HEARTSongs '26: The Power of Love
PRESENTING
HEARTS
5th
ANNIVERSARY
SEASON
Join us to celebrate poetry, discover local history, and experience live music, dance, and art
HEARTSongs ‘26: The Power of Love
HUNTERSVILLE, NC – HEARTS is thrilled to announce the return of its annual poetry-themed spectacular, HEARTSongs. This year’s edition, HEARTSongs '26: The Power of Love, celebrates the 5th Anniversary of place-based HEARTS Happenings at Huntersville's historic Cedar Grove, 8229 Gilead Road, Huntersville, NC 28078. It all happens on Saturday, February 14, 2026, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
This year’s celebration promises a dynamic and moving lineup, presenting…
A Historic Story
Michael D. Connor, retired Professor of Theatre Arts, professional actor, playwright, and director, will take the stage as George Moses Horton. Connor’s extensive credits include appearances in General Hospital, The Color Purple, Homeland, and Hunger Games.
This free, community-wide "happening" honors the historical connection between the poet George Moses Horton, the first enslaved American to be published, and Richard Torrance of Cedar Grove. Connor will share Horton’s life story, focusing on his pivotal intersection with Cedar Grove’s Richard Torrance at the University of Chapel Hill in 1854, when Torrance hired Horton to write love poems for Sophia Alexander and Mary McLean. HEARTS (history, ecology, arts, reunion, trails, store) expands the story each year through new creative performances and perspectives. Tickets are required, and donations are gratefully appreciated.
Keynote speaker and poet, Junious 'Jay' Ward,
Presenting, Junious 'Jay' Ward, an Emmy-nominated poet and teaching artist living in Charlotte, NC. He is a National Slam champion (2018), an Individual World Poetry Slam champion (2019), author of Sing Me A Lesser Wound (Bull City Press 2020) and Composition (Button Poetry 2023).
Jay currently serves as Charlotte's inaugural Poet Laureate and is a 2023 Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellow and current Writer in Residence for Charlotte Lit. Ward has attended Breadloaf Writers Conference, Callaloo, The Watering Hole and Tin House Winter Workshop. His work can be found in Columbia Journal, Four Way Review, DIAGRAM, Diode Poetry Journal and elsewhere.
Featured Performers
Baran Dance, a Charlotte-based nonprofit professional contemporary dance company founded by Audrey Baran, will bring its bold physicality and thoughtful artistry to the event, creating accessible and exciting movement experiences.
Live music featuring two distinguished musicians:
Natasha Witherspoon
Natasha Witherspoon is an international opera singer and vocal coach whose career bridges classical excellence, cultural preservation, and community impact. She made her operatic debut as a soloist at the International Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina(2026), studied voice at the Mannes Extension Division in New York City, and toured internationally with Porgy and Bess throughout Russia, Greece, Latvia, Poland, and Estonia. A cross-sector vocalist, she has performed alongside legendary artists such as Stephanie Mills, CeCe Houston, and Smokin’ Joe Frazier, and is widely acclaimed for her powerful and authentic interpretations of Negro spirituals. Natasha has sung with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Mendelssohn Choir and played a key role in fundraising efforts to preserve the first African American opera house in Pittsburgh.
Jennifer Gosselin
Originally from California, Jennifer Gosselin is an accomplished collaborative pianist and accompanist who studied piano performance at The Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University. She has worked extensively as an opera assistant, vocal coach, and solo and ensemble pianist with The MasterWorks Festival and Crescendo Summer Institute, and has performed at the Mongolian, Egyptian, and Russian embassies as well as the Kennedy Center. She now resides in South Charlotte, where she works part-time with Carolina Voices and subs with Opera Carolina and the Charlotte Symphony.
And in the Center Hall of Cedar Grove…
Presenting: The Power of Love - Visual Art Exhibit
The event will also feature a new, stunning visual art exhibit in Cedar Grove’s Center Hall, showcasing works from three exceptional multidisciplinary artists in partnership with Nine-Eighteen-Nine Gallery, exploring the Power of Love.
Tina Alberni: “I’m a multidisciplinary intuitive, semi-abstract artist working across painting, assemblage, and digital technologies to explore animal conservation, fragmentation, and humanity’s evolving relationship with nature, technology, and one another.”
Princess Cureton: “My art is a personal reflection of life’s harmony and tension. blending paint with 3D relief sculpture to grow beyond the canvas. Rooted in culture and storytelling, each piece invites connection.”
Ani Todd: “I’m a storyteller by nature, so it feels only fitting that I use my work to tell a love story. I often create a series of pieces to narrate a journey, while ensuring that each work can also stand on its own. In this case, I used five pieces to tell the story of someone searching for love and ultimately finding it.”
Mark your calendars for this unforgettable celebration of history, community, and the enduring Power of Love.
Event Details:
What: HEARTSongs '26: The Power of Love - 5th Anniversary Celebration
When: Saturday, February 14, 2026, 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Where: Historic Cedar Grove, 8229 Gilead Road, Huntersville, NC 28078
Cost: Free to the community (tickets required, donations appreciated)
Designed to inspire and enhance our community’s shared sense of place, HEARTS Happenings are grass-roots events known for juxtaposing regional history and ecology with curated local music, visual art, and dance in multi-faceted, place-based programs. HEARTS (History, Ecology, Arts, Reunion, Trails, and Store) is made possible by dedicated volunteers, HEARTS Circle members, presenting partner Lake Norman Realty, and generous donations from the community. All proceeds further the HEARTS mission of historic preservation, ecological conservation, and forging community connections in our region. Join HEARTS Circle and help us elevate special places in our community and sustain them for the future.
Featured Upcoming Events
HEARTS Irish Connections, The Historic Sharpe House, Statesville 3-21-26
Saturday 3-21-25, 2:00-5:00 PM
Presenting HEARTS fifth annual Irish Connection at HEARTS newest Affiliate, the Historic Sharpe House. The Sharpe Family and their Scots-Irish heritage are an important thread in our region’s history. A founding family of Statesville and Iredell County. Join HEARTS as we begin our exploration and discovery of Sharpe House stories. Featuring Dr. Hugh Dussek, presenting Revolutionary Roots, the talented Connick Irish Dancers, and live Celtic music with Bottle of Smoke.
HEARTS United, Brevard’s Chapel Fundraiser, Lincoln County 3-28-26
Saturday 3-28-26, 4:30-7:30 PM
Presenting an exclusive HEARTS Happening at Macpelah Church, a privately owned historic landmark in the Lincoln County countryside, recently added to the National Register. Join us as we raise funds to restore and rehabilitate Brevard’s Chapel for the community. Featuring a seated gourmet dinner, and presenting Andre’ Brevard’s latest research on Henry Brevard, the incredibly talented Thomas Rhyant, and dance with a special performance of Duke Ellington's "Praise God and Dance," choreographed by Tamara Williams with dancers from the UNC Charlotte Dept of Dance. Learn more about Brevard’s Chapel and our upcoming event event here.
www.HEARTSCollaborative.org
HEARTS Collaborative is actively working to help preserve, connect, and share some of our region’s most important historic landmarks.
Learn more about HEARTS and join us to achieve goals to honor our local history and enhance our communities through sustainable uses of our special places. www.HEARTSCollaborative.org.
