As part of this summer’s Art on the Trails initiative, organizers are calling on New England poets.
Art on the Trails is a planned outdoor exhibition by Southborough Open Land Foundation. Art will be displayed along trails at the Beals Preserve for the public to enjoy from June 3rd to September 24th.
SOLF is seeking original, unpublished ekphrastic poems to be read aloud on the final day during a Plein Air Poetry Walk. They will also be included in a chapbook published by The Tishman Review. Submissions will be accepted from June 7th to July 7th.
If you, like me, are unfamiliar with the genre, here is how the Poetry Foundation defines it:
An ekphrastic poem is a vivid description of a scene or, more commonly, a work of art.
You can find more details and examples here.
It may also help to know that the theme for the juried exhibit that will line the trail this summer is “Finding Solace in the Woods”.
Poetry is requested to be “in response to the artwork as exhibited.” So if you plan to write something, you’ll want to mark your calendar for the Opening Reception and guided walking tour. That takes place Wednesday, June 7th from 6:00 – 8:00 pm.
But, you can begin exploring the art by yourself beginning June 3rd. And you can start off by getting a feel for the the trail or preserve itself, anytime. Click here for details, or here for a map.
If you would like to submit a piece for the “public art” portion of the exhibit, click here for details. (The juried exhibit deadline passed.)
For more information on the call for poetry, the opening reception, and the summer long exhibit, click on the thumbnails below. Or visit artonthetrails.com.
Updated (5/25/17 9:12 am): I originally assumed the poetry could just describe the trail, since the flyer didn’t specify. But, I just read on the submissions guideline page “Art on the Trails welcomes submissions of ekphrastic poetry in response to the artwork as exhibited in the Art on the Trails: Finding Solace in the Woods installation in Beals Preserve, Southborough, Massachusetts. Poetry submissions accepted from June 7, 2017 through July 7, 2017.” The post was quickly updated to reflect that.
Updated (5/25/17 9:27 am): Inserted information on the chapbook after reading, “All selected work will be featured in a chapbook with corresponding artwork to be published by The Tishman Review. Each selected poet will receive one complimentary copy of the chapbook. All selected poets will be invited to read their work at the closing reception to be held at Beals Preserve in Southborough, MA, on September 24th, 2017.”
