How Did It Come to This?           by JoAnne Growney

Prints on exhibit walls,

notions of a bull by Picasso--

whose clear eye directed a deft hand.

Careful likeness becomes surreal

design then sketch

and in the end

a few fine lines. 

Poems also we make

by erasing.  

INNISFREE POETRY JOURNAL (Innisfree 2, March 2006).

During the past year I have enjoyed collaboration with Silver Spring sculptor, Mark Behme.  Here is a sample of our paired work--and a blog entry by artist, writer, and good friend Kyi May Kaung about Mark's and my work.

Two visual artists whose work has sparked mine are Florence Putterman and Jessica Baker. (Follow the links to view the artists' work.) Moreover, Florence has contributed the cover for my 2010 collection, RED HAS NO REASON and  Jessica has contributed the cover for my 2009 chapbook, Angles of Light. 

 In addition, my association with Gateway's Heliport Gallery (alas, now closed) has led to a variety of poetry projects.  Inspiration and collaboration have come from artists Elizabeth Zeisler, Patti Iglarsh, Karim Chaibi and Tom Block and writers Veneta Masson and Sistah Joy.  Kyi May Kaung is both artist and writer and has become a good friend.

 Poetry with Gateway's Heliport Gallery    Here is raw material for some poetry: this file contains 35 sentences on Convergence that were submitted by visitors to Heliport's Exhibit on that theme (Feb-Mar 2007).  Here is my response to encounters with the art and the artists of the CONVERGENCES exhibit.   A group of my neighbors composed a collaborative poem inspired by the gallery exhibit AGES OF DISCOVERY (Dec 06 - Jan 07).  (I live in EASTERN VILLAGE in South Silver Spring.)  I also found a poem in my meetings with the artists and artwork of the DISCOVERY (Dec 06 - Jan 07) exhibit.  I began to work with Gateway's Heliport Gallery in November 2006--and the first poetry event we held there celebrated the art and artists inspired by the theme FREEDOM.