For centuries artists adept in one medium have found inspiration in another. For example, the sculptor Michelangelo was also a respected poet, while the English poet William Blake often painted imagery for his poems.
The creative interrelationships between the visual and literary arts have a long history, including here at Airdrie Public Library (APL).
The 5th Annual Voice and Vision Collaboration – a series of collaborative projects between local writers and artists – is holding its gala Sept. 26 from 7 to 9 p.m. as a Facebook Live event.
First held in 2016 as a collaboration between Airdrie artists and writers, the project has continued yearly, even in the time of COVID-19.
The gala is the culmination of months of work that started in the spring of 2020 when 15 artists and 15 writers submitted initial pieces and then were anonymously paired with one another to create response pieces.
The writing is limited to 250 words in any style, while the art is limited to 20 inches by 20 inches in any media.
The results are as inspiring as they are creative, with the writing including poetry and short stories and the art ranging from collage to sculpture.
Supported by the province’s Alberta Culture Days program, the gala will be live-streamed as the official unveiling of the pieces. Keeping the event virtual makes it a safe way for the public to attend as the writers and artists discuss their work and the collaborative process.
In past years, the unveiling part of the gala has always been the most interesting for attendees, as the interplay between artist and writer and their various creative processes and thinking is revealed.
The 30 initial pieces are currently on display in the library building and on airdriepubliclibrary.ca and all 60 project pieces will be displayed at the library together during October.
A Facebook event notification will be sent out prior to the gala this Saturday.
