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Storytelling for the Solstice at Sweetbriar
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Once upon a time in bygone days families sat about their cabin or home around a fire or on the porch sharing stories. Nowadays families spend that time around the television instead.
Sweetbriar will bring you back to a simpler, more family-oriented time. The creative art of storytelling still remains alive on Long Island today. There are storytellers who entertain people all over Long Island with all kinds of stories and tales.
On Saturday, Dec. 12, from noon to 4 pm, Sweetbriar Nature Center, 62 Eckernkamp Drive in Smithtown will be hosting an afternoon of nature storytelling surrounding the solstice that occurs on Dec. 21.
The winter solstice, the day of the year with the least sunlight, says goodbye to autumn and welcomes in the winter. Sweetbriar has invited two of Long Island's premier storytellers to share nature tales and stories of the season, Heather Forest and Johnny Cuomo.
Heather Forest
Heather Forest's minstrel style of storytelling blends original music, folk guitar, poetry, prose and the sung and spoken word. She has toured her repertoire of world folktales for the past 30 years to theaters, major storytelling festivals and conferences throughout the United States and abroad. Forest holds a master's degree in storytelling from East Tennessee State University and a doctorate in leadership and change from Antioch University in Ohio. She is founder and executive director of Story Arts, a cultural arts organization in Huntington. She is an adjunct professor of oral tradition at Southern Connecticut State University. Said Eric Young, Sweetbriar's program director, "I have listened to Heather Forest's stories several times. It is a wonderful experience listening to her enchant audiences with her wide range of stories and tales." For more information on her programming go to www.storyarts.org.
Johnny Cuomo
The art of storytelling comes naturally to musician, author and storyteller Johnny Cuomo. Collecting stories from his travels and interests alike, Cuomo has combined his musical talents with his ability to hold an audience's attention, while unfolding tales of nature, birds and animals and stories from different cultures around the world.
Spending two summers as a volunteer teacher on the Barona and Viejas Indian reservations in California has given him a special connection with the Native American culture, as well as enriched his abilities as a storyteller of Indian tales. Living for a time in Ireland, he learned first hand about Irish culture and music, which set him on a path playing traditional Irish music with his band, Gallowglass, all over the country, as well as abroad.
Cuomo has been a big part of Sweetbriar, both as a storyteller at their annual Halloween Spook-tacular and as a visitor, bringing his summer campers to learn about nature and wildlife. His enthusiasm and energy is infectious. His audiences have a blast. For more information go to www.johnnycuomo.com.
Along with these special guests, the Nesconset Library will be at Sweetbriar to read nature stories, a Sweetbriar naturalist will tell some tales and lead nature walks. The teen art class will be displaying their art and helping children learn how to draw animals, and there will be time for people to share their own stories at the story circle. Refreshments will be available.
The storytellers and the walks will be scheduled at specific times, so call Sweetbriar for more information at 979-6344 or go to www.sweetbriarnc.org. Cost of the program is $5 per person.
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