FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

VERSE/VISUAL : From Word to Image and Back

LOCAL POETS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS INSPIRE EACH OTHER IN NEW PROJECT ON VIEW DURING IPSWICH ILLUMINATION

Friday, October 4^ththrough Sunday, October 6^th

at Gathr events

42 Market Street

IPSWICH MA

What do you see in your mind when you read a poem or hear a piece of music? When you see a work of art, do you create a story to go with it? Is what you experience when you engage art the experience the artist intended? If it isn’t, how is it different? What happens when someone takes their response to what they’ve seen, heard or read, and creates something new?

This exploration is at the heart of VERSE/VISUAL, a collaborative art project between poets and photographers that will have a gallery show October 4-6 during Ipswich’s Illumination weekend. Inspired by a 2017 New Times York Times project, photographer Cynthia August and poet Sarah Vickery led a group of 20 poets and photographers in the first iteration of VERSE/VISUAL in 2018 - with original photographs displayed alongside the poems that inspired them. This year, both creative groups will be challenged to create a new piece – seven local photographers responding to poems by seven local poets, who in turn will be writing new poems inspired by works from the photographers’ portfolios.

The poems and photographs will be displayed together in the windows of Gathr https://gathr.work/, a co-working and event space in downtown Ipswich, during the town’s Ipswich Illumination festival. Multiple events will take place during the festival weekend, including an opening reception with readings and artist Q+A,student submissions,a poetry open mic, and a video projection wall.

“It’s been such a pleasure to see the poets take subtle details in these photographs and bring a new kind of life to them,” said Vickery, who has been coaching poets through the creative process as the facilitator of Ipswich Poetry Group’s workshop sessions.

Cynthia August says: “The moment I saw the NYT project, I knew I had to bring a version of it to Ipswich. We are such a strong photography community, and our poetry group is first-rate. It’s the perfect place to test-drive this project, which I hope to bring to other town and schools. And the chance to do it at beautiful Gathr Events is a dream come true!

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VERSE/VISUAL IPSWICH

VERSE/VISUAL was created by Ipswich photographer Cynthia August and poet Sarah Vickery, director of the Ipswich Poetry Group.

Cynthia August is a commercial portrait photographer living and working in Ipswich, known for her ethereal portraits and abstracts. She writes, teaches and creates photography out of her studio in the Tyler Building. https://www.cynthiaaugust.com

Sarah Vickery is an activist, poet and performer as well as the current director of the Ipswich Poetry Group, a long-standing and well-respected writers group that holds monthly poetry events and working sessions.

Ipswich Poetry Group is a poetry, writing and performance group that has been meeting since 2000. It was founded by Dorothy Laurence as a critique and support space for local poets and has expanded to include monthly open mics that include spoken word, music, and more. IPG meets on the 2nd & Wednesdays every month at 6:30pm in the Ipswich Public Library. Our open mics are held at Zumi's Espresso & Ice Cream at 6pm on the 3rd Saturday of every month. E-mail ipswichpoetrygroup@gmail.com or call Sarah at 617-584-7025 to learn more.

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VERSE/VISUAL: A collaboration between poets and photographers

October 4-6, 2019

Invitation Only Preview Friday October 4th 4-5:45pm

Public Opening with Reception and Readings Friday October 4^th6-9 pm

Gallery Open During Ipswich Illumination Saturday October 5^thwith events from 6pm-9:30pm

Gathr work

42 Market Street,

Ipswich, MA 01938

For more information, visit http://www.versevisual.com/

VERSE/VISUAL IPSWICH

CONTACT

Cynthia August

Cynthia@CynthiaAugust.com

978-998-2228