Nature of Gratitude

Gratitude is an inherent quality in our lives that we can always access. That is the basis for The Nature of Gratitude, an ongoing series of community gatherings exploring diverse aspects of gratitude through live music, spoken word, photography, and art.

The Nature of Gratitude will take place at Opal Center for Arts and Education in Cottage Grove on Friday, April 28th at 7:30 p.m., in conjunction with the monthly Cottage Grove Art Walk. Opal Center for Arts and Education is located at 513 E Main St, Cottage Grove, OR 97424.

For this gathering, the gratitude theme is “Revival,” reflecting a spring resurgence of growth, spirit, and art. Live music from vocalist Halie Loren, guitarist Don Latarski, and vocalist/instrumentalist Heather Hutton will be woven with and around spoken word contributions from authors Tom Titus and Melissa Hart, performance poet Jorah LaFleur, and author/photographer Eric Alan. (Complete participant bios are appended below.)

Before and during The Nature of Gratitude, an invitational art show called Taking Flight will be on display from 4 to 7 p.m. It is inspired by The Art of Soaring, an art program at Opal Center in honor of the late watercolor artist and pilot Shirley B. Froyd, a beloved Cottage Grove resident for decades, and the mother of Eric Alan. Taking Flight is curated by Paula Goodbar, who is also a key designer of The Art of Soaring.

Tickets for The Nature of Gratitude are $15, available in advance at Crafty Mercantile in Cottage Grove or online through Opal Center for Arts and Education. A portion of the proceeds will go to support The Art of Soaring. Admission to Taking Flight is free.