Potter Daniel Johnston, Poet Rhett Iseman Trull, "Writing To Heal," and "The Hunting Ground"

Potter Daniel Johnston

The words pottery and art installation are rarely combined in the often-reserved craft community of our state, but North Carolina native Daniel Johnston is not your average potter.  Take his experiential installation at Greenhill, a space for NC art. In it, the viewer is invited to stroll through an 85 foot long constructed tunnel of his 100 enormous, beautiful, handcrafted clay pots. With the exhibit, Daniel reveals something about the ongoing process of an artist at work in a craft medium. It's hard, physical work, but he says he enjoys it, and he leaves no daylight between himself and the process. The result, pots that reflect both the culture and the times in which he lives.

The exhibit at Greenhill is titled "Daniel Johnston/Hiroshi Sueyoshi: Sculptural Clay". It opens May 1st and will remain on display through June 10th.  All pots are for sale. Porcelain and clay artist Hiroshi teaches at the Cameron Art Museum's Pancoe Education Center as a master artist, and in 2006 he received the NC Living Treasure award. 

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Rhett Iseman Trull

National Poetry Month might be over, but Rhett Iseman Trull and her husband Jeff Trull want to continue to share great poetry with you.

The two are the editors of Cave Wall Press, a literary journal of poetry and art.

The couple began the Greensboro-based Press 7 years ago, and ever since then have published one to two poetry journals a year. Their latest issue, Number 13, is now out. The issue features 20 poets, 36 poems, and 7 prints by artist Geraldine Theurot.

Rhett is a poet herself, and she recently joined Bethany to talk about finding her poetic voice, how reading relates to writing, and the most recent issue of Cave Wall.

She will be reading this Sunday, May 3rd at Scuppernong Books at 3:00pm. Rhett will be joined by two other poets, Gary Dop and Jennifer Whitaker. Both Dop and Whitaker have been featured in Cave Wall. 

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Writing to Heal: A Poetry & Literary Festival

On Saturday, May 2nd, the Spirituality and Healing Council will host a half-day literary festival on the Moses Cone campus. Writing to Heal: A Poetry and Literary Festival will highlight the creative intersection between poetry and Medicine through readings and workshops by six North Carolina Poets and artists. Featured individuals include Michael Gaspeny, Grey Brown and Peg Gignoux, Terri Kirby Erickson, Mark Smith-Soto, and Jacinta V. White. Workshops include: "Wrap Your Head Around It: An Interdisciplinary Arts Project Linking Text With Textile Through Community Action,"Anxiety, PTSD, and Poetry," How Does An Emotion Feel?," "Poetry As Pain Relief," and "The Art of Losing: Poetry, Grief, and Healing." 

The festival begins at 8:00am and goes to 1:00pm. The Festival is free and open to Cone staff, patients, and community members. To register, send your name and contact information to poetry@conehealth.com   

Poet and festival coordinator Steve Cushman and poet Terri Kirby Erickson stopped by WFDD. They each shared their work and how poetry has provided an expressive outlet for processing some of the most difficult emotions. We begin with a poem by Terri. 

Today Mary offers her insight on the documentary The Hunting Ground. The film is about sexual assault on college campuses, through the eyes of the victims, policy makers, university personnel from the Oscar-nominated directors of The Invisible War. The film opens at a/perture cinema on Friday, May 1st.