Newburgh Free Library Will Host Poet Gold

NEWBURGH – To celebrate National Poetry Month, the Newburgh Free Library will host an evening of poetry with Bettina “Poet Gold” Wilkerson on Thurs., April 27 at 7 p.m. Poet Gold is the Dutchess County 2017 Poet Laureate and is also a  spoken word performance artist, poet, songwriter, producer, entrepreneur. She is the recipient of the 2016 Dutchess County Executive’s “Artivist” Award, the 2016 Dutchess County Athena Award Honoree by The Chamber Foundation, Inc., and  the 2016 recipient of the Exempt Firemen’s Association Black Heritage Committee’s “Outstanding Community Service Award” for Extraordinary Contribution and Dedication. In 2014 she was the 2014 NYSCA Individual Artist Tier Grant Awardee for Dutchess County.

Poet Gold believes that the arts exist “not only to entertain, but also to educate, and elevate the human spirit.” As a mentor, Poet Gold has collaborated with arts and youth development organizations such as R.E.A.L. Skills Network, Inc., Mill St. Loft, Breaking Barriers, Mid-Hudson Heritage Center, and Arts Mid-Hudson. Through her mentoring and poetic performances, she has touched over a thousand middle and high school-aged students, engaging them in understanding the direct connection between literacy, goal setting, and the achievement of their dreams.

Poet Gold was the “Artist-in-Residence” for the “Leadership Overnight Camp” hosted by Rural & Migrant Ministry, has served as host for the 2016 RMM Rural Women’s Assembly, hosted the 2015 NYS Women’s Rural Conference and spoken at renowned organizations such as Omega Institute 2014 “Women Serving Women Summit” and has inspired women with her words for the Women’s Leadership Alliance International Women’s Day.

Currently, Poet Gold is the host for “POELODIES” at The Falcon in Marlboro and “Newburgh’s Open Mic” at The Wherehouse on the last Thursday of the month. Her book “When My Soul Speaks, I Scribe…Poetry” was published in 2013.

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