Source: Elizabeth Dodd, 785-532-0384, edodd@k-state.edu
Website: http://beach.k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Hayley Henry, hhenry@k-state.edu

Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2010

CREATIVE WRITING STUDENTS TO SHARE LITERARY RESPONSES TO SPECIAL ART EXHIBIT

MANHATTAN -- Creative writing students at Kansas State University will share their literary responses to the "Material Evidence" exhibition now on display at the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art. Their presentation will start at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3, at the museum.

"What I find most interesting about the pieces in the 'Material Evidence' exhibition are the stories each artist presents through different mediums," said Brennan Bestwick, senior in English from Randolph. "When writing my piece, I tried to represent both the story behind the artwork and the work itself. I tried to present both aspects to the best of my ability, yet at the same time I wanted it to be more of a companion to the work than an explanation."

The readings are distinctive because they will not be read in a lecture setting. Instead, students will stand by their chosen art piece and deliver their responses in poem, short fiction or lyric essay form. This will help the listeners understand the sound of the readers' language in relation to the texture and color of the artwork.

"This is an especially exciting opportunity for creative writing students because the whole premise of the show highlights the importance of a viewer's bodily perception of each piece," said Elizabeth Dodd, university distinguished professor of English and director of K-State's creative writing program. "The media in the show include LED panels, old records, sewing pins -- not just the familiar media of paint and canvas or photograph and paper."

The creative writing presentations are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Martha Scott, Beach Museum of Art, at 785-532-7718, or drop by the museum on the southeast corner of the K-State campus at 14th Street and Anderson Avenue. Free visitor parking is available next to the building. Normal museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. The museum is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.