Art and Earth lovers alike are invited to Earth Day Reflections: An Artistic Celebration on Monday, April 22, at 5:30 p.m. at The Gallery at Flat Rock. The program will feature artwork, music, poetry and prose presented by artists who find nature to be a source of inspiration and solace in their creative and everyday lives. Those who wish to attend the ticketed event should RSVP through the website or by calling the gallery.
Summer’s Promise. Dale McEntire, artist
Poet Tim Jones will read and discuss some of his poetry, most of which found its beginnings in nature. “Poetry, music and art is the soaring language of the soul,” Jones says. “There are many wonderful, analytical explorations of the Earth, but we need something to connect us to the reality that Nature is not something out there apart from us. We are a part of it; a living piece of the Earth story. In valuing the Earth, we value our lives as well.”
Bruce Holliday, publisher of the weekly newsletter Flat Rock Together and curator of a blog by the same name, also finds that his writing is informed by the time he spends observing the natural world, and he will share some of his reflections. “Ultimately, my writing is an expression of gratitude for my good fortune to live in a part of the world where people are afforded a multitude of opportunities to connect with nature and all of its healing qualities,” he says. “Earth Day is a similar expression of gratitude and concern for our environment.”
Landscape artists enjoy a close relationship with nature, immersing themselves in it and striving to capture its beauty. Painter Dale McEntire, who will present his painting Summer’s Promise, is no exception. “As an artist I have consistently gone to nature for my subject and teacher,” he says. “I have spent days, and years, in the woods, fields and rivers of North Carolina and beyond rendering what I find to be a source of inspiration and insight. My intention is to celebrate and honor the gift of nature and what it provides for our wellbeing each day.”
Singer/songwriter Tom Fisch will perform a few songs, and light refreshments will be served.
With much of its art representative of or derived from the natural world, the gallery offers an apt setting for an event in observance of Earth Day. “Suzanne and her team have created a space that invites our community to celebrate creativity, beauty and our innate desire to express ourselves through art,” Holliday says. “The Gallery at Flat Rock reminds us all of the incredible beauty and value of our environment—and that we should do all we can to safeguard that gift of nature.”
Tickets for the event are $15. The Gallery at Flat Rock is located at Flat Rock Square at 2702-A Greenville Highway, Flat Rock. Regular gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, 12–4 p.m. or by appointment. To learn more or reserve tickets for this event, visit GalleryFlatRock.com or call 828.698.7000.
