The Friends of Gold Butte in collaboration with the Virgin River Coalition are proud to present our monthly Speaker Series! Join us at the Mesquite Community Theater on Wednesday October 21 at 6:00 pm for “For Scale” (Vogue and Connie Ann Go Outside)

I met Vogue Robinson at the Conservation Lands Foundation Summit in Denver, CO last May, and was intrigued by her presentation, and thought that my Friends at FoGB might be as well. Since she is actually based in Las Vegas, I asked her if she’d be interested in presenting to our group, and she happily agreed.

Vogue M. Robinson —an author, poet, performer, and teaching artist— appreciates human beings who put truth and heart into words. Robinson empowers others by setting an example and providing resources to enable artists to create work they’re proud of. She served as Clark County Nevada’s Poet Laureate (2017-2019) and is the first Black woman to receive the Nevada Writers’ Hall of Fame Silver Pen award. She is the author of the poetry collection, Vogue 3:16, Vol. 1. Her work is influenced by Nikki Giovanni, Maya Angelou, Patricia Smith, Suzi Q. Smith, Danez Smith, and her Grandmother, Martina Carpenter. When she’s not writing, she’s spending time with her family or experimenting with fluid art techniques. You’re invited to visit her website www.vogue316.com.

Please visit this link: https://youtube.com/shorts/g4_HwUBS1qc?si=21BzsYqrHwWYAQan

Vogue will share original poetry, video, and photographs from her collaborative art exhibition, For Scale (Vogue and Connie Ann go outside). For Scale is an exhibition that celebrates curiosity, exploration, and getting out of the indoor comfort zone and out into the vast and spectacular natural world. Poet Vogue M. Robinson and photographer Connie Ann (aka Conomatic) embarked on a journey through Avi Kwa Ame National Monument and other sites in Southern Nevada, taking walks through the wilderness while contemplating the relative and changing nature of size and relationships. Along the way, they found awe in the vast and ancient presence of Joshua Trees, the small perfections of a gall midge’s nest, and every miracle of nature in between. Their experiences inspired them to adopt new perspectives that consider friendships, emotions, and the interconnectedness of the landscape as markers for its context and scale. The exhibition was made possible by a generous grant from the Conservation Lands Foundation.

Vogue will give her presentation and then also be available to answer questions from the audience. This is a chance to gather with friends, make new ones and learn about the wonderful world in which we live, and it’s free to the public. Doors open at 5:30 pm and the presentation will begin at 6:00 pm. The snack bar may be open, and we will have information on how you can become involved with the Friends of Gold Butte, a 501 (c)(3) Nonprofit organization based here in Mesquite!

***We will be doing a Facebook Live for this event, which while not as good as attending in person, will be a way for those of you that are too far away to learn along with the rest. There will not be a Zoom this time, so Facebook Live is your opportunity to attend remotely. Go to https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofGoldButte/ *Also, for our speaker series events, you don’t need to register, just show up. * There is an advantage to registering though, and leaving your phone number, in the unlikely event that a presentation is canceled, we will be able to get hold of you.*

* Photo of Joshua Tree in GBNM by Charyn McDonnell