Gallery Events
Confluence Poets 10th Anniversary Reading
7:00 PM, October 18th at The Confluence: Art in Twisp
with Chuckanut Radio Hour’s Poet in Residence, Kevin Murphy
Words and rivers converged at The Confluence Gallery in October of 2014, and they’ve been working together ever since. To mark the 10th anniversary of their coming together, the Methow Valley’s Confluence Poets—which include wordsmiths from the top of the valley to its bottom, along with Bridgeport and Okanogan—will be holding both a celebratory reading and a poetry workshop featuring Pacific Northwest poet Kevin Murphy. The reading will be held at The Confluence gallery at 7 PM October 18 while the workshop with Murphy will be held at YourSpace in TwispWorks starting at 10 AM October 19.
Founding poets first came together in 2014 during a workshop with Daemond Arrindell, organized by Confluence Gallery and Art Center. The name “Confluence Poets” arose naturally given the venue of the workshop and the confluence of voices and styles within the group and the Methow Valley. Founding members included Christine Kendall, Sam Owen, Kelleigh McMillan, and Cindy Williams Gutierrez, all still with the Poets after ten years.
Confluence Poets now organize the annual William Stafford Birthday Reading in January, amongst other quarterly events hosted at Confluence Gallery, as well as coordinating poetry events throughout the area. In April, the Poets mark National Poetry Month with an event which includes public participation. Meetings are held two to three times monthly, at which time the poets write impromptu responses to prompts, share and critique works in progress, and conduct short educational programs.
Kevin Murphy, Poet in Residence of the Chuckanut Radio Hour, will headline the Friday night poetry reading at The Confluence. Members of the Confluence Poets will also read and reflect on their years with the group.
About the Artist
Kevin Murphy is Poet in Residence of the Chuckanut Radio Hour, and was the winner of the Bellingham Mayor’s Art Award in 2017. Kevin has been performing his poetry of subversive whimsy for over 40 years, often accompanying himself with guitar and percussion. He is the author of A Beautiful Chaos Demands Energy and has released two poetry CDs, Between Onions and Oxygen and The Bird of Pure Midnight. He has taught poetry writing through Whatcom Community College and the Whatcom Juvenile Justice Creative Writing Program.
Workshop: “Writing into the Unknown”
Write what you don’t know! In this workshop, we’ll explore the ways poetry can provide access to the unconscious, the dream world, the irrational, and the taboo. We’ll experiment with forms and exercises to spark the imagination and open the door to mystery and surprise. Consider bringing a sack lunch for the break, or call one of downtown Twisp’s eateries to confirm open hours.