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May 10, 2008
I began my week of events at the preview of the Sixth Annual MOMart show at the Carolina Outreach Foundation on Durham-Chapel Hill Boulevard. The event was hosted by Just a Few Friends, a community nonprofit organization with the sole purpose to raise money for local charitable organizations through the support of local and regional artists.
The Carolina Outreach Foundation is a nonprofit organization with a mission to assist families that have children with behavior and mental health disabilities by providing them with support.
I had a chance to see so many different types of work and to get a closer look at interactive play quilts for kids, special soaps and sketches. I saw some familiar faces from the area's artistic community.
Peggy Myers of Durham, who was a first-time participant in the annual event, makes jewelry and scarves. She describes her jewelry, which she has been making for more than 10 years, as whimsical.
Freeman Beard of Durham was one of many visual artists present for the event. Beard has been painting for more than 50 years and is a signature member of the Watercolor Society of North Carolina. Beard's work ranges from landscapes to floral paintings and seascapes.
Kathryn James and Gerry Chike of Durham came out to support a friend, Eduardo LaPetina. James admitted that she did not know what to expect before coming to the event, but had a chance to view most of the works throughout the building.
LaPetina studied under Jane Filer, who is a well-known artist in the Triangle. Painting for just a few years, LaPetina had a career in medicine before beginning his life as an artist.
Last Friday's gathering was just a preview event. The main two days of the sale were Saturday and Sunday. Proceeds from the weekend will benefit the Carolina Outreach Foundation.
Wildlife festival
Saturday I headed out to the Leigh Farm Park in Durham for the Festival for Wildlife sponsored by the Piedmont Wildlife Center. The festival raises funds for the organization, and awareness of the organization's mission. The center treats nearly 2,300 animals annually.
The Piedmont Wildlife Center seeks to support wildlife by providing rehabilitation, education and scientific study. Its main focus is to help preserve wildlife in North Carolina through that support.
The Leigh Farm Park, which is located near the Chapel Hill-Durham border on N.C. 54, is a beautiful hideaway in the woods just beyond the highway and Interstate 40.
When we arrived, we parked in a lot just beyond the park and used a shuttle to get to the heart of the event. In addition to the shuttle, there was also a Model T Ford, driven by Ray Rose, which was used to transport individuals back and forth to the parking lot.
The Model T Ford has been a part of the Leigh family for many years. Originally purchased by the grandson of Stanford Leigh in 1922, the car now belongs to Elsie Booker who still lives on the farm in the house she was born in 84 years ago.
We had a chance to see many of the houses on the farm as we walked around and enjoyed the other aspects of the festival.
There were a number of activities for the whole family throughout the day. During most of the afternoon, there was live entertainment from a number of artists. I had a chance to take in the performance of Catbird Seat before moving on to some of the exhibits.
Gail Abrams, the executive director of the Piedmont Wildlife Center, led some of the talks in the wild animal area, which was a "dog free zone." With an owl perched on her arm, Abrams' talk had most of the children in the area completely mesmerized.
For those who were not around for the talk, many children and their families took advantage of an old-fashioned swing that was hanging from a rather large tree just outside the family home that was built around 1837.
Neil Lombardo of Mebane gave his grandson Jason McGrath of Durham a few pushes on the swing. McGrath was a little nervous at first, but seemed to get the hang of it after a while.
Of course this event was made possible because of the generous donations of time and energy of several volunteers.
Michelle Mehalick, who will be graduating this spring from N.C. State University's Veterinary School, lent her talent by designing the T-shirts for the event. Ann Rogers, who was stationed at the Piedmont Wildlife Center Information booth, has been a regular volunteer for the organization for a number of years.
Rogers said additional volunteers were always needed. For more information about the Piedmont Wildlife Center, visit www.peidmontwildlifecenter.org.
Angela Ray is an actress, author and motivational speaker. For comments or tips on future events, e-mail her at Angela@mahoganydime.com.
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