Students Forge Original Art Utilizing Their Painting and Writing Talents

The Art and English departments worked together to create the “Art to Art” event, where English students wrote poems to be interpreted by artists through painting.

The poets were asked to used a “found poetry” style, where they get inspiration from things they would either overhear or read, be it a song, a conversation, a book, even an instruction manual, and using that inspiration as a starting point.

“Some students would look for a theme, and build off of that theme,” said Heather Frankland, an English professor who helped manage the “Art to Art” exhibit, “They examined the original meaning and would often change the meaning when they changed the order of the lyrics, and wrote poems based off of that.”

Frankland had her English 101 class write the poems, rather than the poetry classes she assigns for the project.

David Roholt said, “Once or more a year is our goal, but typically winter quarter is when we manage to get it to happen.” Roholt is an art professor for the college.

Students walked around, admiring the art and poems, painters, writers, discussed each other’s works and what it meant to them.

“Most of the students were very excited to do this,” Frankland said, “Even though it’s something that’s not very typical in a English composition class.”

Anthony Mucciacciaro was a poet that based his poem off songs that were “all indicative to individuals losing scope of reality.” He  then related this idea to soldier’s dealings of post-traumatic stress disorder.

The painting, done by Maxlin Chase, was of a man with a mixed expression, wearing a tan military shirt and a jester’s crown, while holding up a smoking bullet shell.

“The Jester’s Crown is shown as a heavy burden on their head,” Mucciacciaro said, “Similar to PTSD.” He described how often through comedy, people can hide what actual pain they are enduring, “Comedy comes from a darker place,” Mucciacciaro stated.

Mucciacciaro appreciated how the artist portrayed his poem, especially in regards to the man’s expression, with it not being clear whether he is crying or laughing, whether he is in torment or joy.

The painting’s smoking shell led Mucciacciaro to believe it represented the soldier’s dwelling trauma within themselves, “In combat you’ll see shells of rounds smoking still even after they have been expelled from the weapon,” said Mucciacciaro, “Which is true for soldiers in that they’re still living somewhat in that moment and still have that fire in them, even after they go home.”

Van Alstine made a painting for a poem by Serena Ramirez called “The World I Live In,” a poem that Van Alstine said she had difficulty in deciphering what her assigned poet’s message in her poem, so Van Alstine made her own interpretation of the painting, that she believed wasn’t far from the truth.

The poem told the tale of a girl who is frightened by the idea of losing herself in an intimidating world.

Van Alstine illustrated this stress by making a woman who is protruding from a crumbling volcano, with her skin cracked, but her face and hair is unique, Van Alstine had this symbolize her enduring individuality.

Dozens of students came to admire the art presented, Roholt and Frankland consider this gallery a rousing success, “We’re happy to see it all came together so well,” Roholt said.

Jessica Van Alstine is an artist that attended the event, she said she loved the idea of the gallery, and liked working with other people and seeing their art and works.

Van Alstine’s painting based off the poem by Serena Ramirez.

The painter, Cyndi Omura, and the poet, Cory Carlson, discuss their collaborated piece, “The Closing of Claudio,” about a man remembering walking in the fields with his love as he battles depression.

The painter, Cyndi Omura, and the poet, Cory Carlson, discuss their collaborated piece, “The Closing of Claudio,” about a man remembering walking in the fields with his love as he battles depression.

The painter Jessica Van Alstine, the poet Nathaniel Devish discuss the art as Denise Yochum listens to the poet Anthony Mucciacciaro explain his work.