Colors That Speak Words

I started to sweat.

I was a guest presenter in a class for medical students on writing and healing.

That wasn’t the part that made me nervous.

The students were to find a piece of art and write a response to that work.

I had not done the homework. And I didn’t want to show up not having done the exercise.

Sweat glands continued to activate.

I glanced next to my work computer and saw a piece of art from Mallery Quetawki, one of my favorite artists. (She did the cover art for the book Writing to Heal.)

So, I wrote a piece in the few minutes I had before it was my turn to share.

The writing process itself coaxed the sweat glands back to rest mode.

I decided to share the piece with Mallery, curious if she would be able to figure out which of her pieces of art I was writing to. She immediately knew, and said this was the first time anyone had written poetry in response to her art.

An idea was born.

(Procrastination as the mother of creativity!?)

Six months later, Mallery, myself, and two other creatives – Blythe Mariano and Chilan Mustain – get to present a show on this concept to the world. Colors that Speak Words is about translating, transforming, and transcending art into a written form. And vice versa – taking a piece of poetry and creating art in response. The opening is this Friday, 5-7pm and it all happens at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. The exhibit will be up until mid October. A big shout out to IPCC Museum Curator Paula Mirabel and her team that has helped make this a reality.

I shared one piece from the show a few months back, and will share the original art and poem that started it all here. 

An invitation to take out pen and paper and write your own piece to Mallery's art. No sweating required.

abundance

cultural beauty

warmth + love

                                growing

                                flowing

corn pollen blessings

beading beauty

up

in double helix harmony

                                                over

                                                                kiva

                                                                plaza

                                                                dancers

                                                around

                                                                circle

                                                                ceremony

                                                grounded

                                                                by pottery’s

                                                                abundance

                                                                cultural beauty

                                                                warmth + love