes music with the intention of making her listeners feel connected/supported and/or empowered. LLPE Music is her independent record label. She is also the CEO of Sammie B Creative LLC in which she distributes her merchandise, art, and more!
Truth Open Mic
Poetry Workshops at Gallery 40
Join Poet and Poughkeepsie Resident Gina R. Evers for an evening of exploring and writing poetry.Each writing workshop will illuminate one feature of poetry, allow time for writing, and build community through the sharing of our new poem. Register to reserve your seat !Gina R. Evers holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Her poems have been published in PANK, About Place Journal, Quarterly West, and the Comstock Review, among other journals and anthologies. Her writing has been supported by the VCFA Postgraduate Writers’ Conference, the Martha’s Vineyard Institute for Creative Writing, and the Lambda Literary Foundation.
Poetry Workshops at Gallery 40
Join Poet and Poughkeepsie Resident Gina R. Evers for an evening of exploring and writing poetry.Each writing workshop will illuminate one feature of poetry, allow time for writing, and build community through the sharing of our new poem. Register to reserve your seat !Gina R. Evers holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Her poems have been published in PANK, About Place Journal, Quarterly West, and the Comstock Review, among other journals and anthologies. Her writing has been supported by the VCFA Postgraduate Writers’ Conference, the Martha’s Vineyard Institute for Creative Writing, and the Lambda Literary Foundation.
Poetry Workshops at Gallery 40
Join Poet and Poughkeepsie Resident Gina R. Evers for an evening of exploring and writing poetry.Each writing workshop will illuminate one feature of poetry, allow time for writing, and build community through the sharing of our new poem. Register to reserve your seat !Gina R. Evers holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Her poems have been published in PANK, About Place Journal, Quarterly West, and the Comstock Review, among other journals and anthologies. Her writing has been supported by the VCFA Postgraduate Writers’ Conference, the Martha’s Vineyard Institute for Creative Writing, and the Lambda Literary Foundation.
Poetry Workshops at Gallery 40
Join Poet and Poughkeepsie Resident Gina R. Evers for an evening of exploring and writing poetry.Each writing workshop will illuminate one feature of poetry, allow time for writing, and build community through the sharing of our new poem. Register to reserve your seat !Gina R. Evers holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Her poems have been published in PANK, About Place Journal, Quarterly West, and the Comstock Review, among other journals and anthologies. Her writing has been supported by the VCFA Postgraduate Writers’ Conference, the Martha’s Vineyard Institute for Creative Writing, and the Lambda Literary Foundation.
Leading with Artivism
Join Poet Gold as she talks with Joel Bergner, a community artist whose large-scale murals can be found in 30 countries across 5 continents, painted in his signature style combining intimate portraits of local residents, vibrant color palettes and small details that draw the viewer in to experience multiple levels of meaning. His elaborate murals weave smoothly between realism with an urban art sensibility and the raw expressions of children’s art. As a community-based artist, Joel’s work is informed by his creative projects with the world’s most vulnerable children and communities, from Syrian refugee camps to American prisons; the favelas of Brazil to an orphanage in South Africa. In each project, he guides participants through the process of exploring issues that are important to them, designing their own composition and then collaboratively painting a public mural in their community.
Leading with Artivism, guest Stephanie JT Russell (virtual)
Join us (virtually) as we talk with Stephanie JT Russell, a prolific poet, interdisciplinary artist, and cultural worker. Stephanie JT Russell’s most recent creative nonfiction book is One Flash of Lightning, a poetic treatment of the Samurai code (Andrews McMeel). Her work has been featured in books and journals such as The Xavier Review, The Winter Anthology, Sequestrum, Lightwood, ArLiJo, and at noted venues including The New Museum, The Griffin Museum of Photography, The Albright Knox, Bowery Poetry Club, and The Berkeley Museum. A visiting artist at New York University, The West Africa Network for Peacebuilding, The Stone House, and other institutions, Russell received the Overall Winner Award 2022 from the Wirral Poetry Festival, UK. A Trustee at The Emile Brunel Studio & Sculpture Park, an historic nature sanctuary and art center in Boiceville, NY, Russell is founder of its AIR Brunel BIPOC Fellowship Residency (brunelpark.org). Russell was appointed Dutchess County Poet Laureate 2023, for which she is curating an intercultural Laureate Event Series, Stream of Life, featuring poetry and art from multicultural communities throughout Dutchess County and the Hudson Valley region. RSVP HERE