Greensboro Daily Photo

LOVE Gso

We love Downtown Greensboro and all of the great events that have been happening lately. We love to urban walk downtown and often off the beaten path. The above photo was taken on Eugene Street, as evidenced by the sign, as we were walking Washington Street east to South Elm. The artwork of the intertwined hands is by Frances P. from the Greensboro Day School. Many of the signal boxes for the traffic lights have these wrap with featuring artwork. They add so much visual interest. This public display of art gives the artist recognition. It also gives the pedestrians and people in cars a chance to notice and wonder what exactly the boxes contain. An internet search reveals that each box costs between $500-$1,000 for printing and installation. In some cities, the artist receives money. We aren't sure about Greensboro. 

Next time you are downtown, check out the art on these boxes. They are happy bursts of color waiting patiently at the street colors. That in addition to the fiberglass jeans, and the murals, add quite a bit of public art to the community. If you know Frances P., or her art teacher, tell her we love it and that it is featured on Greensboro Daily Photo. We'd love to feature the two of them next to the box. If you notice the "JP" building, now Lincoln Financial Group building is peeking out, just below the Eugene St. sign. When you see that building, you know you are Downtown Greensboro.

Happy Monday, Happy last week of September and first full week of fall.

College Park Church

The Greensboro Pride Festival drew record crowds last weekend. According to organizers, Alternative Resources of the Triad" attendance was between 35,000 and 40,000 people, double the record set in 2019. * It was also a great place for members of the LBGTQ+ community to see which churches are welcoming. One such church is College Park on the southwest corner of Josephine Boyd and Walker Avenue. As the sign above reads, "College Park where all are welcomed and affirmed." The above photo features representatives of the College Park Baptist Church at the Pride Festival in Downtown Greensboro last Sunday. 

The Southern Baptists have cut ties with the church over the issue. Baptist congregations are self governing and, College Park identifies with more progressive Baptist ideology. Actually, College Park voted in 1999 to separate from the Southern Baptists. College Park works so hard to build an inclusive community. In addition to church ceremonies, the congregation offers Zumba, Ultimate Frisbee, Wednesday coffee breaks, Thai Chi, Theology at SouthEnd Brewery, a Mostly Men's Occasional Book Club,  a Women of Valor Book Club, a College Park Walkers group, and more. At the Sunday festival, Kari Baumann, Pastor to Children and Families, was on hand to talk to all who were interested. If you are looking for an open and welcoming congregation, College may be the perfect place for you.

Happy Sunday.

 

*reference and more information, here.

Let Her Entertain You: Jessica Mashburn

Last Sunday, we were downtown and, as we walked past Lewis and Elm, we saw the ever-talented Jessica Mashburn inside, getting ready to perform. Lewis and Elm, at the southwest corner of Lewis and Elm,  is a place to get small plates, lite fare food, something to drink, and is a place to socialize. Jessica is a performer who has been entertaining audiences in Greensboro and beyond for most of her adult life. Nobody works harder than Jessica to make music a full time job. Jessica stays current on every music opportunity in town. Over the past few months, she opened for Rita Moreno at Tanger Center, performed at furniture market, private events, at Live Jazz at O. Henry Hotel, and she sang the national anthem at the Grasshoppers baseball game. These are just a few of her gigs. When nor performing, she is attending music events herself and, most recently, was seen working as a musician's buddy for Sam Bush at the North Carolina Folk Festival. 

When performing, Jessica not only goes all out with her sultry, singing voice, she dresses to match the theme or feel of the event. Seeing her perform is a many-layered experience. Jessica can perform covers with the best of them. This brief pose, above, was a quick hello to us through a the side window of Lewis and Elm. Her fascinator, red hair, and big smile make her readily identifiable. How wonderful that Jessica has been able to turn music into a full time profession. If we are lucky, we'll see her at another event soon. Have a great weekend Jessica. Have a great weekend dear readers!

Banned Book Week with Liz Seymour

September 18- 24, 2022 is Banned (and Challenged) Book Week.  This annual awareness campaign is promoted by the American Library Association and also Amnesty International.  The above photo features Liz Seymour, who is hosting banned and challenged books in the Little Free Library box on Lexington Avenue in the Glenwood neighborhood of Greensboro. This little box, on the Florida Street side of Lexington, is filled exclusively with books that have been banned or challenged. Some of the titles may surprise you: The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald); The Catcher in the Rye (JD Salinger); The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck); To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee); The Color Purple (Alice Walker); Beloved (Toni Morrison); Huckleberry Finn (Mark Twain) and the list goes on and on and on. Most of these just-mentioned classics are in the above box, to take for free (at least they were there at the time of our visit). Liz also has more contemporary selections like the graphic novel "Gender Queer: A Memoir" by Maia Koabe (2019).  All of the books in the Little Free Library are in terrific shape. Sharing banned and challenged books is a way to voice censorship concerns and celebrate free expression.

Liz Seymour has been an active community member throughout her decades in Greensboro. She is perhaps best known as the founding director of the Interactive Resource Center (IRC). The IRC is a day center in Greensboro for people who are experiencing homelessness. It opened in 2009 and Liz was at the helm until she retired in 2014. She retired to focus on writing full time. She is a compelling writer; one of her essays, "Inviting Anarchy Into My Home", was published in the New York Times (March 9, 2006). The piece describes her transforming her home from a conventional married-couple household into an anarchist collective with multiple, non-related people learning to live and thrive together.*  Liz has been one to take a stance and take action for what she believes in. The IRC is still going strong today, thirteen years later. While Liz has also moved on from her anarchist collective, people still talk about what a meaningful experience it was to them. Ever willing to push the envelope, Liz is currently sharing banned and challenged books. Whether they house banned books or just a couple of shelves of someone's mystery books they've finished, The Little Free Library is a great place to give and donate a book. There are many around Greensboro. May your weekend be filled with reading, fellowship with friends like Liz Seymour, and some good ole fall fun. 

*link to the original article.

Happy Fall 2022

Happy First Day of Fall! Mother Nature must have gotten the message as temperatures have lowered a bit. By Saturday, the temperature may even dip below 50º in Greensboro. It is time for us to get out our sweaters. Locally, the leaves are just barely starting to show signs of changing. The above photo is one of the signs of nature we've seen recently, not too far from Lake Higgins. We think this is some form of a crabapple tree, and as you can see the fruit is turning bright red.

There are lots of varieties of crabapples and some are native to North America. While the fruit, especially these small ones, can be hard to harvest, their growth is attractive from the green foliage and first booms in spring to the fruit and color changes in the fall. Crabapples are a good source of vitamin C, which we all need to fight off illness.

What are the signs of fall around your Greensboro neighborhood? Let us know and we'll try to get out to capture a photo in your neighborhood! Do you see birds and butterflies migrating? Happy 265th day of the year! Happy Fall and....

Happy Thursday!

Doug Baker

As the summer of 2022 comes to a close, so do many opportunities to listen to live music. However, there will still be plenty of music indoors. One such opportunity happened a couple of weeks ago when Doug Baker played at the Greensboro Farmers Curb Market on Yanceyville Street. Doug has been a performing musician in Greensboro since graduating UNCG in 1978.  He says, “For the most part, I’ve been a lead guitar player in rock bands, but I’ve also done some big band jazz, a lot of free improvisation, and a little bit of musical theatre pit work.” However, songwriting is Doug's true passion and something he has focused on for the last seven years. He is very involved in the local songwriting community. As one example, he hosts a monthly songwriter's round at Scuppernong Books. The next event in the series will be on October 9th at 4pm, and Doug will perform. 

Doug also gives guitar, bass, ukulele, and songwriting lessons.   If you want to hear some of his music or contact him about lessons, performing engagements, or facilitating a singer-songwriting event, go to his website dougbakermusic.com. Doug has expertise in many areas. Also, last year (2021), Doug released his first album of original songs "Navigating Life."  In March, he had a concert in The Crown at the Carolina Theatre. Doug is committed not only to sharing his own talent, but also helping other singer songwriters showcase theirs.

May we all find a little live music to enrich out lives. 

Happy Wednesday! 

 

Welcome Fulbright Scholars!

The above photo features the twenty one Fulbright teaching scholars who hail from twenty one different countries around the globe. They are one of seven cohorts of teachers placed throughout the United States in the Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program. During their stay in Greensboro they are hosted by University of North Carolina Greensboro (UNCG). While in Greensboro and through UNCG, they will take classes, experience a homestay, attend a language conference, teach in classrooms and more. They will gain so much from this visit, but also, those who meet the international teachers will benefit. These teachers are goodwill ambassadors from their countries and are a wealth of information. The easiest way to have a global perspective is to travel and meet people from other countries.

In the above photo, participants are on the balcony of the cafeteria on the UNCG campus. While not required to dress in traditional clothing from their respective countries, some participants chose to do so. This was such a great way to initiate conversation. When you have someone from Bangladesh talking to you about his language sporting a kurta, and someone sharing information about her village in Azerbaijan wearing a rubend, and yet someone else switching from Russian to Spanish to English seamlessly, it is as if the United Nations is right there before your eyes. Teachers speak an international language, and Greensboro is so lucky that UNCG brought this international teacher cohort our way.  If you get a chance to meet one of the teacher guests, please give them a Greensboro welcome and treat them to some sweet tea and barbecue!

Happy Tuesday!

Greensboro Pride Festival 2022

Yesterday afternoon, Greensboro was brimming with pride. The streets felt like Times Square on New Year's Eve. People of all ages and from all walks of life came downtown to show their pride on Elm Street from Washington Street to Gate City Boulevard. You know you are in Greensboro because you can barely see the Lincoln Financial Group building peeking out between the trees. On the left, is the "Free Mom Hugs" booth. It was a busy booth, and when the moms gave a hug, they held on tight for a sustained, heartfelt ten-second hug. While the festival was yesterday, the Greensboro Pride community has been hosting events all week. The festival is organized and hosted by Alternative Resources of the Triad; an organization in its 16th year of supporting the LBGTQ+ community. The celebration started last Sunday with a (sold out) Drag Brunch. See other events below*

Yesterday's event had so many community resources available ranging from merchandise purchasing to to resource centers to healthcare resources. Several churches with congregations that welcome the LBGTQ+ community were on hand. There was even a booth hosted by the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Policies have changed a lot over the last decade and resources have grown. The Pride Festival is an opportunity to learn more about resources in the Piedmont area and beyond. Above is just one view of the diversity of the Greensboro Community. The weather was lovely and, while there was no rain, rainbows were everywhere.

The next festival will not happen until mid-September 2023; however, you can bet there are ongoing events in the area all throughout the year.

Happy Monday!

*Here is the list of events. While they are over, it gives you an idea of the organizations in the community supporting the LBGTQ+ community.