Durham. NC. - The St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc. is pleased to announce the bi-annual exhibition presented by the African American Quilt Circle (AAQC) founded in 1998 by a group of black women who love quilts and quilting in Durham, NC. These women are Bertie Howard, Jerriann King, Candace Thomas and Helen R. Sanders. The quilt circle has grown into an organization of quilters and quilt aficionados numbering 65 who live in Triangle area: Durham, Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Cary and Clayton. Others drive from Fayetteville, Warrenton, and Wilmington. Members have been as young as five years old and some members surpass 75 years of age.

MUSIC IN MY SOUL: The Legacy and the Lyrics will open on Friday, August 14 through Sunday, September 30th in the Lyda Moore Merrick Gallery at Hayti Heritage Center, located at 804 Old Fayetteville Street in Durham, NC. The AAQC statement for the exhibition is as follows: Music (A Quilt) originates from within the soul and spirit of the creator and encompasses every feeling and human emotion regardless of genre, variations in rhythms, melody, lyrics, key, harmony and form. Music (Quilts) from the past continues to inform and inspire today’s music (quilts) as the spiritual source and its universal appeal remains the same. Our quilt, whether old or new, share the same legacy as music; and both are reflective of a love, unforgettable and varied art form.

The bi-annual exhibition kicks off the celebration of the 22nd annual Bull Durham Blues Festival. An opening reception will be held from 6pm – 8pm, Friday, August 14th for the public to meet the AAQQ, view the work, and enjoy some great local blues music with light refreshments. This event is free and open to the public.

In its ten years of existence, the African American Quilt Circle has had numerous workshops for its members, some taught by its members and others by such well-know fiber artists as Wini McQueen, Rachael Clark, Gwen Magee and Juanita Yeager. They have been honored to have such guest as Gladys Marie Fry, Roland Freeman and the late author and quilt historian, Cuesta Benberry attend meetings and retreats.

The AAQQ illustrates the old saying that “Quilts are more than something to keep you warm.” Members work on projects that are large and small, simple and to extreme complex, utilitarian to art quilters. Materials are diverse as authentic fabrics from the African Continent to recycle cloth from used clothing and scraps find their way into projects. Some quilters work entirely by hand, some use sewing machines exclusively and may use a combination of both techniques. Members may use magazines, books and/or commercial patterns for ideas, but many are inspired to crate their own original work.

The Hayti Heritage Center summer hours are Mondays, 5pm-8pm; Tuesday – Friday, 10 am – 5pm; Saturdays, 10 am – 3pm; closed on Sunday. Call to check all evening hours’ schedules, times vary. For more information view our website at www.hayti.org or call (919) 683-1709.

Saturday, August 8, 2009
Contact: Fred H. Mills, Joylette Mills-Ransome or Roberta Ann Dunbar
Phone 919-683-5245 or 919-358-8572

The Janice L. Mills Scholarship Foundation and North Carolina Central Law School cordially invite the community to help us keep Janice’s memory and passion for education alive as we present the first annual “Rising Stars” Concert. The concert will be held on Saturday, August 8, 2009, at the Hayti Heritage Center, 804 Fayetteville Street, Durham, North Carolina beginning at 7:30pm. The proceeds from this concert will provide funding for scholarships that will be awarded to aspiring law school students. Performing for this year’s concert will be Juke Joint records smooth jazz artist The Jayy Music Group, Neo Soul Artist the Tanya Ross Project and special guest Fred Mills of Sweet Dreams. Janice Mills was appointed as the eleventh Dean of North Carolina Central School of Law in August 1998. After accepting the deanship, one of Janice’s first projects was to plan the 60th Anniversary Celebration of the Law School. During her tenure, Janice was successful in advancing the Law School in the areas of fundraising and the percentage of students passing the bar examination. Her tenure ended with the comprehensive renovation and expansion of the Albert L. Turner Law Building. She also authored North Carolina Landlord and Tenant Breach and Remedies: With Forms (Harrison Company 1991; 1997 Supplement). Her book was listed in the December 2001 edition of A Selected Bibliography of North Carolina Practice Materials for Lawyers and Other Legal Professionals. The Janice L. Mills Scholarship Foundation and North Carolina Central Law School invite the community to come and help celebrate this great woman at this year’s first annual “Rising Stars” Concert.

Who: White Rock Baptist Church and John Brown
What: 2nd Annual Jazz on the Lawn, featuring the John Brown Combo
When: Sunday June 28th from 1-5pm
Where: Front Lawn, The Historic White Rock Baptist Church 3400 Fayetteville Street, Durham NC 27707. Rain location: Hillside High School auditorium
Notice: This event is open and free to the public

Music lovers and jazz fans are invited to a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi-generational celebration of African-American culture and the heritage of jazz music. White Rock Baptist Church presents the 2nd annual Jazz on the Lawn featuring the John Brown Combo to be held at the historic White Rock Baptist Church on Fayetteville Street in Durham.

Come and enjoy a fun-filled afternoon with high quality music. Event goers are encouraged to bring blankets, lounge chairs and picnic baskets. Food and drinks will be available for purchase and free chairs under the tent will be provided on a first-come first served basis. There will be prizes and give-aways, a section for the kids, and health education.

This year’s event is a special collaborative effort between Rev. Jean-Luc Charles Assistant Pastor at White Rock and John Brown, the director of the Jazz Program at Duke University. Brown who headlined the event last year notes that this year’s event will showcase the relationship between Bebop and African-American sacred music. Great jazz,” Charles adds “points beyond itself to mystery, and the Divine mystery is the subject of the African-American sacred tradition. The musical goal of this years event is to explore this relationship in a way that gives the audience handles for their own listening.”

Jazz on the Lawn is the first of a two-part jazz music series being offered by the church this summer. The second event, White Rock Baptist Church Presents: Jazz Vespers, A Worship Service in the Jazz Tradition” will be held on Sunday August 23rd at 4pm in the church sanctuary.

Contact information:
Rev. Jean-Luc Charles, White Rock Baptist Church / revcharles@whiterockbaptistchurch.org / 919-423-6816 c / 919-688-8136 o / http://www.whiterockbaptistchurch.org .

What is a Poetry Slam?
I’m glad you asked. Slam is a form of performance poetry that follows very specific rules in its delivery. Poets are given three minutes to step up to the microphone and perform one original poem of their own construction. No props, costumes, or outside accompaniment are allowed. After the poem is finished, it is given a numerical score between zero and ten by a panel of five judges who have been selected from the audience.

Poetry Slams are interactive events and the audience plays an important role in the process. Slam is about the idea that everyone’s opinion about a poem is a valid opinion. One of the goals of a poetry slam is to challenge the authority of anyone who claims absolute authority over literary value. No poet is beyond critique, as everyone is dependent upon the goodwill of the audience.

What is Southern Fried?

The Southern Fried Poetry Slam was started by Allan Wolf in 1993 in Asheville, North Carolina. This performance poetry competition, which travels to a different southern city annually, has grown into one of the largest poetry convention in the nation, second only to the Poetry Slam, Inc.’s National Poetry Slam, which started in 1990.

In 2009, WE ARE BRINGING SOUTHERN FRIED BACK HOME TO NC!!!

Over three days, teams and independent spoken word artists from our Southern Cities will compete head to head on local stages. They prepare for months in order to be on stage for mere minutes.

The event will culminate with the Best of the Best meeting on the Final stage to compete for the title of 2009 SOUTHERN FRIED CHAMPION! A southern tradition, winners receive RC Cola’s and Moon Pie’s in addition to cash prizes for the top 3 teams and individual poets. Finals will be held at the BRYAN CENTER REYNOLDS THEATER (Duke University) on June 6, 2009, and will include a special guest performance in addition to the competition.

This event is open to ALL poets regardless of geographical region.

SCHEDULE

ALL EVENTS ARE FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED
(Schedule subject to change)

THURSDAY, JUNE 4TH

7PM & 9PM PRELIMINARY COMPETITION

Venues:

(Competition will be held at all venues simultaneously @ 7 & 9pm)

Pinhook - 117 W Main St, Durham
Blue Coffee - 202 N Corcoran St, Durham
108 Morris St, Durham (Next to Durham Arts Council)

OPEN MIC EVENTS

MIDNIGHT Comedy Open Mic
108 Morris Street

FRIDAY, JUNE - 5th

12noon – 2pm Women/Men Who Spit at Lunch - 12noon-2pm @ CCB Plaza

(Rain location – Blue Coffee)

2pm – 3:30pm Southern Fried Virgin Open Mic
Blue Coffee

3:30pm -5 pm Slam Masters Open Mic
Blue Coffee

3pm – 5pm Head to Head Haiku
Guajillos Mexican Grill @ 325 W Main St, Durham

7PM & 9PM PRELIMINARY COMPETITION

Venues:

(Competition will be held at all venues simultaneously @ 7 & 9pm)

Pinhook - 117 W Main St, Durham
Blue Coffee - 202 N Corcoran St, Durham
108 Morris St, Durham (Next to Durham Arts Council)

OPEN MIC EVENTS

MIDNIGHT Erotic Open Mic
108 Morris Street

MIDNIGHT Rainbow Open Mic
Pinhook

SATURDAY, JUNE 6th

9am- 10am Youth Writing Workshop – Hayti Heritage Center
804 Old Fayetteville Street, Durham

10am – 12noon Teen Slam (ages 13-18) CASH PRIZE!!!!!!
Hayti Heritage Center (Vendors onsite)

(Teens interested in participating, please contact jsellars@hayti.org by Thursday, June, 4th, 2009)
Since space is limited, participants will be chosen by lottery and posted on website on Friday, June 5th.

1pm & 3pm SEMI-FINALS

Venues:

(Competition will be held at all venues simultaneously @ 1 & 3pm)

UJAMMA Board House – 111 W. Parish St #B2, Durham

Blue Coffee - 202 N Corcoran St, Durham
108 Morris St, Durham (Next to Durham Arts Council)

WORKSHOPS

To Be Announced

FINALS

SOUTHERN FRIED POETRY SLAM FINALS (Door Open at 6:30pm)

7PM @ Reynolds Theater - Duke University
120 Science Dr., Durham, NC, 27708
$20 Advance/ $25 at the Door (Tickets on Sale, Friday, May 22)

GUEST PERFORMANCES BY:

National Recording Artists:
CAMP LO & 9th WONDER

Hosted by: The Poem-Cees

The work of Mr. Jim Alexander, noted photojournalist and AAJC Official Photo Documentarian, will be on exhibit throughout the two day symposium. His exhibit “Those Who Praise Him” will include a selection of jazz and hip hop artists such as Duke Ellington, Mary Lou Williams, Dizzy Gillespie, Donald Byrd and Russell Gunn whose musical works reflect the deep spiritual roots inherent in black music. Mr. Alexander’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and is in many public and private collections, including the Smithsonian.

Jim Alexander’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally for almost 40 years and is in many public and private collections, including the Smithsonian, where several of his photographs were chosen to tour in Beyond Category, the exhibit on the life of Duke Ellington. One of his major exhibits and books, “Duke and Other Legends,” was mounted with support from the Southern Arts Federation and the National Endowment for the Arts and toured 13 cities. His photographs have been shown in recent one person shows in the Schatten Gallery at Emory University, the Atrium at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and CC World Gallery in New Orleans, an international touring exhibit at the Carlos Museum of Emory University, and a retrospective on the Atlanta Jazz Festival, at City Gallery at Chastain Park. A portfolio of his work was also on display at University Gallery at the University of Delaware and Georgia State University Gallery in ORGINAL ACTS: Photographs of African American Entertainers in the Paul R. Jones Collection. His work has also been presented in two recent exhibits at the Atlanta History Center, INFLUENCES: The Conversation Between Music and Visual Art and a group show of Atlanta photographers curated by Daniel Hoover in conjunction with REFLECTIONS IN BLACK: A HISTORY OF BLACK PHOTOGRAPHERS 1840 to the Present.

Additional highlights of Mr. Alexander’s illustrious career include: being invited in 1972 to present a special one-man show for the Governor of Connecticut; representing African American photographers at the 8th annual cultural festival in Fort-De France, Martinique; being commissioned to document the Black Hebrew Israelites in Israel in 1982; and exhibiting at the Sorbonne in Paris, France, the Lunds Kunsthal in Sweden and throughout the United States.

The exhibition can be view in conjunction with the “Jazz & Hip Hop- Musical and Historical Connections”, June 26 & 27, 2009 Symposium @ Hayti Heritage Center sponsored by The African American Jazz Caucus, Inc, National Association of Juneteenth Jazz Presenters and Hayti Heritage Center.

The Hayti Heritage Center is located at 804 Old Fayetteville Street, Durham, NC 27701 Gallery hours are Tuesday – Friday, 10 am – 5 pm: Saturday 10 am – 3 pm. For more information visit www.hayti.org or call (919) 683-1709.