PSU Poets and Artists Blaze A Novel Trail In New Exhibit
PSU’s Museum of the White Mountains has a new exhibit entitled, Finding Place On Paper: Contemporary Poets and Printmakers Explore The White Mountains. Assembled by curator and Associate Director of the Museum of the White Mountains Cynthia Robinson, English professor and poet Liz Ahl, printmaking coordinator and professor Kimberly Ritchie, and co-curator Parker Potter, the exhibit marries pieces of unique artwork created by both professional and student artists with artwork of a different nature: poetry.
The art that resides in this exhibit represents a broad range of techniques and skill: woodblocking, lithography, and screen printing, just to name a few. Though style and approach differ, all of the artwork in Finding Place On Paper showcases the tranquil and treacherous landscapes of New Hampshire’s White Mountains. Rushing water, towering trees, and lofty peaks are defining features of both the art and the physical landscapes themselves. One piece in particular, Christopher Morse’s Barret on Moriah, inspired Ahl and her Poetry Workshop class to create a collective work entitled In the Company of Giants. Here’s what Liz had to say about the poem and how it came to life:
“My poetry workshop students collaborated on a pantoum (a form of poem based on linked, repeated lines) inspired by one of the prints in the show. It was interesting working with so many people (sixteen total) on a single poem. The students who attended the opening event seemed pleased.”
Two of Ahl’s students from her Poetry Workshop class praised the overall experience:
“I was surprised by how a class of 15 could collaborate so successfully and create a dynamic piece of poetry inspired entirely by a piece of artwork.” – Nathan Theriault
“It was amazing to see all of our collaborated work on the wall in the exhibit for everyone to view. I was even able to meet the printmaker that we wrote the poem for! -Ellen Wilborg
At the heart of this new exhibit is one key facet that Plymouth State is in the process of bringing to the forefront of the educational experience: collaboration. With the inauguration of a more holistic integrated cluster structure beginning next fall, it is inevitable that our campus and the impressive work that emerges from it will continue on with this journey of growth and cooperation.
Finding Place On Paper: Contemporary Poets and Printmakers Explore The White Mountains is open until December 16th, 2016. Go check it out and support the poets and artists who made this exhibit possible!
