Writing Poetry Inspired by Art – A Writing Workshop

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Writing Ekphrastic Poetry

Come kick off National Poetry Month with a workshop led by Southbury Poet Laureate Faith Vicinanza. Students will write poems inspired by fine art, using the current exhibition in our gallery as a catalyst. The instructor will guide students through the process of accessing the paintings; there will be an opportunity to share work, if students desire.

An ekphrastic poem is a vivid description of a scene or, more commonly, a work of art. Through the imaginative act of narrating and reflecting on the “action” of a painting or sculpture, the poet may amplify and expand its meaning. A notable example is “Ode on a Grecian Urn,” in which the poet John Keats speculates on the identity of the lovers who appear to dance and play music, simultaneously frozen in time and in perpetual motion. 

The fee for the workshop is $15. Class size is limited to 10 attendees.

Ms. Vicinanza was appointed the Poet Laureate of Southbury in October, 2022 for a three-year term to serve as an advocate for the importance of poetry in the community and in the world.

Ms. Vicinanza has served as a Master Teaching Artist in Poetry for the Connecticut Commission on the Arts, as editor for several literary magazines, and as the founder and executive director of the Connecticut Poetry Festival (1997, 2001, 2003).

She is the author of four collections of poetry and is currently working on several new collections and a memoir.

A member of two national slam poetry teams, Ms. Vicinanza competed in National Slam Championships in 1994 and 1996. She was a member of the U.S. Slam Team that competed in Sweden in 1997, as well as the executive director of the 1997 National Poetry Slam Championships held in Middletown, Connecticut, the largest poetry event in the state’s history.  

Ms. Vicinanza has been featured in venues from Stockholm, Sweden to San Francisco, has been a poet laureate nominee for Connecticut and is the recipient of the 2003 Connecticut Commission on the Arts Advocates for the Arts Award. 

*Students must be registered and paid in full three business days before the start of the class/workshop. Exceptions only with permission from the Director of Writing Programs.

COVID POLICY - Until further notice, proof of vaccination is not required to attend classes. Masks remain optional.