Artist-Poets
Exhibit Dates: May 27–June 18, 2023
Gallery Hours: Thursday–Sunday, 1:00–5:00pm
Opening Reception & Reading: Saturday, May 27, 2:00–4:00pm
Eureka Gallery
Free and open to the public
A special Poetry Rocks installment will feature an Artist-Poet Exhibit of visual arts and poems, May 27 to June 17, at Arts Center East in Vernon. An opening reception and readings will take place on Saturday May 27, from 2:00-4:00 pm. Artist-poets include CT State Poet Laureate and printmaker/collagist Antoinette Brim-Bell, painters Sherri Bedingfield, Aaron Caycedo-Kimura, Marilyn Johnston, Garrett Phelan; photographer Joan Hofmann; and multimedia artist Margaret Plaganis.
The exhibit is being dedicated to the late poet and photographer, David K Leff, the Poet Laureate of Canton who died suddenly in Spring 2022. Proceeds from the sale of his books will be donated to the CT Coalition of Poets Laureate.
Poetry Rocks’ special Artist-Poet Exhibit is curated by Vernon’s Inaugural Poet Laureate Pegi Deitz Shea. The exhibit can be seen Thursday–Sunday, 1:00-5:00pm through June 18, at Arts Center East, 709 Hartford Turnpike in Vernon and online at www.artscentereast.org. For more information, please email pegideitzshea@aol.com.
Exhibits at Arts Center East are free and open to the public. We are grateful for the support from our community and visitors.
Poetry Rocks! is a quarterly poetry reading series organized by ACE Artist Member and Vernon Poet Laureate, Pegi Deitz Shea. It is co-sponsored by Arts Center East and the Vernon Arts Commission. In 2017, the then ACE Director, Joan Sonnanburg, approached Pegi about beginning a poetry reading series that would feature Rockville High School’s award-winning poets, early career poets, and established Connecticut poets.
Now in its sixth year, Poetry Rocks! has featured numerous poets, including current CT State Poet Laureate, Margaret Gibson, and past CT State Poet Laureate, Rennie McQuilkin. Readings are held on Sunday afternoons at Arts Center East.
Now in its sixth year, Poetry Rocks! has featured numerous poets, including current CT State Poet Laureate, Margaret Gibson, and past CT State Poet Laureate, Rennie McQuilkin. Readings are held on Sunday afternoons at Arts Center East.