It would seem that the lowly hard-shelled gourd, a cousin of squash and melons, is the least likely item to be associated with Chinese New Year festivities. And yet gourds have an enduring relationship with the Lunar New Year, and indeed, with Chinese beliefs and mythologies since ancient times. Gourds are among the oldest of cultivated plants. Why? And when, and how did they switch from being a functional object to an art object? What is cultural appropriation, and how do some gourd artists engage in dubious practice? Join Jan Downey, cultural anthropologist, and former PVCC faculty member, for an entertaining evening exploring these questions and others, all about the “Gourdgeous” gourd!!