This is our eighth annual art-poetry show! This page here explains how the show works, for the artists and poets who are interested in participating.
We are holding this show at the Blackstone Public Library in Blackstone Massachusetts (a town by the Rhode Island border) for the month of April 2026.
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 Shea know by SAT JANUARY 31st 2026 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.
- 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.
Poet Writes a Poem
Sometime before February 20th, 2026, 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 20, 2026 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. Artist: This means you NEED TO HAVE YOUR ARTWORK IN HAND so it can be hung in the art-poetry show for the show’s duration. Please do not sell or give away your art until the show is over.
In parallel: Artist Creates an Artwork
Sometime before February 20th, 2026, the artist provides the poet with a piece of art. Emailing a JPG photo of the art to the poet is fine; you do not need to give them the actual physical piece of art. Again, the artwork can be custom-created for this project or it can be an existing favorite. Keep in mind YOU MUST PHYSICALLY HAVE THIS ARTWORK. This piece of art will hang in the art-poetry show. Please do not sell or give away the artwork until after the show.
The poet now has until March 20, 2026 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 source and response 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. Artists – if you are framing your piece under glass, please take a photo of the artwork before you frame it. That way we have a no-glare image to use in our promotions. If it’s a photo, you can just send us a JPG of the photo.
The drop-off date will be Tuesday, March 31st at the library.
Poets don’t need to ‘bring in’ anything – I print out all the poems so everything matches. Poets can just email me their 2 poems when they are ready. Artists can arrange with me to have me pick their 2 artworks up sometime just before March 31st or on the 31st. Remember, there should be TWO PIECES PER PERSON – a source item and response item – for this show :).
The reception will be at the Blackstone Public Library, at 86 Main Street in Blackstone MA. Date to be announced. Please bring a snack or soda to share. Please try to attend – we like to videotape the artist and poet talking about their collaboration!
Here are pairings from some previous years to see how this works:
2017 Art-Poetry Show
2018 Art-Poetry Show
2019 Art-Poetry Show
2020 Art-Poetry Show
2023 Art-Poetry Show
2024 Art-Poetry Show
2025 Art-Poetry Show
If anybody has any questions or comments, please let Lisa know. Let her know if you’re interested in participating!
The current pairings are:
Bob Evans artist – remote and casual
Dennis Smith artist – remote and medium intensity
Art Martin artist – remote and casual (but will do in person)
Lynne Galluzzo artist – in person
Ellen Gould artist
Linda DeFeudis artist
Evan Plante poet
Christine Beauchaine poet – remote and casual
Jody Zolli poet
Sue Lovejoy poet
Linda DeFeudis poet
If I missed anybody, please let me know! My email sometimes loses messages so I apologize if I inadvertently missed someone who was interested.
Ask with any questions!
