First Thursday Literary & Arts Salon
May 4, 7 pm at Freeman Hall, 181 East Court Street, Doylestown
Don’t miss this salon featuring poets and artists whose work is paired in this year’s 30 Days of Inspiration project!
Join us for a relaxed discussion and light refreshments in the parlor of Freeman Hall. Space is limited and parking is free!
For reservations, email: programs@bucksarts.org.
MEET THE ARTISTS:
Cheryl Bomba became involved with photography as a special education teacher when she bought one of the first digital cameras to take portraits of her students with autism. Her interests are capturing small moments in nature, architecture, and sculpture and helping other photographers achieve their artistic visions through iPhonography classes.
Joseph Chelius was the 2000 Bucks County poet laureate, and in 2017 was the first place winner of the inaugural Bucks County Short Story competition. Joe’s work has appeared in Cider Press Review, Commonweal, Poet Lore, Poetry East, Rattle, and other journals. He has published two full-length collections of poems with WordTech Communications: The Art of Acquiescence (2014) and Crossing State Lines (2020).
Luray Gross, a storyteller and teaching artist as well as a poet, is the author of four collections of poetry, most recently Lift, published by Ragged Sky Press. She grew up on a dairy farm in Bucks Co. in a household rich in books and music. Reading poetry helped her survive adolescence, and poetry has helped keep her sane ever since.
Sean Hanrahan (he/him/his) is a gay Philadelphia poet hailing from Dale City, Virginia. He is the author of Hardened Eyes on the Scan, Safer Behind Popcorn, and Gay Cake. He has taught classes on chapbook creation and ekphrastic poetry and has hosted various poetry events, including a bimonthly series for Moonstone.
Gun-Marie Nalsen writes, “I am a long time weaver and fiber artist. Needle felting, punch needle, tapestry and rug hooking, have been my most used media until about a year ago when I started experimenting with watercolors. To my delight I discovered that using watercolors is very similar to needle felting with wool. It has the same process of layering translucent colors, it feels playful and spontaneous.”
Francisco Silva writes, “I am a painter who works mainly in oils. My home studio is located in the small town of Frenchtown, New Jersey, on the Delaware River. In my artwork, I examine different themes preferring to draw from my personal experiences and my reaction to those experiences.”
Wendy Fulton Steginsky has authored three books of poetry. She attributes her love for the art form to growing up on the shores of Bermuda where the sea’s rhythms seeped into her bones and stayed. Her book, “Let This Be Enough” (Kelsay Books, 2016) won Honorable Mention in Bermuda’s 2018 Literary Awards.
Literary Arts Salons are presented by the Arts & Cultural Council of Bucks County. The honoraria are donated in support of poetry and creative writing by Mark Wisse and “The Lenel Education Fund.”
