Greensboro Daily Photo

Time to Harvest Squash in the GDP Garden 2022

Squash in growing in the the Greensboro Daily Photo yard. We planted a little late and just got our first mess to eat this week. And, oh it was yummy. In Greensboro, you can plant squash several times; however, the later you plant in the season, the worse the bugs are. According to the botanical classification, squash is a flower and in the same family as pumpkins and zucchini. When it is on our dinner table, squash is a vegetable. You should be able to get squash in all of the farmers markets this weekend. If you like to visit farms directly, here is a website that tells you which farms have U-Pick options and what they are offering at the moment (see HERE).  You can really get to know Greensboro by visiting the various farms, and farmers markets. You might want to have this southern squash casserole recipe handy in case you bring some home with you. If you want to be part of a community garden, it is a little late in the season, but places like the Keeley Community Garden (McLeansville) are great places to start. At Keeley, you can learn a lot from other gardeners. Most are generous with their knowledge, and often with their produce.

In a couple of weeks, your friends will be offering you zucchini bread! If YOU are the bearer of "all things zucchini", here is an informative segment on zucchini from Southern Living.

Happy gardening and happy last day of June!

SE Systems

It is so fun to shop at locally owned businesses. Recently, we went to SE Systems to purchase some equipment for making music. The business was founded in 1973 (as Sound Engineering Systems). They are located at 2605 Phoenix Drive. This location is not too far from the Coliseum which is very convenient when big acts come to town to perform and they have a lighting issue or need a piece of equipment. They also offer video and staging services. With all of the live music happening in Greensboro over the summer, you never know what kind of equipment performers will need.

SE's prices are very competitive with online stores and you have an actual person to help you with your entertainment needs. Given the extra hours of light, summer is such a good time to drive around Greensboro and find new sights, sounds, and businesses.

Glorious Sunset over Greensboro- No Filter Needed!

Last night's sunset was nothing short of glorious. The above photo was taken off of Carlson Dairy Road, after the rain and as the sun was low to the horizon- at about 8:30 pm. The temperature  yesterday ranged from 67- 86º. We hope your part of town got some rain yesterday, as there is none predicted again until Saturday. Here is an explanation of factors that contribute to making a colorful sunrise and sunset. You can't always predict when the sunset will be spectacular; however, we found a photographer's blog that helps explain. First, the sun must be shining and low to the horizon. Then,  Stephen Bay, points out you need high clouds to catch the sun's rays, and a clear horizon so sunlight is not blocked. Those two factors are visible in the above photo 1) far-reaching clouds and 2) a clear horizon. We always post photos with a landscape orientation. However, yesterday's sky would have been even more interesting from a portrait orientation to showcase those lovely blues.

Happy Tuesday! May our summer days be filled with spectacular events, including vibrant sunsets!

Cadillac Service Garage

The Cadillac Service Garage is an event venue at 304 East Market Street in downtown Greensboro. The building was built as a Cadillac dealership in 1921. From high ceilings to checkered floors and everything in between, so much detail remains from the design 100 years ago. There were a lot of years this building sat empty. Then there were the years it housed Design Archives, between the time Kit had her store on Tate Street and now in the 300 block of South Elm Street. How wonderful that the vintage feel of the building rings true loud and clear. Instead ov covering the brick walls, they are celebrated.

The event space accommodates up to 225 guests and there is outdoor space as well as indoor. The day we walked by last week, some of the signage was still visible for Meredith Murray and Dylan Cunningham's wedding on June 18th. How fun to see the place tidied up, but with some remnants of a super special event. We love the Cadillac Service Garage because it expands the footprint to downtown Greensboro east of Church Street. If you get a chance, drive by and have a peek inside. You will see echoes of 1921 blended with conveniences of 2022!

Happy Monday! Happy exploring east Greensboro! The changes are many.

Kingdom Life Christian Center

Kingdom Life Christian Center is a church that meets in an executive park at 207 South Westgate Drive. West Market Street splits Westgate Drive and the two sections don't connect. Once you get to the south side of Westgate, you can find the above ministry with no difficulty.  It was founded by Apostle Dr. Fellicia Williams Redmon. She has been licensed to preach since 1999 and she founded her own ministry in 2005. She also has a faith based developmental center for children ages six weeks to five years. They meet for Sunday school at 10:30 am, have a worship service at 11:30, and a Bible study on Thursdays at 7:30 pm. They also offer a virtual church, targeting people who do not live in the Greensboro area. They have so many ministries above and beyond the ones related to the Sunday service. For example, they offer the following ministries: singles, music, writers, youth for Christ, prison, healing, hospitality and more. From the looks of their website, there is a group to help everyone feel included and providing an opportunity to participate.

The above photo shows the entrance. At the time of services, many of the surrounding offices are closed, so there are plenty of opportunities for parking. Happy Sunday to our readers from Greensboro and elsewhere!

Happy Pollinator Week!

Happy Pollinator Week. It is an initiative started by the Pollinator Partnership, an international organization that endeavors to protect pollinators. While their scope is international, they are based out of San Francisco, CA. The pollinator in the above photo was seen this week in our Greensboro backyard. It is a hummingbird moth. It flies and moves just like a hummingbird. This one was suspended at a flower and you can see its very long tongue. This one is visiting their bee balm. The female lays her eggs on the underside of leaves and the caterpillars crawl down under the leaves to spin their cocoon. So, if you rake all  your leaves, you are likely raking away pollinators.

At any rate, happy pollinator week. If you are interested in helping pollinators in your yard, read up on the whole process. The insect/nature balance is a pretty delicate one. Syngenta, a company with local roots, has a pollinator program, too. Their US headquarters is on Swing Road. We featured the company on GDP in February (see here). Greensboro Beautiful is another great organization to support locally if you want to see more pollinators. And then, there are some pretty great individuals, like Mr. Mullins who faithfully brings his honey to the Greensboro Farmers Market on Yanceyville Street. We featured him 13 years ago on Greensboro Daily Photo. Now, his is a business to support if you like pollinators and you like to support local businesses!

Eastern Music Festival 2022

Are you ready for the Eastern Music Festival (EMF) 2022?It is back with 60 concerts and events! The events for this 61st season begin tomorrow and last until July 30th. The founder, Shel Morgenstern, created the program at Guilford College in 1961. Young artists from around the world attend the summer program to gain additional instruction, exposure, and performance time as a way to help launch their professional careers as classical musicians. 80% of them receive merit or needs-based scholarships. Musicians are lucky to have this program and Greensboro is lucky to have access to all of this high-quality music. Read more about the history of the festival, here.  Also, see here for the schedule.

The above photo is of Dana Auditorium on the campus of Guilford College. Many of the EMF events are held here. It is always exciting to turn off of Friendly Avenue, drive by Dana Auditorium, and see the flags unfurled, announcing the EMF. This photo was taken a couple of nights ago, when the sun was setting about 8:30. We caught the sunlight, just as it was casting a golden glow on the top of the building. Thank you Guilford College for bringing great events to the community since 1837!

RIP: Women's Hospital

Women's Hospital on Green Valley Road is no more. The above photo does not even begin to show the scope of the debris on the site. D.H. Griffin is in the middle of the demolition and, if you didn't know better, you would think it was in a war zone. A drone photographer needs to capture this scene.*  

The hospital was known as Greensboro Hospital when it opened in 1977. In 1990 when Cone Health bought it, the facility became Women's Hospital. In 2021, Deep River Partners acquired the property. Due to COVID, the transaction was delayed so that Cone Health could use the hospital for a COVID-19 care facility- the first in North Carolina. It was used as a COVID-19 care facility for 11 months. People also could get vaccines there. Deep River Partners is a leasing agency for non-residential real estate. It will be interesting to watch the property transform as the new facility gets built.  Have a drive past it, at the corner of Green Valley Road and Westover Terrace and see the transformation in process. Now that it has started, the changes will happen quickly. There is a really good news release from Cone Health providing the history of the hospital and the future for the site.**  

*David Bartenfield?

** reference and more information.

Summer Solstice 2022

Yesterday was the summer solstice, bringing summer to the northern hemisphere. While there wasn't a spectacular sunset over Lake Higgins in Greensboro, it was a beautiful day. Yesterday was sunny and the temperature ranged from a low of 60º to a high of 90º; at sunset, it was 82º. Sunrise was at 6:03 am and sunset at 8:39. The above photo was taken around sunset at Lake Higgins on the longest day of the year, with about 14 1/2 hours of daylight. Contrast that with December 21, 2022, the winter solstice when, in Greensboro, the sun won't rise until 7:26 and it will set at 5:09, giving us about 9 1/2 hours of daylight.

May we all use this extra 5 hours of daylight wisely. Lake Higgins is open today, and it will be a warm, sunny SUMMER day, perfect for kayaking or paddle boarding on the lake. Both are available for rent there. Look for us paddling the day away. Last night we saw an otter swimming along when we were out taking this sunset photo. Wonder what we will see today!

Happy First Day of Summer; Time for a Visit to Berico Fuels, Inc

Happy first day of summer. With warmer weather, additional hours of light, and many students out of school, people will be cooking on outdoor grills and in their campers. Many of these outdoor activities require portable propane gas.  After 12 years, tanks must be re-certified in order to get them refilled with with propane. The US Department of Transportation requires this recertification, since tanks are often on the highways. The above photo features a customer taking a 30 pound propane tank for recertification to Berico Fuels, Inc.

Berico, owned by the Berry family, has been a Greensboro institution since the 1920s. They got their start on West Lee Street, and then on Bragg Street, at first selling coal. Since 1950, they are located at 2200 East Bessemer Avenue. Berico's motto is "Always Dependable."  Bessemer Avenue has long been a hub of businesses activity in Greensboro since before nearby Wendover Ave even existed.  Interestingly, once you get your tank re-certified, Berico sends you to McKnight Hardware, also on East Bessemer since 1950, to get the propane. 

Happy first day of summer. After today, the days start getting shorter.

(If you want to learn more about Berico, read Jim Schlosser's News & Record article from 2005. See HERE.)

Happy Juneteenth

This is the second year that Juneteenth is celebrated as a federal holiday. Many events were held this past weekend; the actual date is June 19th; however, the federal holiday is today.  Also today, UNCG, NCA&T, and Guilford College will hold Juneteenth events at the Weatherspoon Art Museum on the campus of UNCG. Today's event will feature speakers from all there institutions as well as poetry by Josephus Thompson and music. The 9:30- 11:30 am event is free and open to the public. See here for details.

The above photo is of the courtyard at the Weatherspoon, back at the beginning of April. However, this is the back entrance closest to the parking lot and the view that you will more than likely notice if you come in from the rear of the building. How wonderful that the three campuses are working together and creating a joint celebration open to the community. Hopefully, the event will be well attended. The art museum is not usually open on Mondays so we are extra appreciative that they are making it available for the community.

Change the Nations Church- CTNC

This who read Greensboro Daily Photo regularly know that we try to do something religious/spiritual on Sundays. Sometimes, it is a reflective nature shot; other times it is a church or religious event. You can imagine after 13 1/2 years of Sundays- about 700- it is a challenge to think of something new. We had to chuckle because we googled "churches Greensboro" and up popped YELP with a list of Top 10 Churches of Greensboro. Now, how did they decide that? Some churches on the list, we have already featured. However, we were off in pursuit of #3, Elevation Church at 409 Friendway, which we discovered is the address for Western High School. We figured that the church meets at the school, but didn't see any signs of a church. So, next, off to #5, Church Alive, at 204 South Westgate. If you know Greensboro well, you know Westgate crosses over West Market Street, but South Westgate does not connect to Westgate. As a matter of fact, South Westgate is a dead end on both ends! En route to Church Alive, we found the above church, "Change the Nations Church" (CTNC) at 4619 Mercury Drive. So, we decided to feature a church not on the YELP list.

An internet search reveals that CTNC is "an international group of virtuous women dedicated to making positive impacts in families around the world through the proclamation of the word of God, social work, and by being living testimonies. [They] are made up of Christian women of all ages and walks of life. [They] believe that as Christian women [they] do play an important role in reflecting Christ in [their] homes, workplaces, & marketplace." They are a congregation of at least 25 nationalities of various ethnic backgrounds. If you want to be part of a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, Evangelical congregation, CTNC may well be the church for you. 

And so, you see, serendipity has so much to do with making Greensboro Daily Photo what it is. Just when we begin to wonder what on earth we would photograph and write about for today, doors opened and a new (to us) church appeared. By the way, we found four churches, never-before-heard-of-by-us,  tucked along the South Westgate area all thanks to an out-of-date YELP list!  Happy Sunday!

Greensboro Summer Solstice Event Today!

Today is the day! From 2-10 pm the Greensboro Summer Solstice event will be in full swing at the Greensboro Arboretum and Lindley Park. If you are attending the Greensboro Summer Solstice event, we encourage you to dress in your best fairy costume, wear garlands of flowers, bring your sparkliest magic want, carry a parasol to protect you from the sun, bring some cash to tip performers, and be prepared to have some good ole solstice fun! In case you missed our post yesterday, here is a list of performers and a schedule for the day. The person in the above photo is an example of the kinds of costumes you will see all day long. Don't be shy about what you wear. Also remember they are charging $10 for everyone over the age of 12. The entrance fee will help defray costs and make it possible to pay the performers. 

Happy Saturday! Hello Summer!

Summer Solstice 2022

It is time for the Greensboro Summer Solstice. This year's event will happen this Saturday from 2-10pm in the Greensboro Arboretum & Lindley Park at West Market Street. The festival began in 2005 and has steadily continued to grow since with attendance anticipated to be at about 9,000. Artisans, performers, entrepreneurial vendors, and a diverse group of people will come together for eight hours tomorrow to celebrate Mother Nature and the summer solstice, the day of the year with the most light. 

The above photo was taken at the 2019 event and is an example of the types of activities that are available at the event. Everyone dons their best and brightest clothing. Tulle, floral headbands, silk skirts, pixie ears, and more will be standard attire for the day. Here is the list of performers and a schedule for the day. Note that vendors will shut down their booths about 8:00 pm with performers entertaining the group well past sunset. Also, the entrance fee is now $10 for everyone over age 12,  which makes it possible to pay performers and help sustain Greensboro's live music scene.

The event is well organized and a lot of fun. Plus, the arboretum/park is such a lovely venue. For 17 years this has been Greensboro's way to welcome summer! You won't want to miss it!

Up Up Away!

Ah, the serendipity of summer, we spend more time outside, it stays light longer, and it seems there is more time to notice the world around us. Yesterday, we were in the plaza on West Market Street where the Art Shop, Mythos Restaurant, and A Special Blend Coffee Shop are located. We did a great job of escaping the heat in these air conditioned stores. As we were going back to our car, we noticed a Hyundai Sonata parked beside us with the vanity tag "UPUPAWAY" and we found ourselves singing the 1967 song "Up, Up, and Away", written by Jimmy Webb and recorded by the 5th Dimension. (Would you like to ride in my beautiful balloon; would you like to glide in my beautiful balloon; we could float among the stars together, you and I).*

We'd love to know the story behind this vanity tag and why the person purchased that phrase. If we'd met them, we would have thanked them for getting such a great song stuck in our head. We're also wondering if they live in Greensboro or are just passing through. Have you seen this tag before? Happy Thursday!

* But, then again, maybe we're showing our age. There is a more current song with the same title by the American rapper, Juice WRLD and the lyrics aren't so lighthearted. 

Greensboro Children's Museum

Have you been to the Greensboro Children's Museum lately? It is such a special community resource and a perfect option for planning activities for children on these sweltering, summer days. The educational museum boasts twenty, permanent, hands-on exhibits and a 1/2 acre, outdoor learning garden. At the museum, children learn through fun play. There is so much to do and learn here. They are offering eight summer camps and, when we checked yesterday, one still had spots available.

The Children's Museum opened in 1999, twenty four years ago and just keeps getting better and better. See HERE if you want to learn more about the museum. If you want to visit, go to church street, across from the Central Branch of the Greensboro City Library, look east and just to the right of the "LOVE makes a family" banner.

Happy Wednesday! Happy finding great ways to help the children if your life spend their summer! 

518 Summit Avenue at Dunleath's Porchfest

The above photo is another shot of Porchfest, taken at the J.R. Holt house at 518 Summit Avenue.* It is a 4,282 sq. ft. house on the downtown side of the Dunleath neighborhood. This neoclassical revival house was built circa 1922, originally as a single family dwelling, but is now multi-family. The people who attended the music at this porch this past Saturday were thrilled with the level of musicianship performed there throughout the day. We're betting that this property is about to get a facelift.  Look at all of the good bones in this solid brick house.

Summit Avenue starts in downtown Greensboro, just south of Fisher Park, on the easternmost part of downtown and continues through the Dunleath neighborhood, and then north all the way to Reedy Fork. Summit Avenue  was developed as a middle to upper middle class neighborhood during the late 19th and early 20th century. It has some of the most remarkable houses of many different architectural styles with houses that are still getting refurbished. If you want to know more about Greensboro, study the historic architecture of Greensboro and the owners of those homes. In the meantime, early on a Saturday or Sunday morning when traffic is at a minimum, take a drive along Summit Avenue and take in the sights and sounds. Also, speaking of sounds, make a note to attend Porchfest next year and experience the area for yourself!

Happy Tuesday!

*see p. 21 of this document for more information about 518 Summit Avenue. The whole document is of interest to those interested in the Summit Avenue area of Greensboro.

Porchfest 2022 Culminates at Sternberger Park

Porchfest in the Dunleath neighborhood this past Saturday was a big hit. Having started in 2017, they just celebrated their 6th annual concert filled afternoon. All afternoon, people gathered to play music and to listen to music; porches became venues. Summit Avenue, Park Avenue, Cypress Street, Percy Street (and a few more streets) were filled with great music and fun, neighborhood socializing. The event culminated with people gathering at Sternberger Park at 715 Summit Avenue with a group providing a final concert. It was a fulfilled time with a food truck, people with lawn chairs, blankets, and coolers of food. It was a mini MUSEP concert. The above photo features the group "The Headless Chickens" warming up.

Greensboro neighborhoods are doing a good job of branding their neighborhood with special events. While the Dunleath neighborhood is an amazing place to live and hang out 365 days a year, for one afternoon in June, Dunleath becomes one giant concert. If you did not get to attend this year, mark your calendar for next year. What does/could your neighborhood to give it a special character? Let's all do something to help our respective neighborhoods thrive.

And, hats off to Dunleath where creativity and neighborliness is standard fare!

Morehead UMC Block Party

Church isn't just on Sunday, at least that is the case at Morehead United Methodist Church on Horse Pen Creek Road. Every Monday in the month of May, Morehead UMC had a block party with music, fellowship, and food trucks. What a great idea for a church to have these outdoor events. All were invited and the event was easily accessible and highly visible from the road. This was a happy little gathering and celebration on a road that has been torn up and riddled with orange barrels and cones for what seems like a lifetime now. It does appear that construction on Horse Pen Creek Road is nearing completion. And we are sure that Morehead will offer more events to include the community.

In addition to regular church services today, they will provide lunch after church. So, if you are looking for a church that makes a real effort to build community, you might want to attend something at Morehead. It is right beside the Spears Y. The Morehead UMC building of today was constructed in 1970. However, the congregation dates to 1888 and the property where the church is built was the site of the Piney Grove School, which Morehead UMC used as a sanctuary for 45 years.

We drive by this church a lot en route to the YMCA and it is nice to see so many events happening here! Happy Sunday! May you enjoy every minute of this glorious day- whether you are in Greensboro or elsewhere.

Eastern Swallowtail Butterflies, Farmers Markets, and Porchfest in Dunleath!

The eastern swallowtail butterflies are back! The above photo features one of the butterflies in our back yard in Greensboro. The red zinnia in the photo was purchased at the Greensboro Farmers Curb Market in early May. Now, the plant is in full bloom and attracting butterflies and other pollinators. They do seem to be partial to the red flowers. If you head to one of the local farmers markets today, you can still buy flowers to plant and attract butterflies and other insects to your own yard. If you go to the farmers market on Yanceyville today, after it is over, you can drive through the Dunleath neighborhood and hear some great music. Today is Porchfest!

Today, the Greensboro community is invited to listen to some original music in Dunleath where neighbors offer their porches as music venues. Musicians play at various houses, with most sets lasting 45 minutes; then at the end, everyone ends up at Sternberger Park to conclude Porchfest. Here is the link to the 50 groups/performers participating this year. If you attend, please park at Swann Middle School and bring a lawn chair. The event will last from 12 noon- 5pm, with the last hour being at the park. Porchfest is such an outpouring of family, neighbors, friends, great music, and, likely, a butterfly or two. Every year the event continues to grow and this year promises to be spectacular! Hope to see you there.

Happy Saturday!

Kelly L Taylor, Artist of Dramatic Still Life Paintings

This past weekend, Kelly L. Taylor had her art on display at Parisian Promenade at the Tanger Family Bicentennial Garden. The sock monkey paintings, above, give you an idea of her aesthetic. Kelly loves painting dramatic still life paintings of vintage toys and "things inherited, found, and compulsively collected. You can buy work that she has already painted, or you can contact her for commissions. Originally from upstate New York, Kelly moved to Greensboro with her kids when her dad relocated here. Kelly has a BFA from Guilford College. If you missed her last Sunday at Bicentennial Garden, sometimes she sets up at the Saturday morning Corner Market in the St. Andrews parking lot on West Market Street. You may find here there.

Also, Kelly's website is paintingpoppy.com. You can also contact here there. Kelly especially loves to paint toys that she has personally collected. Another favorite of hers are the plastic trolls with the long, wild hair and beady eyes. If you have a teddy bear from childhood or something nostalgic, Kelly can render it in paint! Additionally, she is just such a great person to talk to. That is one of the beautiful things about Greensboro; even when people are busy, they seem to find time to talk. As you know, we love Greensboro and one of the reasons it is so special is because of people like Kelly.

One of our favorite paintings by Kelly is "Lucky Doll". Check it out!

Bonnie Raitt at Tanger Center

Last night, Bonnie Raitt gave a spectacular concert at Tanger Center. The concert started at 8:00 p.m. with the ever talented, singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams as the opening act. She sang for an hour and the performance was spectacular. After Lucinda, it took a while to get the stage ready for Bonnit Raitt's concert. The stage crew worked masterfully making the transition. Once the instruments were in place, Bonnie and her band sang without a break until about 11:00 p.m. She mentioned more than once how nice the Tanger Center is and that the acoustics are good. She also mentioned a few times how nice it is to be back performing in person. Her band is very talented, which she acknowledged. 

Tanger Center has transformed downtown Greensboro, especially in the north. Also, it is truly spectacular that we don't have to travel to Durham or Charlotte for concerts any more. She was in Durham last night and will be at Wolf Trap in Vienna, Virginia tomorrow and Friday night. However, for one special night, she was right here with us in Greensboro, NC. She requested that no photos or video be taken and she wanted people to be "in the moment." She even scolded people who were filming. However at the end, she invited people to "take all the photos you want now," which was our cue to capture a photo from a very special evening.

There will be many concerts in Greensboro this summer. Some, like the MUSEP series on Sunday evenings, are free. Others, like the performances at Tanger Center do cost. As for music genres, Greensboro can boast that there is something for everybody. Happy Thursday!

Reconsidered Goods, Hello Summer 2022!

Today's photo features Erin Stratford Owens (left) and Tamra Hunt. Erin is the executive director of Reconsidered Goods (RG)  and Tamra is the education program director. Reconsidered Goods is a thrift store for artists and creative types. It is a place where you can find everything from used canvases (to paint over), to pieces of art you want in your house (as is), to items that help you get your creative juices flowing.  In the photo, Erin and Tamra are standing inside the Maker Space in the back right corner of the store. This is the first time for a maker space to be open in the new facility at 4118 Spring Garden Street. On Friday and Saturday afternoons, for a small fee, you can come and create in this space with access to all of the supplies in the designated space. For those few hours a week, RG can become a home-away-from-home studio for your creativity. There is also a Sunday Crafternoon.

Follow RG on Instagram and Facebook to keep up with all of the events, times, dates, prices and other details. Now that Tamra has been hired, RG has been able to reinstate summer camps, too. Both Erin and Tamra have backgrounds that make them a natural fit for their respective positions. Both have grown up in Greensboro, with Erin graduating from Page High School and Tamra from Smith. For their careers, both moved away for a while, Erin to NYC and Tamra to Tennessee. Both moved back to Greensboro only to find it even more creative and art-filled than when they left. Both seem to have landed at RG at the right time, and both have a vision to make RG return to the creative space customers came to love, pre-pandemic. Here's to new beginnings and great opportunities to be creative.

RG is also looking for volunteers and they even have some paid positions available. Imagine yourself HERE!

Urban Gardner, Extraordinaire

Sunday, at the Parisian Promenade in the Tanger Family Bicentennial Garden,  Stephen Johnson spent the afternoon teaching kids to garden with a paper cup, soil, and sunflower seeds. All while they were planting their seeds in the cups, he was explaining about keeping them watered and how to care for their little planting. Stephen has become an expert, urban gardener,  growing produce on land at 712 S. Elam Avenue. He and his wife live on 3/4 acre just down from the Elam and Walker Avenue intersection. As their website states, they provide food and occasional plants at the Corner Market on Saturdays, all grown on their city lot. They would love to have more people on the urban gardening journey with them. Read their website (referenced below) and you will realize how easy it is to plant edibles!

In the above photo, Liz Lopez (right), is volunteering and helping Stephen for the day. Liz is a teacher and doctoral student. For Liz service and volunteering are a high priority. She has even taught a course in it at UNCG. Thanks to Stephen and Liz, there will be a lot more sunflowers growing in Greensboro and the average age of these young farmers if probably about eight! If you are growing sunflowers, especially one from Sunday, please take a photo and share it with us!

Read the Elam Gardens website, and you, too, might just be inspired to be an urban gardener.

Parisian Promenade 2022

The Parisian Promenade 2022 was a big hit this year. It was held yesterday day in the Tanger Family Bicentennial Garden. The event was a project  of Greensboro Beautiful and the Greensboro Parks and Recreation Department with support from WFDD Public Radio. From 12-5:00 pm yesterday, the entire park came alive with people strolling through the lovely gardens from event to event. There was singing, face painting, fairy hair, artists, food trucks, demonstrations and other talented performers. One of the highlights was the Poodle (and other dog) Parade. The dog parade was so lovely this year, dogs and their owners and or responsible handlers wrote a few sentences about the canine companion which the MC read as the dogs paraded around the circle. Some dogs walked on their hind legs, some had a cat toy as their favorite toy; for sure, they were all well loved and cared for. Gigi in the above photo was so well behaved and adored her owner. We didn't get to hear who won, but in our hearts, every human and every canine who participated was a winner. 

The pandemic shut down the promenade for a couple of years, but it was back this year and attendance seemed to be higher than ever. There was a shuttle from Signature Place at Friendly Center and the block at Hobbs where the gardens are near the bog garden was closed to vehicles, making it safer for families to get to and from the gardens. Cars on Hobbs were parked almost all the way back to Watauga Drive. The Parisian Promenade is always the first Sunday in June, just about the time school is out for the year. It is one of those Greensboro traditions that heralds the beginning of summer.

Happy Monday! And, for those students who no longer have to set an alarm clock, may your summer be everything you are hoping it will be. 

Mt. Pisgah Choir Sings at Memorial Day Service at Friendly Center

It is always nice when churches perform community service. Today's photo features the Mt. Pisgah Choir singing at the Memorial Day Service at Friendly Center. Music always adds such a nice touch to any ceremony. Their Department of Music offers opportunities for people of all ages to be involved in music, starting as young as 4 years old. The church has a praise team band, a handbell choir, and more. Amberly Johnston is their director of music.* The music program at Mt. Pisgah UMC is very strong, if you are looking for an opportunity to share your special talent, or just have a desire to participate. We're not sure where else the choir will perform out in the community, but to be sure, they will be singing at the 8:30 and 11:00 am services today. Mt. Pisgah is located at 2600 Pisgah Church Road. It is the church you can see from the Lowe's parking lot on Battleground Avenue.

After church, if you are looking for something to do, head to the Parisian Promenade in Bicentennial Gardens on Hobbs Road from 12:00 - 5:00 pm today.  The event is free and open to the public. It is a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. A promenade is a paved public walk; to promenade is to take a leisurely public walk so as to see or be seen by others. Remember, as you stroll along the path that YOU TOO are an important part of the event- and plan your outfit accordingly!

Happy, glorious Sunday!

 

* more information here.

Congratulations Class of 2022!

Spring is a very exciting time in high schools. Students start getting college acceptance letters and making plans for post-high school. Many students attend prom. Now,  high school graduation season is upon us. In Guilford County Schools, the middle and early colleges start the process with traditional high schools not far behind. Now that Covid is less of an issue, in-person graduation returned and students get a few more tickets to distribute. The first graduations started on May 25th. The above photo is of the Middle College at UNCG.*  Their graduation was on the first day; also graduating on 5/25 were Early College at Guilford, Greensboro College Middle College, Middle College at Bennett, and Kearns Academy.

According to the graduation schedule on the  Guilford County School website, the final day for graduation is tomorrow, Sunday, June 5th with Eastern, Andrews, Dudley, and Page holding graduation ceremonies in the Coliseum Complex. If you see graduates, please congratulate them. Every year, graduation is a milestone; however, this class was deeply affected by the pandemic and all of the changes that came about as a result of having to take classes remotely and, in many cases, having to take part time jobs to help their families. Those smiles in the students above are evidence of the joy and sense of accomplishment they are feeling. Congratulation class of 2022!

 

 

* photo credit Keisha Brown, Principal MCUNCG.

Barnhill's Art at the H20 Exhibit at Green Hill

Yesterday, we featured Jim Barnhill, artist, on Greensboro Daily Photo. Today's we're featuring a glimpse of his three pieces currently on display at Green Hill in the Cultural Arts Center at 200 North Davie Street. Barnhill's two paintings are gigantic and when you stand in front of them, it is as if you are in the ocean yourself viewing the scene. The placement of the three pieces is masterful.  The paintings are both close to 8' by 12' (yes feet!). The Exxon Valdez painting is from 2012 and the BP Deep Water Horizon painting from 2013. The Cachalot Whale, carved from crabapple wood, was painted in 1993, early in Barnhill's career. The three pieces, spanning 20 years, hint at Barnhill's great love of water, the ocean, and the environmental impact of man's harvesting of fossil fuels. How appropriate that Barnhill is featured in Green Hill's  H20 exhibit! The cachalot whale is the largest toothed predator. As we were walking past the paintings, we began to wonder... who is the real predator, the whale or the oil companies? What you can't see in our photo is that the whale is swimming above a pool of tar.

If you attend First Friday tonight from 6:00 - 8:30 pm, you can see these pieces, and many others, for yourself. Barnhill's paintings, and Holsenbeck's "Where is Our Water Falling" (made from 10,000 water bottles and lots of plastic rope) are so large, you must see them in context. Regardless of what you have planned , have a great weekend!

James Barnhill: Artist Extraordinaire

Greensboro artist James Barnhill is known for his larger-than-life sculptures: The February One monument at NC A&T, the Nathanael Greene monument downtown at Holliday Circle, and the Minerva statue behind the student union at UNCG. Jim Barnhill taught art at NC A&T University for 25 years and has garnered an international following over the forty plus years he has been a professional artist. He came to Greensboro in the early 1980s to pursue a Master of Fine Arts degree at UNCG. He tells the story of being in a drawing and painting class and seeing others sculpting and telling his professor that he wanted to sculpt. That was the start of his career in sculpting. Part of what makes Jim's pieces so special is his talent for sculpting in a way that tells a visual narrative. If you stand in front of Jim's sculptures, it is as if you are experiencing the lives of the subjects themselves.

However, as evidenced by the above painting from 2017, Jim is also a fine painter. This painting features Jim's longtime partner, Edie Carpenter. When we were interviewing Jim at his house and asked what piece of art he wanted to be photographed with, he thought about it for a minute, and then pointed to this painting. This large canvas was painted from a photo of Edie when she was in Queens, New York. We had just finished talking about the balance between selling artwork and having pieces you want to keep in your personal collection. It is a pretty sure bet this realistic likeness of Edie will stay put on Jim's wall for a very long time.

Jim, who is recovering from a stroke he suffered exactly a year ago, will be at First Friday tomorrow night at Green Hill in the Cultural Arts Center. While Jim struggles with speaking, his mind is as sharp as ever. First Friday is from 6:00- 8:30 and is free and open to the public. Put a trip to Green Hill on your calendar for tomorrow night, and head to 200 N. Davie Street to see not only Jim and Edie, but also three of his works which are part of a  multi-artist exhibit entitled H20.

The Gardens at Gray Gables

The above photo features Sip and Paint Night at The Gardens at Gray Gables, located at 4105 Oak Ridge Road in Summerfield, just north of Greensboro. Every Wednesday, the venue offers live music and an opportunity for friends to gather. If you are a member, entrance is free. If you are not, the entrance fee is only $2. Last week, Colin Cutler performed. This week, from 6:30- 9:30, singer-songwriter Mike Coia is scheduled to perform.

The photo above gives you an idea of the venue. Guests are under a giant tent and with a brick patio. It is pretty easy to fit 6-8 people at a table. If you are local, chances are you will see someone you know there. If you are not local, chances are you will have made some new friends by the end of the night. According to their website, Gray Gables was established in 1898 by Mr. Henry Clay of Britain. The Britain's loved their home and played a significant role in the Summerfield community. In 2001, the Jenks family bought the property and have restored the home and surrounding land to its original glory, upgrading it and making it perfect for everything from evenings to listen to music with friends to having weddings. 

There are just so many fun things to do in the Greensboro/Guilford County area. We hope you enjoy exploring as much as we do.

Alcohol is sold at Gray Gables, so you must purchase it on site; but if you want food, you need to bring it in. Dogs on leashes are permitted.