This is our fifth annual art-poetry show! We took a break during the pandemic, so our last one was in 2020. This page here explains how the show works, for the artists and poets who are interested in participating.
The show used to be a “traveling” show between the Worcester Public Library, the Blackstone Library, and the Millbury Barnes & Noble. For 2023 we’re going to focus on the Blackstone Library for April, because the other two locations are not available yet. If you have any thoughts as to where we could be after April, please let us know.
The artists are drawn from our Blackstone Valley Art Association. The poets are drawn from the Sutton Writing Group and the Worcester Writers Collaborative.
Anyone interested in participating please let Lisa know by FRIDAY NOVEMBER 18th 2022 of that interest. Let her know if you prefer a partner you can meet in person or if you prefer to work remotely, staying in touch via email. Also, let her know if you prefer an ‘intense’ relationship where you talk a lot about your works, or if you prefer a more ‘casual’ relationship where each person simply receives the other’s offering and then goes from there. All of these options are fine. We want each team to be happy.
Soon after the names are gathered, each artist is paired with a poet. They form a team for the duration of this project.
Sometime before January 31, 2023, the poet provides the artist with a poem. The poem can be custom-written for this project or it can be a favorite the artist already has written. The poem will be hung in the show on a maximum size of 8.5″ x 11″ piece of paper so it should be short enough to fit on that paper at a reasonably sized font. With that being said, the poem can otherwise be as short or as long as the poet desires. It can be a short haiku or a long sonnet.
The artist now has until March 15, 2023 to create a work of art that represents that poem. The art can be a literal interpretation. It can convey the emotion of the poem. It can focus on one aspect of the poem. It is up to the artist to choose how to present their interpretation. That pairing of poem-plus-artwork will be hung side by side at the show.
In parallel:
Sometime before January 31, 2023, the artist provides the poet with a piece of art (a JPG photo of it is fine). Again, the artwork can be custom-created for this project or it can be an existing favorite.
The poet now has until March 15, 2023 to write a poem based on that piece of art. The poem does not need to literally describe the artwork. It can convey an emotion. It can create a story based on the scene. It can be whatever the poet wishes. Again, the poem will be hung in the show on a maximum size of 8.5″ x 11″ piece of paper so it should be short enough to fit on that paper at a reasonably sized font. With that being said, the poem can otherwise be as short or as long as the poet desires. It can be a short haiku or a long sonnet.
When each poem and artwork is complete (both in the first and second round), please also send a copy to Lisa so she can update the website with the details. For art, let her know the dimensions of the piece when you send the JPG.
Here are pairings from previous years to see how this works:
2017 Art-Poetry Show
2018 Art-Poetry Show
2019 Art-Poetry Show
2020 Art-Poetry Show
Our artwork size restriction is primarily the Blackstone Library cases. Half of the artwork needs to go in the cases (around 11×14 size fits on the shelves) while the other half can hang on the wall. Lisa will coordinate who will go where once we determine the pairings. We’ll try to ensure that people who “went small” in previous years to fit the space constraints have the opportunity to “go large” this year if they wish.
If anybody has any questions or comments, please let Lisa know. Let her know if you’re interested in participating! You can participate just as one half (i.e. just an artist or just a poet) or as both halves.
My current roster is:
Evan Plante POET <-> Dennis Smith ARTIST
Linda DeFeudis POET <-> Carole Plante ARTIST
Richard Dresden POET <-> Bob Evans ARTIST
Christine Beauchaine POET <-> Richard Dresden ARTIST
Sue Lovejoy POET <-> Frank Robertson ARTIST
Robert Silveri POET <-> Louise Pigott ARTIST
Ibi Obomanu POET <-> Ellen Gould ARTIST
Good luck to everyone!
The reception for this show is on Thursday April 6th, 2023 from 6-8pm at the Blackstone Public Library.
Here is the full playlist of all seven art-poetry pairings from this show! Each pairing is its own separate video.
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