Wilkerson
POUGHKEEPSIE – Bettina “Gold” Wilkerson of Poughkeepsie
has been named Dutchess County’s Poet Laureate for 2017. She will
read her poetry at the state of county address delivered by County Executive
Marcus Molinaro on Thursday, February 16 at 5 p.m. at the CIA in Hyde
Park.
Wilkerson will serve in the unpaid position for one year and bring poetry
to the community through a series of readings and events.
She was the recipient of the 2016 Dutchess County Executive’s Artivist
Award; a 2016 Dutchess County Athena Award honoree by the chamber Foundation,
Inc.; the 2016 recipient of the Exempt Firemen’s Association Black
Heritage Committee’s Outstanding Community Service Award for extraordinary
contribution and dedication; and the 2014 New York State Council on the
Arts Individual Artist Tier Grant Awardee for Dutchess County.
She was the artist-in-residence for the Leadership Overnight Camp, hosted
by Rural Migrant Ministry; served as host for the 2016 RMM Rural Women’s
Assembly; hosted the 2015 state Women’s Rural Conference, among
other honors.
