ArtVenture

Come join us for our 2nd ArtVenture at Eagles Nest Nature Preserve in Mercer County. Saturday, October 10th from 9 - 12 noon members of The Arts Council of Mercer County will meet at Eagles Nest on 700 Calvary Lane to enjoy a morning full of art inspiration. Eagles Nest is a 1,000 acre nature preserve in Mercer County with lakes, trails, wildlife and lots of other natural offerings. Bring your easels, paint brushes, sketch pads, notebooks, yarn, clay, musical instrument - whatever it takes to produce your art - and join us for a full-filled morning. Also, bring a dish for a potluck meal.

A Kentucky Morning on Terrapin Hill

A Kentucky Morning on Terrapin Hill
By Bobbi Rightmyer

Awakened before dawn to the gentle tap of rainfall on the window panes,
the morning is cool with a hint of humidity touching the air.
As the day kisses the horizon and the dark clouds prevail,
my muse begins whispering sweet nothings in my ear.
Inspiration comes easy on these overcast days,
tho’ many will complain at the lack of sunbeams.
Fingers of thought gently caress my brain –
emotions are awaking from their sharp repose.
To Terrapin Hill I’ll make my escape,
the green rolling hills and the call of the calm.
Woodland groves with hardy young saplings grow in harmony with ancient woods –
Oaks, Walnuts, Cedars and Ash,
Hickory nut, Sycamore, Sweet Gum and Pine –
symbols of the frontier life, now gracing a modern time.
Native wildflowers still offer display,
surviving the dog days, tired from their summer work,
now preparing the offspring for next season’s life.
Goldenrod nods its head with the breeze and Joe-Pye weed follows suit;
Ironweed maintains its purple appeal, as asters wait to burst forth.
Cicadas are singing their sweet, blistering song,
as the cadence rises and falls like the crashing of waves.
Birds are trilling an opera as the morning marches on,
a call to a mate or the sharp chirp of warning.
More insects join the cicada chorus
and the occasional toad can be heard with his deep, throaty croak.
Muddy paths with slippery rocks, lead to moss lined trails at the wooded edge,
beckoning an entrance for all the wonders that wait –
peaceful solitude envelopes the soul.
Gentle breezes swaying the trees,
inviting fat droplets of rain to pepper down in tiny bursts.
Acorns are dropping and littering the ground,
along with walnuts and hickories, nature’s feast abounds.
Spiders are scurrying to build their webs, as squirrels begin to gather the nuts.
A rabbit is munching the remains of crown vetch,

his nose twitching, his ears alert.
My body is relaxed in this calming place,
just a brief moment away from the worries of life.
If ever you need a break from your stressful day, or a moment of peaceful solitude,
Terrapin Hill awaits with a soothing embrace
to help you wash the troubles away.

ArtVenture

The newly formed Arts Council of Mercer County held its first ever ArtVenture for all artists in our community - painters, sketch artists, writers, photographers, musicians, dancers, etc. The goal of an ArtVenture is to expose all artists to the same environment or inspiration and see what type of art is created.

We meet at Terrapin Hill Farm - a 375-acre organic working, sustainable farm in Mercer County - for a morning trip to inspire our creativity. We had people writing poems and short stories about the farm, doing sketching of local fauna, taking numerous photos and painting wonderful landscapes. At our next meeting, we will bring in our finished products to share with everyone.

Even though the morning started out as gray, overcast and rainy, the sun eventually came out and it was a beautiful morning. At the end of the morning, we were treated to a wonderful organic lunch, prepared by Terrapin Hill - most of the food was grown or raised on the farm. We ate several different varieties of tomatoes, dill pickles, bread 'n butter pickles, pasta salad, potato salad, and chicken salad (yes, from organic, free-range chickens). For dessert we were treated to cantalope, peaches, red and yellow watermelon and ice cream.

If you have never visited Terrapin Hill Farm, I encourage you to do so. There annual Harvest Festival is coming up September 24 - 27th.

Arts Council Meeting - August 13, 2009

The Arts Council of Mercer County held its 2nd meeting on Thursday night, August 13, 2009 at the Mercer County Cooperative Extension office. The agenda consisted of:

• The first ArtVenture will be Saturday, August 29, 2009 from 9am until 12 noon at Terrapin Hill Farm. An organic lunch will be offered for only $10, or you can bring your own sack lunch. The morning of nature is an attempt to speak the creative muse of all types of artists, including, but not limited to: writers, photographers, painters, sculptures, potters, fiber arts, metal workers and wood workers.

• The first Fall Arts Fair will be Saturday, September 12, 2009 from 1oam until 6pm. Any artist willing to demonstrate and/or sell their work is encouraged to set up a booth. There will be music and food vendors, as well as a children's area to create and display art.

In immediate business, discussion was giving to the formation of the following committees:

• Fall Arts Festival Committee
• Downtown Art Project Committee
• Fundraising Committee
• Events and Ideas Commitee

We also discussed the potential of an Arts Council building and art gallery space.



Our fearless leader, Joy Mosko (photo by Tony Sexton)

These are crowd photos from the meeting (photos by Tony Sexton)