1 PM "Miss Minnie" Performed by Joyce Grear

Joyce Grear is a native of Wilmington who uses storytelling to teach and to build community. She has toured the U.S. since 1987 bringing to life many African American heroines whose stories she feels inspired to share. Her research into Evans dates to the dedication of the Bottle House that honors Minnie Evans’ time at Airlie Gardens. Joyce is the “griot” of Wilmington, teaching all ages through workshops, plays, and non-profit programs throughout North Carolina.

2 PM Work-in-Progress Preview Screening of "Minnie Evans: Visionary Artist" by Linda Royal

Minnie Evans: Visionary Artist is a documentary in production by local Director Linda Royal and an award-winning team of Producers. The feature documentary will explore the paradisiacal world of ancestral faces and mythical beings that came to her in mystical visions and dreams. Mining archived conversations and years of correspondence between Evans and photographer Nina Howell Starr, Minnie's voice sheds light on her life and her artistic process. The project includes interviews with surviving members of Evans's family, collectors of her art, local historian Bertha Todd, Anne Brennan, Executive Director of C.A.M. and features the beautiful coastal landscapes and nature that inspired her. Although she was self-taught, the film will show that Evans belongs among more famous artists and her paintings and drawings are a spiritual antidote to our contemporary divisive times. The project is currently raising funds to complete production for an early 2024 release and tax-deductible contributions can be made to the project through its fiscal sponsor the Southern Documentary Fund. More information at www.bythebrookfilms.com