HEARTSongs ‘25: Poetry of Freedom
A celebration of poetry past and presented with a local twist at historic Cedar Grove in Huntersville, NC
Saturday, February 22nd, 2025
HEARTSongs '25: Poetry of Freedom did not disappoint, as the 4th annual event was standing room only for a view of the incredible line-up at historic Cedar Grove. HEARTS Happening event curators Abigail Jennings and Randolph Lewis led an action-packed event featuring local history, nature, and genealogy incorporating and collaborating all aspects of the Arts including visual, poetry, dance, and live music.
Randolph Lewis opened the event with a reading of a poem of freedom attributed to Rednap Howell from Legette Blythe's historical novel, Alexandriana. Howell was known as “the Poet of the Regulators,” a group of settlers who rose up in opposition to the injustices of the Crown
Lewis also shared the HEARTS Junion '24 Collaborative Poem created from the words submitted by Junion ‘24 event guests and titled Building Hope, featured at left.
2025 marks HEARTS' fourth year of programs and its’ first year to present HEARTS Happenings beyond the historic sites of Cedar Grove and the Hugh Torance House and Store, with exciting HEARTS Happenings also coming to Lincoln County and Iredell County this year. Our 2025 season shares connections to 18th-century Mecklenburg County and the historic Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence document (locally known as the “Meck Dec”) dated May 20, 1775, through modern times while weaving history, nature, and the arts together into a vibrant tapestry of the regions’ historic identity.
Historic Cedar Grove and historic Hugh Torance House and Store Sites Welcomed Event Guests
Photographs of historic Cedar Grove and historic Hugh Torance House and Store courtesy of HEARTS.
Our HEARTSongs ‘25 event took place at Historic Cedar Grove, the 1831 National Register Greek Revival home of James Torrance, son of Hugh and Isabella Torance. During the event, guests explored the first floor, and visited historic Cedar Grove’s sister site next door, the historic Hugh Torance House and Store which is known as the oldest standing store in North Carolina and one of Mecklenburg County’s few surviving 18th-century structures. The Torance Store was also open during the event to offer an assortment of sundries, local goods like honey and lavender, artisanal crafts and gifts, books, stationery, and more. Additionally, the Torance Store is open every Sunday from 1:00 pm-4:00 pm February 1st through December 15th and also on select Saturdays for special events.
The Black Bard of North Carolina
Michael Connor in colonial costume courtesy of HEARTS.
In keeping with tradition, the fourth annual HEARTSongs spotlighted the life and work of 19th-century enslaved poet George Moses Horton and his fascinating connection to the Torrance family of Huntersville’s Cedar Grove. Sharing a dramatic reading of poems from the Revolutionary period through the 21st period, award-winning actor, playwright, and director Michael D. Connor honored Horton by sharing his connection to the Torrance family and the story of Horton's life as documented in Hortons’ own handwritten acrostics.
Cedar Grove’s sister property, the historic Hugh Torance House and Store, also sells two literary works on the life and times of George Moses Horton. One such work, titled Poet: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton, is a beautifully illustrated children’s book written by Don Tate. The second, titled The Black Bard of North Carolina: George Moses Horton and his Poetry, is a collection of Horton's poems that also combines biography, history, cultural commentary, and critical insight producing a compelling and detailed picture of this remarkable man's life and art.
A Musical Nonprofit with A Dual Purpose
Left to right: Lewis, Gillespie, Carr and Harris. Photo courtesy of HEARTS.
The musical feature for HEARTSongs ‘25 was Statesville’s “Deja Revee.” Tevin Carr rapped and provided beats for the angelic vocals of Capra Harris who mesmerized guests along with keyboardist, Kennan Gillespie. The highlight of their performance was a collaborative song created by Carr, Harris, and Randolph Lewis, who put Horton's 19th-century poem, "Lover's Farewell" to 21st-century song and music.
Carr and Harris lead “Insomniacs,” a non-profit organization helping emerging artists and musicians in Statesville gain exposure. An offshoot program, Hipknotics, gives local students engaging learning experiences through the mediums of hip-hop, creative writing, podcasting, and music production. As a musical group, they perform as “Deja Revee,” and together they play a huge role in supporting arts and music in their community.
Dramatic Dance Compliments Powerful Poetic Rhythm
Live video performance courtesy of HEARTS.
HEARTS was pleased to welcome Vision Elite Royalty Dance Company to our HEARTSongs ‘25 event. Vision Elite performed a visually and lyrically dynamic choreography routine.
Vision Elite Royalty is the performing company of Vision Gymnastics and Dance, founded by Artistic Director Jane Johnson. In addition to performing with Vision Elite Royalty, Mikayla Johnson, also creates their dramatically expressive choreography.
Historic Naturalistic Gardening
Photo courtesy of HEARTS.
For 2025, the ecological components of all HEARTS Happening events focuses on natural and historic gardening and features specific plants and timely seasonal gardening tips. Since both time and investment are equally important, natural gardening has advantages above all the rest that benefit the gardener and also contribute to restoring nature.
Abigail Jennings and Aaron Kampe presented "February in the Garden" for HEARTS’ Eco-Minute Update and shared ideas on what to do in to in the garden in February to create a naturalist garden-scape. In addition, they shared details on the historic boxwoods at Cedar Grove and the owners’ plans for a future kitchen garden at both Cedar Grove and at the historic Hugh Torance House and Store located next door. Though it’s only February, learn how to prepare for and care for a naturalistic garden in 2025. Conjoin both old and new ways of gardening to work in tandem with nature for aesthetically successful and naturally sustainable results.
An announcement to make a reservation to join HEARTS on Sunday, March 9th, 2025 for our annual Spring Community Service Day at the Hugh Torance House and Store was also shared to encourage event audience participation.
An Emmy Award Winning Poetic Performance
Photo courtesy of HEARTS.
The event also celebrated contemporary poetry, with HEARTS welcoming Charlotte’s own Bluz as the featured poet. Bluz, shared some of Horton's 19th-century works followed by his own breathtakingly powerful verses on freedom from his own work while reflecting on his artistic process and the artistry of Horton's work through the events’ “Poetry of Freedom” theme.
Bluz is an award-winning poet and spoken-word artist who has won three Emmy Awards, among many others. Channeling human experience into gifts of metaphors and similes, his poetry is universal, dismantling social, economic, and ethnic barriers and reaching into the heart of the community where he is an active member. A graduate of the University of North Carolina Charlotte, Bluz has steadily risen through the ranks of spoken word entertainment. He has published two poetry books, “Articulate Slang” and “Obscure Popularity,” and produced three audio releases. He is the slam master and coach of SlamCharlotte, A competitive team of poets whom he led to back-to-back National Poetry Slam victories in 2007 and 2008 and a historic 3rd win in 2018. Bluz is also a 2010 Southern Fried Poetry Slam Champion. He has been featured and hosted at the LA Poetry Festival, as well as the National Poetry Slam in 2012 and the Individual World Poetry Slam in 2013. Bluz also served as a delegate and writer at the All-America City Awards where he helped Charlotte win the very sought-after award of All-America City.
“Unspoken Poetry” Visual Art Exhibit
Sloane Siobhan’s diptych, “Grieving Love With Nowhere To Go (the twins)” is featured in the new exhibit “Unspoken Poetry” in the Center Hall of Cedar Grove. Photos courtesy of HEARTS.
The visual art exhibit, "Unspoken Poetry," opened in Cedar Grove's Center Hall in partnership with Nine-Eighteen-Nine gallery featuring the inspiring works of Sloane Siobhan and John "Trey" Miles III. The large-scale diptychs by Siobhan silently share poetry in visual terms as conduits of the artists’ feelings and expressions, offering thoughtful unspoken dialogue to the viewer. Surrounding Siobhans’ large paintings are a selection of mixed-media black and white collages from Miles' "America Gentrified" series which won an award for "Best Exhibit" in Charlotte in 2023. The show will be available for viewing at the upcoming event on Saturday, March 22nd for the HEARTS Irish Connections 25’ event.
John R. Miles, III, also known as Trey, is a collage and mixed-media artist from Charlotte, NC. He pursued his passion for art at Western Carolina University, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in graphic design. His work is currently on view at The VAPA Center, the Harvey B. Gantt Center, and The Brooklyn Collective. Trey’s art has also been showcased at renowned institutions such as The Mint Museum, Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry, and Raleigh's Contemporary Art Museum (CAM). Through his dynamic and thoughtful creations, Trey continues to push the boundaries of collage and mixed media.
Sloane Siobhan is a mixed-media oil painter, tattoo artist, and muralist. Her work has been described as lifting the veil between fact and fiction, alluding to folklore/mythology, and intertwining abstract with realism by combining fluid color with portraiture. She received her Bachelor of Fine Art in Studio Art at Appalachian State University. Her work has been exhibited at the Harvey Gantt Center for African American Art + Culture, and she was one of five featured artists at the Mint Museum Uptown as a tribute to the John T. Biggers collection. Siobhan's art has also been showcased at Feast Your Eyes, an art-inspired dinner, and featured in numerous publications including Creative Loafing Charlotte, the Charlotte Observer, QC Metro, along with a feature in the NY Post.
HEARTS Collaborative Inc., a 501c3 non-profit organization supporting other non-profits, history, nature, and the arts in the Piedmont region, and providing ongoing stewardship of the Hugh Torance House and Store, the oldest standing store in North Carolina. HEARTS' mission is to weave the threads of local people, places, and pieces into a vibrant and interconnected tapestry for our region.
Our communities need YOU and they need HEARTS, a one-of-a-kind nonprofit dedicated to connecting, preserving, and sharing the important history, nature, and arts in the Piedmont region. Through growing the HEARTS Circle, the possibilities are exhilarating to imagine - We’ll help preserve and share our local history and connect the stories of the people, places, and pieces of our region throughout time. HEARTS’ wide range of resources can achieve the best preservation or conservation outcomes, which are just as uniquely specific as each specific and unique place in our region worth saving. If you have local history, stories, or HEARTS-related info to share, join us and help us weave it all together in one place. We can do more when we band together!
The HEARTS mission is grand and, as such, the benefits are many! A HEARTS Circle Membership includes an exclusive ticket to our coveted annual HEARTS Circle Members’ Gala featuring incredible national talent like Nicole Atkins in 2023 and Kyshona in 2024. We’d love to see you there!
Please join the HEARTS Circle to support preserving, restoring, and sharing the important history of our region.
