NC Writers’ Network Online Spring Conference 2021
The North Carolina Writers' Network, the UNC-Greensboro MFA Program in Creative Writing, and the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County bring you two evenings and one full day of classes, workshops, and conversations on the craft and business of writing fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction—entirely online. The conference features classes in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as sessions on the craft and business of writing, faculty readings, an an open mic. The faculty includes memoirst James Tate Hill; poet Terry L. Kennedy; fiction writer Zelda Lockhart; poet Ashley Lumpkin; fiction writer Valerie Nieman; poet Joseph Mills; poet Emilia Phillips; poet Ross White; and essayist Eric G. Wilson.
Jo Ann Walker Poetry Scholarship
The goal of the scholarship is to encourage individuals residing in North and South Carolina to attend regional and national poetry workshops. $500 awarded annually. The winner will be recognized on the Emrys Foundation’s website and social media channels. Submissions accepted through February 28. Winner announced March 15. Only North or South Carolina residents may apply.
Chautauqua: Gertie Legendre, SC Heiress, Explorer, Spy
Talk about your steel magnolias! Gertrude Sanford Legendre might be the most amazing South Carolina woman you’ve never heard of. An heiress, a flapper, a hunter, and a leader of scientific expeditions, Gertie was also the first American woman in uniform taken prisoner by the Nazis during World War II. Gertie’s experience as a WWII POW is profiled by Kathryn Smith, her biographer and author of “Gertie: The Fabulous Life of Gertrude Sanford Legendre, Heiress, Explorer, Socialite, Spy." A free virtual event presented via Zoom by Greenville Chautauqua and Spartanburg County Libraries. Registration required at https://tinyurl.com/y4vh89c7
Online Poetry Workshop with Len Lawson: “A Poetics of Place”
The Poetry Society of SC presents an online Poetry Workshop with Len Lawson, "A Poetics of Place," from 10AM until noon via Zoom. Lawson has received fellowships from Callaloo, Vermont Studio Center, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and Weymouth Center for the Arts. In describing his workshop, Len writes: "What are the elements that define our places and, in turn, define ourselves? Poets can define a location, city, or region with intricate detail or intense emotion by intimately acquainting us with their experiences. Through the poetry of Phillip Levine, bell hooks, and others, this workshop will examine the elements of place in poetry and guide participants in developing or even redefining places as their own." Registration is required at the Society website (www.poetrysocietysc.org) to receive the Zoom link for access.
Celebrating Our Centennial 1921-2021: The Poetry Society of SC Annual Open Mic Showcase
Each January, The Poetry Society of South Carolina begins the new year with its open mic showcase for member poets. This year the proceedings will be held via Zoom, January 8, 2021 at 7PM. A brief history of the Society will be a given by President Jim Lundy, as a preview of his forthcoming book covering the 100 years of the Society. To obtain the link for this free event, register at poetrysocietysc.org. Active members may submit for consideration to read during the event; sign-up information will be published in the January Newsletter and on the Society website.
Call for Applications: SC Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities
The SC Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities is now accepting applications for summer programs and the tuition-free, residential high school. All South Carolina residents in grades 6-11 are eligible to apply online at SCGSAH.org for the 2021-2022 school year. Located in downtown Greenville, the Governor’s School offers pre-professional training in creative writing, dance, drama, music, and visual arts. Students attend from all over the state to learn from established, practicing artists in an environment that provides the resources needed to hone their artistic abilities including specialized arts studios, state-of-the-art performance halls, dedicated rehearsal spaces and a world-class library. Application deadlines vary by program. Apply by Nov. 30 to receive an application fee waiver.
2021 North Charleston Arts Fest Participation Opportunities
Regional and local artists and performers in the areas of music, dance, theatre, visual arts, media arts, and literature are invited to apply to perform or present during 2021 North Charleston Arts Fest, April 28-May 2. The five-day celebration of the arts offers an array of events and activities including concerts, theatre presentations, exhibitions and installations, children’s programs, workshops, and demonstrations, throughout the City of North Charleston. The review panel will select applicants from all art disciplines to create a mix of free and ticketed events that are geared to meet the interests of a cross-section of ages, cultures, and backgrounds. Deadline for submission of artist applications: Tuesday, December 15, 2020
South Carolina Artists Group Yard Art Faire
South Carolina Artists group has created a space for artists of all genres to show and sell their creations, at the SCA Yard Art Faire, an open air art market at historic Robert Mills House in Columbia, November 7th. Admission and parking are free.
Book Club: The Namesake
The Columbia Museum of Art has teamed up with Richland Library for a virtual book club. Mona Verma, a research and readers advisory professional at Richland Library, will lead a Zoom discussion on Pulitzer prizewinner Jhumpa Lahiri’s bestselling debut novel, The Namesake. The discussion will explore how the narrative exemplifies the diaspora experience for many NRIs (non-resident Indians) and how themes like globalization intersect with ideas raised by artists in the CMA's exhibition, Visions from India. The event is free, but registration is required.
This program has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor.
Related Events
McKenzie Beach Memories – Art by Natalie Daise
Those driving on Highway 17 in the Pawleys Island area may have noticed the ruins of an old motel behind a fence and a street sign saying "Old Beach Road." That is what is left of McKenzie Beach, once a popular and well-known vacation resort. But what made it important then was that it was a beach for African-Americans at a time when direct access to the Atlantic oceanfront in the Jim Crow South was extremely limited. Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet presents McKenzie Beach Memories - Art by Natalie Daise, an exhibition of paintings used as the illustrations for the book McKenzie Beach Memories, published by CLASS Publishing. The works are on view in the Wall Lowcountry Center through October 15th.
