Vets & Friends Coffee Hour at the Chelsea Public Library!

The Chelsea Public Library has a busy week -and fall season- of programming and we invite the public to join.

In brief:

Fri 9/19 5-6pm Art Opening for Mariah Raynes
Sat 9/20 7pm Screening of A Stranger in the Kingdom
Mon 9/29 6:30pm Cookbook Club, first meeting/potluck RSVP to join.
Fri 10/3 11am Vets & Friends coffee hour, all are welcome!
Weds 10/8-11/19 6-7pm FREE 7 week yoga series w/ Lauren Priestap
Tues 10/14 6:30pm Screening of Bess O’Brien’s documentary “Just Getting By”
Tues 10/28 6pm facilitated discussion of Gather by Kenneth Cadow with Strafford poet Jim Schley

In detail:
Friday, Sept 19th from 5-6pm the Chelsea Public Library will host an art opening for Tunbridge librarian Mariah Raynes in celebration of her exhibit this fall at the library. Mariah says of the show, “When is the last time you created for the pure sake of creating? When you indulged your imagination without fear or judgment of your brushstroke, or the angle of your pen. This exhibit is a small display of the art that came out of a rough year for me, the calm that came from being in the flow, the peace I conjured up by making art a daily practice just like I did when I was a kid.” Raynes’ work titled “The Ocean Inside” will be on view September and October.

The Library and the Chelsea Historical Society will co-host a screening of Jay Craven’s A Stranger in the Kingdom this Saturday, September 20th at 7pm. In the late 1990s, Chelsea became the location for the film. The story, though fictionalized, was inspired by the tragic 1968 “Irasburg Affair” and brings issues of racial violence, civil rights, and community tension into sharp focus. The Historical Society will share behind-the-scenes footage captured during the production in Chelsea, offering a glimpse into how the movie was made and the town’s role in bringing it to life. Snacks and light refreshments will be provided. Note: The film is Rated R and contains mature themes, including racial violence and strong language.

Later this month on Monday, Sept 29th, 6:30pm Library Trustee Chintana Herrin kicks off her new library program Cookbook Club. A quarterly potluck and exploration of a new cookbook, this club offers an opportunity for community and expanding one’s culinary horizons. RSVP to join. September’s selection is Setting a Place for Us: Recipes and Stories of Displacement, Resilience, and Community from Eight Countries Impacted by War by Somali chef and author Hawa Hassan.

Looking ahead, the library will host a free 7 week yoga course on Wednesdays, 6-7pm from Oct. 8th – Nov. 19th with Lauren Priestap, beginners very welcome.

The library is giving away copies of Kenneth Cadow’s Gather in celebration of Vermont Reads and will host a screening of Bess O’Brien’s documentary “Just Getting By” on Oct 14th at 6:30pm and a facilitated discussion on the book and its themes with Strafford poet Jim Schley on Oct 28th, 6pm.

A lecture series will be announced shortly for November and stay tuned for more events at the library.

All events are FREE, open to all, and take place at the Chelsea Public Library. For more information visit www.chelsealibrary.com or reach out to Library Director Kate MacLean at librarian@chelsealibrary.com or by phone at 802-685-2188.