VALENTINE’S DAY READING AT ST. JOHNSBURY ATHENÆUM

Love-Themed Event February 14, 2020 in Art Gallery @ 3pm

St. Johnsbury, VT — For the sixth year running, the Northeast Storytellers host a special event in honor of the patron saint for lovers at the St. Johnsbury Athenæum in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. This year the event will be held on Valentine’s Day: Friday,  February 14, 2020 from 3-4:30 pm. In association with the St. Johnsbury Athenæum, group members and guests will appear in the world-famous Gallery sharing their love-themed readings. An award for the best love poetry or prose reading (or recitation) will be presented, as determined by audience appreciation.

St. Johnsbury Athenaeum

This event is free and open to the public. All are welcome to attend and participate, and scrumptious refreshments will be served. If you’d like to read or recite something at this event, please show up a little before the start to sign up. Genre and style are open, but a love theme is encouraged. Contact Brooke Quillen via brookequillen@yahoo.com or on 802.751.5432 for more information.

The Northeast Storytellers — a group of writers, readers, and appreciators of verse and prose — meet regularly the second Tuesday of every month from 2-3:30 pm for a Poetry Tea Party offered through the Good Living Senior Center in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. The public is welcome to attend, if only to listen, and new members are always encouraged to join. The group organizes events during National Poetry Month every April — ranging from workshops to commemorations to open houses — and it participates in other activities throughout the year. Many members also join the Poetry Society of Vermont, actively engaging in programs they offer.

The St. Johnsbury Athenæum is a non-profit public library and art gallery located at 1171 Main Street in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. It was founded as a cultural center by the Fairbanks family whose scale manufacturing company contributed to the growth of the town. The Athenaeum hosts a number of artistic, cultural, and educational events for the public throughout the year.

Constructed in the French Second Empire style in 1871, the St. Johnsbury Athenæum was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1996. A small art gallery was added in 1873, and the collection of paintings and sculptures now numbers over one hundred. Most are originals with some copies of masterpieces by Old Master artists such as Van Dyck, Raphael, Rembrandt, and Fra Angelico. Dominating the gallery is the magnificent "Domes of the Yosemite" framed oil painting by Albert Bierstadt, which is recently back from a major refurbishment.

Also called Saint Valentine's Day, the annual Valentine’s Day celebration honoring Love began in the 14th century — when the tradition of courtly love flourished. The day evolved in 18th-century Victorian England into an occasion to express love with flowers, chocolate, or greeting cards known as "Valentines". As in previous years, the prize for the audience-favorite reading or recitation at this event is selected in this spirit.