Art With Poetry

Yesterday, I had the distinct pleasure and honor (to use a phrase usually accompanying a speech introduction, but certainly appropriate here) of attending The Joyful Jewel's second annual Vision and Voice: The Marriage of Pen and Palette.  Marrianna is one of approximately 90 artists that display in the gallery.  Some of her work is shown on the gallery's site. 

As the introductory blurb on the gallery's web site says, "The Joyful Jewel invited writers of all ages and levels to come to the gallery, pen in hand.  They perused the gallery to see which piece of art, jewelry, or craft would inspire them.  Presentations will include the Writer Artist, the Visual Artist, and the Art!"  One writer chose a painting by Marrianna as her inspiration.  Artists and writers presented their works, artists showing the painting that inspired the writer as the poem was read and speaking of what inspired them to paint that work.


Though a few had, most of the artists and writers had never met each other.  I knew a few artists, but none of the writers.  I was surprised how many of the artists, speaking after the reading of the poem their work inspired, said that the writer had exactly captured the meaning they intended, a couple saying that the poem "nailed" it.  It's possible that they said that partially from politeness.  Who knows, and it isn't important.  There were some poems that I could not fathom how the writer's poem could possibly have come from that particular work.  There were, however, a few poems that spoke exactly the same message I got from the art.  What all that that says about me, the art, or the writer is irrelevant.  Perhaps because of the tension between art and words it inspired, it was an interesting afternoon.

There was a lot of very nice art, and it makes me particularly proud that one source of inspiration came from Marrianna's work.  Her style is unique, and her use of color a joy to behold.  Though perhaps biased, I think she is among the top artists in the gallery.  There are other very good artists, some of which I think are simply fantastic, Florence Johnson for example, but none use color better or are better artists.


Pittsboro is a small town about which is said, "You can't swing a cat without hitting an artist."  I think in this instance artist is meant to include all forms of art and craft, including writing.  Only  one writer's poem impressed me enough to seek her out after the show.  She's Michele Tracey Berger, and she writes a blog about creativity.  Speaking solely from hearing her poem yesterday and a brief perusal of her blog, she is talented and certainly well qualified to write about creativity.


I enjoy days like that.  I think it's stepping into a different frame of reference, a new perspective, that makes life interesting.