Local Artists, Musicians Talk At Middletown Library March 18

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — The Middletown Public Library will kick off its "Artist Café" this March.

Session 1 will be Saturday, March 18: "Spotlight on Art & Music."

This is a three-part series, which continues in April and May, and will bring local artists, musicians, poets and writers to the library to share and connect with one another.

The March 18 panel discussion will feature the following local Middletown-area musicians and artists: Dylan Anderson, Sam Bremekamp, Mike Dawson, Kris Gillespie, Toby Gowing, John Lebitsch, Kate Okeson and Yao Tsao.

They will participate in an hour-long panel discussion talking about how they got their start and how they continue to hone their crafts.

The second hour will be open for all attending artists and musicians to collaborate, share and connect with one another. Attendees will have the opportunity to display and show off their talents in open mic fashion.

The Artist Café Series will continue during National Poetry Month in April with a Spotlight on Writing and Poetry. The second session on April 22 will bring experienced local writers and poets to the library for a panel discussion, followed by an hour for writers to connect, collaborate and share their work. The panelists for the April session for writers and poets will be shared on the library's website later this month.

The series will culminate on May 20 with the Artist Café Showcase, which invites artists, musicians, poets and writers back to the library to perform and display their crafts for a showcase event.