Here’s an interesting writing opportunity with a short deadline — October 4. The email comes from Bruce Farnsworth at MTS Gallery. He wants replies by email (no attachment, put writing in body of email) to whenpoetsfly@hotmail.com
Dear Alaskan Writer,
I would like to invite you to participate in an exhibition at the MTS Gallery in Anchorage. The MTS Gallery is a large, clean white-walled space with good lighting and a growing reputation for showing quality work and hosting innovative performance art.
I am co-curating, along with Bruce Farnsworth, an exhibition at the MTS gallery that will open on November 21, 2008, titled: Words and Pictures. The curatorial intent is to combine the literary and the visual arts, but to do so without either art form serving the other. For example, the visual work does not “illustrate” the written nor the written “describe” the visual.
Twenty each of Alaska’s best visual artists and writers will be asked to create work (existing work is permissible if it has not been shown in Anchorage) within a very broad theme.
Visual artists are asked to make work that is “narrative.” Writers are asked to create a short piece that is “visual.” Interpretation is open to the artist with a few caveats:
Visual art should not contain words or letters. Narrative refers to the ability of the artwork to evoke a story or narrative in the viewer’s mind. The artwork should give the audience enough material to work with without forcing him or her into a specific story. The more mysterious the better.
Writers are asked to write a short (250 words or less) piece that “paints” a picture. The work should be evocative and conjure up images in the reader’s mind’s eye. Please, no overt references to painting, photography, sculpture or other visual art forms.
Once all of your work is submitted, each piece will be printed out as attractive broadsides. Bruce and I will then lay out the show and pair up pieces of visual art with written pieces that, when read and viewed in context, will create a third impression on the viewer.
Your task: Reply to this email by the end of this week (Saturday, October 4th) to confirm that you will participate or to decline. Send Bruce Farnsworth your written piece by the end of the day, Sunday, November 2nd.
Looking forward to seeing your contributions, Hal Gage