11th Annual River City Festival of the Arts
Jazz, opera, instrumental & choral music, art, pottery & photography exhibits, living history portrayals, patriotic dinner, poetry and theater. Tickets available at the door. Program subject to change. Hours: 9am on 5/25/18; 10am on 5/26/18; 2:30pm on 5/27/18; Noon on 5/28/18
A Poetic Harvest
Poet and gardener, Mary Lucille DeBerry, will read an array of gardening poetry including works by the late Stanley Kunitz, Mary Oliver and Theodore Roethke as well as some of her own poetry – followed by a writing session where participants, bringing paper-and-pen or a laptop, will create their own poems. Some of Mary Lucille’s books will also be available for purchase. Most appropriate for ages 12 and above. Free for WVBG members, $15 for non-members. Space is limited, register today! Please pre-register for ALL activities 48 hours in advance at www.wvbg.org. All activities take place at the West Virginia Botanic Garden, 1061 Tyrone Road, Morgantown, WV 26508 unless otherwise noted. Park in the lower parking area. Programs will last approximately 1.5-2 hours unless otherwise noted. Donations are appreciated and can be made online, or at the kiosk by the lower lot. Please refrain from bringing your pet to activities.
“Winter Poetry Day” Landes Arts Center
Love Is In The Air!! Celebrate the season of winter and the beauty of love with poetry... Bring a poem or song that you have written or one by someone else. Read or just enjoy... Fun for everyone!! Ours Gallery
Appalachian Showcase Concert
Shepherd University will be hosting the 39th annual Appalachian Studies Association conference from March 18-20. Nearby 1,000 scholars, educators, students, activists, and learners will come together in Shepherdstown to celebrate our region. As part of the conference, we will present a special showcase concert for the community and visitors featuring John Lilly and Blue Yonder, Appalachian dance, storytelling and much more.
Readings by the Affrilachian Poets
As a part of the Appalachian Studies Association Conference at Shepherd University, all are welcome to join in many of their FREE events. In Celebration of Twenty-Five Years, Frank X Walker and the Affrilachian Poets will be participating in “Affrilachian Voices: A Reading by Affrilachian Poets.” Poets participating in the event alongside Walker include Kelly Norman Ellis, Ricardo Nazario y Colon, Bianca Spriggs, and others.
Frank X. Walker Address
Frank X Walker will deliver the Appalachian Studies Association Conference keynote address on Friday, March 18 in the Shepherd University Frank Center Theater. Walker, a native Kentuckian and graduate of the University of Kentucky, holds an MFA in writing from Spalding University and was named Poet Laureate of Kentucky in 2013—the youngest and first African American to hold the position. Walker co-founded Message Theater and the Affrilachian Poets and was named one of "the most creative teachers in the South" by the Oxford American: The Southern Magazine of Good Writing. His creation of the word “Affrilachia” is included in the Oxford American Dictionary. Walker has lectured, conducted workshops, and read poetry at over 400 national conferences and universities across the globe. Walker’s keynote address, entitled “Escape from Negro Mountain: Writing History, Righting Wrongs,” will utilize stories and literature to shed light on the diversity of Appalachia. Frank X Walker will participate in a number of conference events in addition to the keynote.