Find your voice through poetry and song at the second annual “All I Can Say” Open Mic on Feb. 12, from 6-9 p.m. at the Suffolk Museum, 118 Bosely Ave. This free, unique event will be hosted by renowned writer/poet Nathan Richardson and is open to youth as well as adults. Poets and writers throughout Hampton Roads have been invited to share in this diverse experience.

The 25th Annual Juried Photography Exhibit will be held at the Suffolk Museum. In the last 10 years, this exhibit has grown from being a local show to a regional event. The Suffolk Museum now hosts the largest and oldest photography exhibit in Hampton Roads, featuring photographers from across the state and beyond. This year’s juror is photographer Aimee Joyaux, who has exhibited extensively nationwide and is currently the vice president of education for the Visual Art Center in Richmond, Va. Awards for the event exceed $1,500. The opening reception is Saturday, March 7, from 5:30 until 8:30 p.m. at the Suffolk Museum, 118 Bosley Ave., Suffolk, Va. This event is free and open to the public. The exhibit will be on display through April 24, 2009. Suffolk Museum hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. The Suffolk Museum would like to thank the Suffolk Fine Arts Commission and the Virginia Commission for the Arts for their continued support. Music for the opening reception will be provided by local blues trio MSG, whose recently released album has been met by regional and national acclaim. This trio performs traditional Piedmont style blues, and has performed at such well-known venues as the Kennedy Center and the Smithsonian Folk-Life Festival.

Instructor Cindy French will teach a class on how to make a recycled wool pincushion on Saturday, March 7, at the Suffolk Museum from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Learn to make a penny rug pincushion using recycled wool. Use blanket stitch embroidery to make a wool pincushion. Materials are provided but bring your own scissors and thimble. Cindy has been a quilter for about 25 years, learning from folks in the Appalachian Mountains. A former college math teacher, she now focuses on teaching beading and quilting. The fee for the workshop is $25. Please make checks payable to the city of Suffolk. The deadline for signup is Feb. 28. For more information call the Suffolk Museum at 514-7284.

Artist Marilyn Mendelson will teach a class titled “Wearable Art- Beaded Necklace Purse” on Saturday, March 14, at the Suffolk Museum from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This class is for ages 14 to adult. Students will construct a decorative fabric purse embellished with beads. The bag will be completed in class. All materials are provided and basic sewing skills are required. Marilyn has taught art in public schools and at the college level. She currently enjoys quilting, jewelry-making and garment design. Her work has been sold locally at the Chrysler Museum and The Courthouse Museum gift shops. The fee for the workshop is $35. Please make checks payable to the city of Suffolk. The deadline for signup is March 7. For more information call the Suffolk Museum at 514-7284.

Learn to English Paper Piece using freezer paper on April 5 from 1 to 4 p.m. This is an old piecing technique that uses precut shapes to hand piece precise quilt blocks. It makes Grandmother’s Flower Garden a breeze. Students will work on 1-inch hexagons to learn the technique. The class project could become a pillow top or turn into a quilt. English piecing is a great portable project. Materials provided but bring a thimble and scissors.

Fee $25, made payable to city of Suffolk. Deadline for registration is March 30.