There’s a lot going on at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts this evening, starting at 5:30 p.m. with the opening of two new gallery exhibits and continuing at 7 p.m. with a local documentary premiere.

Tim Giles, a Suffolk native who now resides in Northern Virginia, is a self-taught artist who was lived all around the world, including in Ukraine, Haiti, Ghana, Angola, Senegal, Nigeria and Israel. His international experiences have allowed him to capture many vistas on canvas.

His inspiration comes mainly from accomplishments by black leaders in various facets of life, including Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Colin Powell, Langston Hughes, Ray Charles and Oprah Winfrey. He works in watercolor as well as in other mediums.

Danny Doughty and Mama Girl, two legendary Eastern Shore folk artists, will be the subjects of the other gallery exhibit. Doughty’s art focuses on the lives of the black women who raised him and features vibrantly colored landscapes, flowing clothing and workers often shown in the fields or on the water.

“Mama Girl” grew up working in the fields near her hometown of Painter. She has no formal training in art but expresses her creativity with “happy art,” her description of the brightly painted pieces of art made using strips of newspaper, glue and acrylic paint.

At 7 p.m., the Birdsong Theater will see history being made with the public premiere of the documentary “Strength Through Our Roots,” a first-hand historical record of the life of blacks in Nansemond County during 1924-1970. It focuses on students who attended Nansemond County Training School and Southwestern High School during that time period. It was commissioned by the alumni association and supported by the Nansemond County Training School Heritage Center. The film runs about 35 minutes.

For more information on any of the events, call 923-0003. The center is located at 110 W. Finney Ave.