Author Tony Horwitz will emcee the Bunch of Grapes Bookstore’s open mic night for writers, the final such event of the season, on Tuesday, March 23. Anyone currently working on a novel, short story, poetry or essay is invited to read for five minutes. This is an opportunity for writers to share a selection from a work in progress and for the Vineyard community to come out and hear what their neighbors are working on behind closed doors.

New artists are invited to participate in this year’s annual Friends of Family Planning Art Show Benefit which takes place May 28 to 30 — Memorial Day weekend. All media are welcome.

The preview gala, on Thursday, May 27, kicks off the summer season and is a great showcase for new work of all kinds.

If you are interested in submitting your work, call Nell Coogan at 508-687-9052 or e-mail [email protected] to request an application. The deadline for applications is April 16. Applications automatically will be sent to returning artists.

Jump Rope for Hope

Students at the Tisbury School recently raised $4,147 to support the Red Cross Haiti relief efforts through a jump rope event, held for all grades.

Just after the earthquake hit Jan. 12, two fourth grade teachers, Pamela Herman and Veronika VanDe Geer, and their students saw the many children who now had lost everything, and initiated a jump rope for hope event. Children generated sponsors to support their jumping during each gym class. The $4,147 check was presented to the Red Cross just before school vacation.

Poets, Please

The Island Voices Poetry in Performance series moves to Pathways at the Chilmark Tavern on Wednesday, March 10, at 7 p.m. All Island poets are invited. Linda Black and Michael West will perform their work, with an open reading to follow. Island Voices continues on one Wednesday night monthly through the winter and will move forward in an expanded schedule through the summer and fall, to include spoken word performers, rappers and freestylers, slam poets, singer-songwriters and free-verse and traditional forms poets.

Efforts to Help Haiti

Volunteers of the Martha’s Vineyard Fish Farm for Haiti Project are hosting a potluck supper, Saturday, March 6, at the common house of Cohousing in West Tisbury, to brainstorm and make plans for this summer’s fund raising events.

Past events have included three concerts at the Tabernacle, tennis tournaments, Haitian art sale benefits and numerous other events. The group hopes to make this summer’s fundraisers for Haiti the biggest and best yet.

Haiti Relief Continues

The Martha’s Vineyard Fish Farm Haiti Project is holding a Haiti relief drive that runs through Feb. 27. Rainy season is approaching, and large emergency relief tents are a first priority. Also needed are donations of a generator, tarps, rope, blankets, sheets and towels in excellent condition, medical equipment and supplies.

For information call 508-693-0368 or go to the Web site fishfarmhaiti.org.