Poet Featured at Greenville Gallery

North Carolina poet James Applewhite, Greenville’s City Art Gallery, and the North Carolina Literary Review (NCLR) will collaborate on the second annual exhibit of original art inspired by the poet’s work.

The show will feature the work of artists who have used paint, photography, sculpture, and ceramics to interpret selected poems.

City Art Gallery owner Torrey Stroud will host the opening from 6 to 8 p.m. on Jan. 20; Applewhite will read his poems at 7 p.m. The exhibit will run through Feb. 11.

The idea was suggested by artist Louis St. Lewis, a fan of poetry and short stories, whose work has been selected for inclusion in past issues of NCLR. “This was an invitational for a group of artists we represent,” Stroud said of last year’s event. “We consulted with Diane Rodman (NCLR’s Art Editor) to decide on the poet.”

NCLR Editor Margaret Bauer will introduce the poet and welcome him “home” to eastern North Carolina. Applewhite was born in Stantonsburg and is retired from Duke University after almost 40 years on the faculty. He is a four-time winner of the Roanoke Chowan Poetry Award, given by the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association. He has received the North Carolina Award for Literature and is a 2008 inductee into the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame.

His next book, due out in 2013 from LSU Press, will be his 12th volume of poetry. His work has been featured in several issues of NCLR.

City Art Gallery is located at 511 Red Banks Road in Greenville. More information about the exhibit, artists, and hours of operation can be found at www.cityartgreenville.com.

The North Carolina Literary Review is published annually by ECU and the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association. The first edition of NCLR Online, which will include art from last year’s Applewhite invitational exhibit, is due out in February. The print issue will be out in the summer. For more information, visit NCLR’s website at www.nclr.ecu.edu.