Artsmith

Silent Spring Essay Contest

2012-01-28T10:56:00.000-08:00

Fifty years ago, the world was rocked by the publication of a quiet tirade against the chemical industry. Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring exposed the dangers and risks of everyday chemicals and commonplace practices; it launched the modern American environmental movements and also influenced similar movements all over the globe.

In commemoration of fifty years of Silent Spring, the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society is soliciting essays from junior (age 13-18) and senior (19 and above) scholars which analyze the impact and reception of Silent Spring as well as the legacy of Rachel Carson.

The RCC will be awarding both a junior and senior prize for the most outstanding essays:

· Junior Prize: $1,000 for 1,000 words (or less)

· Senior Prize: $2,000 for 2,000 words (or less)

There is no entry fee. For more info go to:

http://www.carsoncenter.uni-muenchen.de/about_rcc/silentspring_essay/index.html

2011-12-30T11:52:00.000-08:00

In a time when most literary journals print far more writing from men than women, Kelli Russell Agodon and Annette Spaulding-Convy are bringing the voices of women to the fore with their just released anthology of women's poetry, Fire On Her Tongue. These aren't just any voices, but voices that burn with urgency, danger, beauty and truth. To learn more, and get your eReader copy, go here: www.twosylviaspress.com

Announcing the 2012 Artsmith Artist Residency Fellows

2011-11-16T21:19:00.000-08:00

We're very pleased to announce the fellows for the 2012 Artsmith Garden Party Artist Residency have been selected:

Lana Hechtman Ayers, poetry
Nancy Canyon, painting (an example of her work, Alders on Lake Padden, can be seen above)
Lin McJunkin, glass and metal sculpture
Katherine Ryan Ross, sketching after Van Gogh
Shirley Sachiko Kishiyama, Chinese calligraphy and poetry

The artists will be in residence the week of March 18-25, 2012

Improving the economy through art

2011-11-10T12:29:00.000-08:00

In one of the country's slowest economic recoveries ever, when most politicians are tightening budgets, why has Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear advocated increasing funds for the arts? In his words, "A thriving creative sector is a powerful economic development tool and community revitalization asset."

Brenda Miller to read November 6

2011-10-08T16:46:00.000-07:00

The lyrical and thought-provoking essayist Brenda Miller will read from her breathtaking new collection of essays, Listening Against the Stone, on Sunday, November 6 at 7pm at Kangaroo House Bed & Breakfast on Orcas Island. This latest book explores what Dinty Moore describes as "a captivating account of one woman's evolving and eclectic spiritual path," and Dinah Lenney calls "one of those books you read through in one sitting, then keep close at hand, sustenance for the head and heart." Drop in on November 6 for a little sustenance for your own head and heart, maybe bring a little of your own latest writing to read in the open mic, a forum for local writers to share newly written works before a friendly and receptive crowd.

Rapt

2011-10-05T11:43:00.000-07:00

Hello, young golden eagle in the trees in front of our B&B this morning. There are no rabbits or kitty-cats here. Really. You're beautiful, but it's time to move on.

Kakwasi Somadhi kicks off 2011-2012 Salon Series

2011-09-30T22:39:00.000-07:00

Fiction and memoir writer Kakwasi Somadhi of Sacramento will be our featured reader Monday, October 3, 2011 at the Artsmith Literary Salon at Kangaroo House Bed & Breakfast on Orcas Island, 7:00 pm. Reading followed by open mic.

Drew Dillhunt at Salon Series March 7

2011-03-03T05:49:00.000-08:00

Hey Thrillseekers! Poet and introspective folk-rock musician Drew Dillhunt will be our featured artist for the March Salon Series at Fire! Smokehouse and Grill. Drop by Monday, March 7, 2011 at 7pm to hear Drew. And bring some of your own work to share in the open mic.

The Artists are in Residence!

2011-02-26T08:47:00.000-08:00

Rain, snow, sleet, and hail can't keep the 2011 Artsmith Fellows away from their artist residency at Kangaroo House B&B. And what better weather to create than in the snow, when distortions to our external landscapes invite reconsidering out internal landscapes, too. This year's artists hail from places as far flung as Colorado, Kentucky, Oregon, New York, and West Virginia, and you can meet them and hear them read their works at a special Artsmith Salon Series 7pm Monday night at Fire! Smokehouse and Grill. Read more about the artists and reading series here: http://orcasartsmith.org/literarysalon.html

Artsmith Artist Residency Now Accepting Applications

2010-10-26T18:12:00.000-07:00

The Artsmith Artist Residency application period is open until November 1, 2010. The residency will take place February 25 to March 4, 2011 at the Kangaroo House Bed & Breakfast (www.kangaroohouse.com). The interdisciplinary residency welcomes applications from a wide range of artists, including visual artists, composers, writers, musicians, and translators, as well as scholars. To learn more about the residency, and to apply, please visit http://www.orcasartsmith.org/residencies.html. If you have any questions, contact Jill at info (at) orcasartsmith (dot) org.

Marjorie Manwaring Reads June 7 at Doe Bay Cafe

2010-06-07T11:17:00.000-07:00

Join us at the Doe Bay Cafe to hear 2010 Artsmith Literary Award winner and 2009 Artsmith Residency Fellow Marjorie Manwaring read her award-winning (and often hilarious) poetry. Bring your own works to share in the Open Mic. Doe Bay Cafe will have a small bites menu of spectacular culinary creations to accompany the fine and fun literary offerings. Cafe opens at 6, and the reading begins at 7. See you there!

Artsmith Fellow Publishes Two Chapbooks

2010-05-29T08:40:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth Austen, 2009 Artsmith Artist Residency fellow, has not one but two chapbooks being published in 2010. The Girl Who Goes Alone from Floating Bridge Press is available now at http://www.scn.org/floatingbridge/main.html, and Where Currents Meet will be available in the fall from Toadlily Press. The official book launch party for The Girl Who Goes Alone takes place June 29, 7:30 pm, at Richard Hugo House in Seattle. Congratulations, Elizabeth!

Short Story Doctor

2010-05-07T10:31:00.000-07:00

Short story writers check out Elea Carey's blog: Short Stories Only (http://shortstoryhelp.blogspot.com/). It's a great resource for short fiction writers, and when you get stuck, you can turn to Elea for her "astute and very insightful" critiques, which, according to author Kent Meyers who found her comments useful for his novel Twisted Tree, are "sharp, clear, deep, and always directed toward the most significant aspects of the work."

Jay Bates, founder and publisher of A River and Sound Review, says of Elea, "As a writer and as an editor, she harbors a keen ear for narrative voice in fiction and employs a sharp eye for the nuances that make for a strong story, including setting design, character development, plot, and human conflict. What’s more, her response to the work of other writers is expressed with clear articulation and the empathy and charm of her Southern roots and upbringing."

Artsmith Literary Award Winners Announced

2010-02-27T08:49:00.000-08:00

Please join me in congratulating Marjorie Manwaring, winner of the 2010 Artsmith Literary Award judged by Sherry Simpson. Manwaring’s poem, “Cornucopia,” as well as the list of Finalists and Honorable Mention can be found here:

http://www.orcasartsmith.org/contest.html

Seth Learner Artwork Exhibited on Artsmith Website

2009-11-03T21:09:00.000-08:00

Check out the paintings of artist Seth Learner on the Artsmith website (http://orcasartsmith.org/). Artsmith Curator, and former Artsmith Fellow, Jan Madill selected Seth's work as the first in a series of artists whose work she will bring to the Artsmith site. I was so inspired by Seth's work, I redesigned the site with new colors drawn from Seth's paintings. Let me know what you think of Seth's work and the new look for the site!

2009-09-07T22:54:00.000-07:00

Award-winning poet Holly Hughes will be teaching a workshop in conjunction with Edmonds Community College Write on the Sound Writing Conference. Many of you will remember Holly's class and reading for Artsmith in 2007 at the Kangaroo House Bed & Breakfast. For those of you who missed it, or would like to take another workshop with Holly, we thought you might be interested to know about this opportunity. (Please note this is not an Artsmith event. For more information, please contact Write on the Sound.)

Write on the Sound 2009 Poetry Critique Workshop
Friday, Oct. 2nd 12:30 - 5 pm

Edmonds Conference Center

Edmonds, WA

$65

Instructor: Holly Hughes

Holly Hughes is the author of the chapbook Boxing the Compass, published by Floating Bridge Press in 2007, and the editor of Beyond Forgetting: Poetry and Prose about Alzheimer’s Disease, published by Kent State University Press in 2009. A graduate of the Rainier Writing Workshop MFA program, she teaches writing at Edmonds Community College where she co-directs the Convergence Writers Series and the Sustainability Initiative. For more information and to register, call 425-771-0228. Limited to 10 students, so call soon!

Nancy Rawles Reads on Lopez Island

2009-07-15T08:40:00.000-07:00

The Lopez Island Family Resource Center brings award-winning Seattle novelist, playwright, and educator, Nancy Rawles, toread from her highly-acclaimed book, "My Jim," Saturday, July 18, at Lopez Center.

My Jim (Three Rivers Press, 2005) re-imagines Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the slave's perspective. The story is a testament to the power of love and longing for freedom, and the survival of families and tradition even in the cruelest of times. Feel free to google Nancy and/or "My Jim," to discover quite an array of activities as "My Jim" was selected for Seattle Reads 2009, sponsored by the Seattle Public Library.

Saturday, July 18, on Lopez.
1:00 PM at the Lopez Library for a free "Meet the Author" event
5 - 7 PM at Lopez Center for Community and the Arts. Hors d’oeuvres from the Bay Café, wine from local vinyards and chocolates from Orpheus Chocolates. Program starts at 5:30.
This special fundraising event for the Lopez Island Family Resource Center highlights the importance of story and strengthening of families in small communities. Tickets, $25 per person, are for sale at the LIFRC office. Call 360-468-4117.

Arboretum in Seattle

2009-05-25T15:51:00.000-07:00

A few photos from our recent trip to the Arboretum:

Literary Salon May 15th

2009-05-13T19:34:00.001-07:00

Join us this Friday for a reading and spoken word open mic with poet Peter Ludwin, author of A Guest In All Your Houses. A poet of the American west, Peter will share poems written across the western United States and Mexico, from under the "Comanche Moon" in Texas to poems honed and refined in Mexico's San Miguel de Allende. Bring your own work and sign up for the open mic. Reading will be held at Kangaroo House Bed & Breakfast on Orcas Island. 1459 North Beach Road. 7:00 pm. Bring a beverage or nibble to share. The reading is free to the public.

SHARK REEF

2009-03-27T18:36:00.000-07:00

Old Country Barn by Susan Slapin

The spring issue of SHARK REEF is up! I was honored to serve as guest co-editor for this issue alongside editor Lorna Reese. Please do check out the outstanding fiction, poetry, non-fiction, artwork, and even a play! http://sharkreef.org/ The contributors include residents of the San Juan Islands as well as visitors who have been inspired by the beauty and complexities of the islands. SHARK REEF is an online literary journal "designed as an outlet for local writers, whose perspectives are not often represented in the mainstream, but whose voices are strong, exclusive of media trends, and nuanced with a kind of truth that comes with first hand experience."

Ann Pancake Reading & Open Mic

2009-03-11T07:12:00.000-07:00

Don't miss this Saturday's Artsmith Literary Salon at Kangaroo House on Orcas Island. Ann Pancake, author of Strange as this Weather Has Been and Given Ground will be our featured reader, followed by a spoken word open mic. Bring a snack or beverage to share, bring a friend, most importantly bring yourself and your love of good writing!

Date: Saturday, March 14, 2009
Time: 7:00 pm
Location: 1459 North Beach Road on Orcas Island
Hosts: Artsmith and Kangaroo House Bed & Breakfast

Artsmith Garden Party

2009-03-11T06:59:00.000-07:00

For two and a half weeks a handful of artists came and went for the first annual Artsmith Garden Party artist residency. A small number of outstanding writers and artists were personally invited to participate in the residency during late February and early March. Despite the snow on the ground this week, the evidence of loving attention in the garden is evident. And loving attention was given to the work of those writers and artists who spent time in residence. We are grateful for their contributions to the arts and gardens everywhere!

Thank you to:

Analisa Lee
Cady
Casey
Celia
Katrina
Margie
Mary Kate
Natalie
Paul
Tina
Weyshawn

The garden looks gorgeous!

Art Away

2009-02-02T17:41:00.000-08:00

The 2009 Artsmith Artist Residency has come and gone. Much artistry and fine writing took place as well as inspiring conversations, collaborations, explorations, and chocolate, of course. We wish the artists bon voyage and continued creativity as they return to their regular, though certainly not ordinary, lives. Our collective hats raise in admiration for this year's artists:

Elizabeth Austen

Katie Eberhart

Jan Madill

Marjorie Manwaring

Juniper White

Open Studio & Open Mic January 26 6:00 pm

2009-01-17T20:25:00.001-08:00

It's almost here!

The annual Artsmith Artist Residency takes place the last week of January at Kangaroo House Bed & Breakfast. Five talented artists and writers have been chosen for a week’s stay to be able to devote time to the creation of new works:

Poet Elizabeth Austen
Non-fiction writer Katie Eberhart
Visual artist Jan Madill
Poet Marjorie Manwaring
Book arts artist Juniper White

Meet the Artists!

Please join us Monday, January 26, at 6:00 pm for an open studio and potluck followed by an open mic. Come meet the artists, see and hear their work, then share your own writing in the open mic.

Bring a dish and/or beverage to share. Or if you’re too busy, just come enjoy the bounty. We look forward to seeing you here!

Jill and Charles

Chicken Soup

2009-01-07T23:15:00.000-08:00

After a holiday snowstorm, the northwest has been hit with January winds and heavy rains. In Seattle, we know all about rain. The mist and light effleurage. The steady tapotement. And although we buy more sunglasses per capita than just about anywhere else in the world, we definitely know our umbrellas. In fact, we have an annual arts festival every Labor Day, Bumbershoot, to honor the rain-deflecting, shade-giving device. We also know wind tunnels. Blasts barrel up from Elliott Bay, gaining speed until we either get carried away or find ourselves leaned into it, dogged and chafed. On those miserable days, we all recognize and respect the ultimate signal of surrender, similar to a white towel thrown in the ring, it’s the defeated umbrella turned inside-out.

Here, in the photo above, we have the much-touted, wind-resistant version. The careful construction includes the addition of aerodynamic vents, a release valve, if you will, to alleviate the pressure of too much wind in your sails. Our model demonstrates the technique of leaning into the onslaught, and angling the umbrella dome to better parry the wind as well as shield your feathers from rain. Which, now that I mention it, brings to mind a few questions, including …
1) If a trifling can be like water off a duck’s back, then what is like water off a chicken's back?
2) Why is this chicken crossing the road? and,
3) Is this costume merely a clever way to cover his felon-orange jumpsuit?

It might not surprise you to know that by day this fellow is a dignified manager with a long career of public service, nor that he’s a devoted husband and father. It might surprise you, though, to know he is also a talented wood artist who knows the give and grain of any wood he hefts in his hands, and he can make a piece so luminous and supple you want to cry. He’s also a brother. No, not an African-American brother, nor a “Dude!” kind of brother. He’s my big brother Russ. I don’t know why the chicken suit. I didn’t ask. It doesn’t matter. He aint crazy, he’s my brother.

Artsmith Literary Contest

2008-12-30T15:26:00.001-08:00

Artsmith Literary Contest

There’s still a month left to submit your entry to the Artsmith Literary Contest . This year’s theme is “Tell Us a Story.” The one-page contest is open to all genres – fiction, non-fiction, poetry, playwriting, or any other written form. Brent Spencer is the judge. Deadline is January 31, 2009. $10 entry fee, $5 for additional entries. Free to members. For more information about the contest, go to http://orcasartsmith.org/contest.html.

Brent Spencer

Brent Spencer is the author of the novel, The Lost Son, and a collection of short stories, Are We Not Men?, chosen by the editors of The Village Voice Literary Supplement as one of the 25 best books of the year. His short stories have appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, The American Literary Review, Epoch, The Missouri Review, GQ, and elsewhere. His story "The True History," first published in Prairie Schooner, was included in the 2007 edition of Best American Mystery Stories, edited by Carl Hiaasen. He teaches fiction writing and screenwriting at Creighton University and is at work on a new novel.

2008-12-26T23:43:00.000-08:00

Clinker Bricks

2008-12-26T23:39:00.000-08:00

We still have snow on the ground. The roads have been clear for days, but it has been so pretty here, we've stayed close to home anyway. Of course, we did go to the bookstore … twice.

The view above is from our back yard looking toward the guest deck (at Kangaroo House Bed & Breakfast, which is where we live, of course). In the upper right corner, you can see part of the clinker brick chimney. Clinker bricks are bricks that would get so hot in wood-fired kilns that silica would form a glaze on the surface of the brick. At one time they were considered throw-away bricks, but bricklayers and masons soon learned the bricks are more durable and last longer than standard bricks. Unfortunately, their shape becomes distorted during the firing, so they don’t usually retain their block shape. Fortunately for us, though, clinker bricks were used in our chimney when the house was built in 1907.

Arters and Writists

2008-12-24T12:23:00.000-08:00

Before we get started, I want to emphasize it wasn’t the wine. There were four of us last night, artists and writers, tossing ideas back and forth. The topics ranged from metal-working to sculpture to promoting one’s art to integrity of form. The more we talked, the faster we talked, each inspired by the other. Let me also say that among us, the visual artists happen to write well and the writers happen to dabble, also quite well, in visual arts. So it was no surprise that by the end of the evening “writers and artists” became “arters and writists,” which describes a good many of us. Most of the writers I know have a secret love affair with book arts, and most of the visual artists I know also write poetry. So I propose we add these words to our ever growing lexicon of how we describe ourselves and others. And also that we refrain from zipping our descriptions up too tightly. Sure, let what defines us refine us, but let there always be the raw, untempered, exploratory sides of ourselves that flow into the amorphous, growing, learning, and undefinable. Here’s to the Arter and Writist in each of us! Hoozah!

Artsmith Blogsmith

2008-12-22T01:30:00.000-08:00

Tonight is the longest night of the year, it's 1:30 in the morning, and we have nine inches of snow on the ground -- what better time to start the Artsmith blog? Tonight's entry is brief. Only to say hello and welcome. More to come...
Merry days and peaceful nights,
Jill