Adult Programs

Open Mic Night

Tuesday, December 16, 6:00 pm
Upstairs Reading Room

Join us for Poetry Open Mic Night with Durham Poet Laureate Leslie Bulion! The theme this month is LIGHT. Bring your favorite poem or original poem to share. A sign-up sheet will be available for local poets to share one poem (max. 5 minutes), up to 14 readers. Or, just come to listen!

Registration is encouraged, and walk-ins are welcome! Come celebrate the arts in our community with an evening of poetry!

Monet’s Living Masterpiece: The Gardens at Giverny

Thursday, January 15th, 1:00-2:00 pm
Durham Community Center, 144 Pickett Lane

Claude Monet, a leading exponent of Impressionism, has long been known for his beautiful depictions of late 19th century life in Paris and the French landscape. Less familiar is the fact that from 1890 until the end of his life, the gardens at his home in Giverny became his real and living masterpiece. The garden spaces became his canvas and creative focus until his death in 1926. In 1977 his estate was restored and today it expresses what the artist labored to create: a living palette of color relationships that illuminate the beauty of the planted vegetation.

This talk will include both contemporary photos and Monet’s paintings of the gardens in bloom, the waterlily ponds, and the interior of his pink house.

Presented by Rhea Higgins, who has taught Art History at Wesleyan University since 1987. She holds degrees from Smith College and Harvard University and specializes in 19th century European painting.