The soft work of staying – a Gather After Hours event

the soft work of staying
Photography and words by Talia Halliday
Join us for a multi-tiered evening of art, words, and making—an immersive experience unfolding throughout Gather.
In the Gallery, The Soft Act of Staying opens as a photography exhibition paired with intimate, powerful writing by Talia Halliday, tracing the quiet ways plants have held space through grief. The work explores staying—staying present, staying tender, staying alive—when loss reshapes everything.
In the back of Gather, a small stage comes to life with spoken word from local poets, offering voices that echo, expand, and respond to the themes of grief, resilience, and becoming.
At the heart of the store, the DIY Bar invites you into the circle: paint a planter as an act of joy. Because joy and grief are not opposites—they arrive together, each giving shape to the other. Create something bright. Sit with something heavy. Let both be true.
Come wander, listen, make, and stay awhile.