Events
WHEN ART & POETRY MEET
The Route 3 Blog and Drinking Gourd Gallery Present: "how i got ovah": Celebrating the poetry of Carolyn Rodgers, Dec. 14, 2023, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time
December 14 is the birthday of the late Carolyn Rodgers (1940-2010), an influential Black woman writer, co-founder of the legendary Third World Press, and the founder of Eden Press. A Chicago native who came of age during the Civil Rights movement and who embodied the creative spirit of the Black Arts movement, Rodgers often wrote about the personal, social, and political concerns of Black women, challenging patriarchal ideas about how they should act, talk, live, and feel. Among her many published works are Paper Soul (1968), Songs of a Blackbird (1969), and how i got ovah: New and Selected Poems (1975). In addition to being a poet, Rodgers was also a short story writer, an essayist, a professor, a literary critic, and, at one point, a social worker.
Join a group of literature lovers on Thursday, December 14 at 7:30 pm Eastern Time to engage in a virtual discussion of Rodgers' poems. If possible, please borrow or buy one of Rodgers' poetry books prior to the 14th (see purchase options below), or visit the Poetry Foundation page devoted to her work and read her poems there. Then pick one Carolyn Rodgers poem that truly resonates with you. During the discussion, we will talk about the poems we chose and the impact they had on us. If you prefer not to share your thoughts at the group discussion, you are still welcome to join in and listen to what others have to share. All levels of participation are welcome!
If you have time, we encourage you to watch this 27-minute video of Carolyn Rodgers speaking about her life experiences in 2007 (at the end she reads one of her poems): Carolyn Marie Rodgers speaking
Purchase options: There are a few Amazon book dealers who sell Carolyn Rodgers' books, but it is fine to stick to reading the poems on the Poetry Foundation website, if that works better for you.
Borrowing options: Some libraries carry her books.
Join the Discussion: Send an e-mail to us at dggartinfo@gmail.com to receive the log-in information for the December 14 discussion.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
JOIN US FOR SLOW ART DAY APRIL 15, 2023!
We invite you to join us on April 15 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. EST for this fun, interactive online event! You can stay the entire time, or hop off early if you need to. We look forward to seeing you!
This online Slow Art Day event is free, but registration is required.
JINGLE MINGLE ARTISAN MARKET, Saturday, November 12, 2022
Join us at the Jingle Mingle Artisan Market at the Imperial Centre for the Arts in Rocky Mount on Saturday, November 12, 2022! This event is sponsored by the Tar River Arts Collaborative and will feature more than 40 vendors! Make plans to attend and bring a friend!
Inaugural Buck Leonard First Baseman's Hall of Fame Induction & Gala, Saturday, October 29, 2022
On October 29, 2022, emcee Chris Lovingood of WRAL and several special guests will be on hand for the Inaugural Buck Leonard First Baseman's Hall of Fame Induction and Gala! During the event, the Buck Leonard Association will posthumously induct its first seven members into the Buck Leonard First Baseman’s Hall of Fame and unveil original player portraits of Martin Dihigo, Lou Gehrig, Hank Greenberg, Buck O’Neil, Tony Perez, Joe Staton and Ben Taylor created by artist Darryl Matthews. The portraits will be on permanent display at the Imperial Centre for the Arts & Sciences in Rocky Mount, NC.
Drinking Gourd Gallery: Slow Art Appreciation, Saturday, April 2, 2022, 4:00 PM
Register in advance for this event:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUsc-urqDstH9Wt5UdZjLj7JA7QazK7ZlWn
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the event.
Join us on Saturday, April 2 at 4:00 p.m. as we connect to the moment and mindfully observe works of art. We will spend a little over an hour reflecting on Kirsten Moore’s paintings "Taste the Rainbow," "Spring Onions," "Traditions," and "Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy." These richly colored works build on a tradition of food as art. This will be a live virtual program presented through Zoom. There is no charge to attend.
Why Slow Art?
The more you look, the more you see. Slow Art is an approach based on the idea that if we want to get to know a work in better detail, we need to spend time with it. Slow looking can allow us to explore different perspectives and make unexpected discoveries about works of art. Slow art events can take place at any time, but one day each year – April 2 in 2022 – people around the world pause to look at art slowly at museums and galleries. Participants look at one or a few artworks and talk about their experience.
How to prepare for this virtual program:
Make yourself comfortable. Find a quiet place to relax and immerse yourself in the moment. Participate as little or as much as you want in the discussion. Don’t worry if nothing comes to mind when you first see the artwork. Be patient with yourself and have fun.
We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, April 2, 2022!
About the artist…
Kirsten Moore, the founder and owner of Sola Bee Artistry has a passion for planet sustainability and uses re-purposed materials and discarded items to create her mixed media artwork. As a native to the North Country, she has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Design, concentrating in sculpture and graphic design, from the State University of New York at Potsdam, located in Potsdam, NY.
Please contact Drinking Gourd Gallery at cjtorian@gmail.com or call 919-627-4994 with any questions about any of the gallery’s programming.
ARTSPLOSURE - THE RALEIGH ARTS FESTIVAL
October 9-10, 2021 | Downtown Raleigh (This event has passed.)
It's official! Drinking Gourd Gallery is coming to the 2021 Artsplosure festival! We are honored to have the opportunity to join other visual arts and craft exhibitors from across North Carolina and the nation at this event. We look forward to seeing you there!
DRINKING GOURD GALLERY HOSTS SLOW ART PROGRAM, Saturday, May 15, 2021, 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
DRINKING GOURD GALLERY LAUNCHES ART TALKS!
DRINKING GOURD GALLERY PRESENTS COLLECTIVE VOICES
POP-UP SHOP, December 8, 2019, Noon to 5:00 p.m.
We are very excited to announce that we will setting up a pop-up shop at locally-owned Wye Hill Kitchen and Brewing https://www.wyehill.com/ on Sunday, December 8! Come out and enjoy delicious food and drink and shop with us while you're at the restaurant! We will be donating 10% of Sunday's gross sales to Southeast Raleigh Promise (SERP) https://serpromise.org . SERP's long-term vision is to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty for residents living in the Rock Quarry Road Corridor (RQRC Zone). Please join us in supporting this worthwhile cause. We look forward to seeing you soon!
POP-UP SHOP, Thanksgiving Weekend, November 29 - December 1, 2019
We're popping up at Cary Towne Center for Thanksgiving weekend, y'all! We'll have hand-painted ornaments, original artwork, books, handmade cuff links, and necklaces. Come out and shop local with us and find the perfect gift for everyone on your list!
POP-UP SHOP, October 12, 2019
On Saturday, October 12, 2019, we'll be a the 3rd Annual Sir Walter Smoke-Off (https://sirwaltersmokeoff.com/). Over a dozen professional BBQ Teams will compete for the Sir Walter Smoke-Off Golden Pig Trophy and up to $1,000 in prize money. The event organizers are also collecting toys, hurricane relief supplies and money for the Capital City Clauses & The Carolina Cavalry. Please come out to this fun event and stop by our shop while you're there! We'd love to meet you!
ARTS PROJECT
Tin Can Arts Project. In December 2018, we launched our Tin Can Arts Project by making a weekly non-perishable foods donation to our local food bank in honor of our Drinking Gourd Gallery Insiders (i.e. our mailing list subscribers). We also created some tin can art along the way, which we posted to our Facebook and Instagram pages. If you'd like to become an Insider, just enter your e-mail address in the box below and click subscribe!
Check back often for information about upcoming shows, events, and exhibitions!