The big and exciting news is that Text as Art, produced by Creative Regions, went live last weekend (right before Bundaberg was inundated with over 300mm of rain in 24hrs for the wettest October on record – in just one day!) Fortunately, the artworks survived – and look fantabulous!! I took 120 photos in my wandering mid-week – but of course I can’t show them all, here. (Or anywhere, for that matter.) But I will share some. There is also the conundrum – how best to showcase the project – yet leave it so that there is more to uncover for those who can visit in person. ALSO (big part of it) there is the fact that, when I started to do a collage for each of the collaborations, it took forAGES! So – you just get this. And if you want to see more, (or bigger pics) check out #textasart on Instagram – or my kat.apel insta-page. Meanwhile, I give you … this little piggy!
And a little glimpse at the full collection… that does not do it justice. 😦 (You would need the words, for a start…)
The ephemeral artwork will be on display until 16th October. A huge congratulations to Trudie Leigo (project curator) and all the talented writers and artitsts (listed below – writer, then artist) involved in the project. I wish I could showcase every aspect of your wonderful word/ks – and the stories behind the inspirations. It has been such fun to be involved with this projects – which has certainly enhanced our city’s streets, and exceeded any expectations I had. Job very well done!
1. National Australia Bank – Kat Apel & Adrienne Williams
2. School of Arts – Lonnie Toy & Marlies Oakley
3. Brick wall adjacent to School of Arts/driveway – Sam Ephraims & Jay Feather
4. Bundaberg Regional Council – Jake Thompson & Taylor Klassen
5. Bundaberg Regional Council/Civic Centre fronting Buss Park – Jo Williams & Judith Bohm-Parr
6. Tree located in nature strip between Buss Park & Moncrieff – Jassy Watson & Lynda Vertigan
7. Burnett Mary Regional Group – Annette Tyson & Paul Perry
8. Moncrieff Entertainment Centre – Wendy Davis & Michelle Pacey
9. Civic Arcade floor (157 Bourbong St) – Cheryl Ratcliffe & Jeremy Kiraly
10. Telstra Exchange – Jenny Gilbertson & Julie Hylands
This weekend I’m attending a workshop on Transmedia Storytelling, at Bundaberg WriteFest (another Crush Festival event) and I’m a part of the Writing in the Regions panel. The Crush Festival activities continue next week, a highlight being the Great Gelato Groove, where there will be words… and gelato at Allowishus (So Delicious!) … which basically means that you’re all so jealous! Yes? 😉
Violet at Violet Nesdoly | Poems has our PoetryFriday round-up this week. My little corner of the world has been blessed by rain, words, art and joy, but it has been another horrific week in America, and that will surely shape a lot of blog posts this round. I know I am not alone in my incomprehension. Not just from the unspeakable act itself, but the very fact that after all these too-oft repeated events, the laws don’t change. I just can’t…
I would not buy
my boys
toy guns;
point
and shoot
is not a game;
life is not
to be toyed with.
© Kathryn Apel
I cannot leave this post there, so I’ll share this old friend, with a new voice, that appeared in my tweet-stream yesterday, courtesy of Martha Mihalick.
Peace.
Kathryn Apel 
Kat, the text as art is SPECTACULAR! I want to share this with my middle school students. This exactly the kind of word play that they should be enjoying at age 11—-to say 111. Well done. I’m in love with the big glittering pink pig. And, thanks for the love. There are so many of us in America that do not own guns (most) who wouldn’t want to take anyone’s gun away (2nd amendment rights, and all) but don’t think that automatic weapons belong to citizens. We weep over the dead and those family that survive….but we are enraged by the millions of dollars poured into our politicians pockets that enable citizens to stock pile these weapons. Please know that so much of my nation is not what my leadership portrays.
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So glad you enjoyed the wordplay, Linda. If they are able to do it again next year, I think it would be wonderful to promote it in advance to schools as a visual literacy excursion – because all of the writing was in some way inspired by the specific building/location – and the artwork was then inspired by the text – and incorporating words in some way.
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I’m back…..just saw this on twitter. I think you need to visit the US to see lots of poetry friends but also this!
http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/pigs-aloft-museum?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=atlas-page
Pigs Aloft Museum
The only pig museum in the U.S. holds one of the world’s largest collections of pig items.
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That’s fantastic, Linda. Funnily enough, I went to America, for 6 weeks, on completing high school. And believe it or not, I spent Christmas morning at a piggery. My dad was a pig farmer, and the previous day I had seen a huge pig above a gate post … and the pig sheds … and was suddenly intensely homesick. The family I was staying with made arrangements, and it sounds kind of crazy – but there you have it. Christmas morning I was walking through calf–deep snow in slip-on canvas shoes, looking at an American piggery. (My photos were all blurry, because the temperature change between outside/inside fogged up my lens!) We won’t talk about the state of my poor toes after that experience!! #ohthememories #itmayhavebeenahogfarm
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That Text as Art looks fabulous! I’ve always wanted to visit Australia, and this just makes me want to come even more! That pink pig is glorious! Thank you for your thoughts for our country. I hope that one day we can begin to see that there is much room for discussion and agreement between no guns at all and protecting 2nd amendment rights (which have been grossly distorted in recent years). Actually, I suspect that most people are there if we can just convince our leaders to listen.
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What a fabulous installation. I love the larger-than-life pig with its cheery down-to-earth words. And that poem by Martha Mihalick, what a fun spin-off of WCW’s poem.
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My daughter works at our Museum of Contemporary Art, will share this fabulous installation with her, Kat. Your poem makes me sad. It’s been quite a week here, but I am hopeful for change. Thanks for that ‘forgive me’ poem, too. Cats please us all! And, I loved hearing about your American pig experience. One grandfather raised pigs & named them. I have fond experiences going with him to feed them. In his older years, he kept a small plot of land, but had moved into town. Thanks for sharing so much of the art!
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I’ll send you an email with some more pics that show in a bit more detail, that your daughter might appreciate, Linda. I just got overwhelmed by the whole process (and the time/space it was going to take to link & collage them all) that I didn’t include more in this. Otherwise, where/how would I draw the line??? I couldn’t! But it might be something that particularly interests her. Like that picture of the man with the steaming cup in front of him (top left of the group pics), It blew me away how Jeremy could so subtly use words to create shading – and bring so many elements of the story into the artwork.
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What an amazing project — thank you so much for sharing it. And, indeed, point and shoot is not a game. Well said.
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I esp. liked “point
and shoot
is not a game;”
and your pithy poem kitty friend
and your remarkable pig
xo
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Wonderful Piggy bank words and art, Kat! Your poem, “life is not
to be toyed with.” hit home, so true–we need to wake up and do more. Thanks for the uplifting kitty poem too, most “delicious!”
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What an amazing exhibit! You are justifiably proud. I assume the pink piggy is your creation. So fun and pretty! Congratulations on a job well done!!
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Each of the projects was a collaboration, between a writer and artist. So – writers were given a location, to inspire their words. Artists then took their words and incorporated some of them into their artworks. Somewhere… somehow… 🙂 Each so different – and so amazing! Adrienne Williams (from my earlier penguin post) created the gorgeous pink piggy, from my words.
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Thanks for leaving us with a laugh!
What a fantabulous exhibit! I would love to see our city ARTed up like that! Congrats on being a pART of it!
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What an amazing project and gift to the community! I love that perfectly pink pig and wish I could read the text for all of the vibrant artwork. I’m so glad to hear that they survived the downpours! Thanks for ending with that marvelous word-eating cat. Perhaps a literary hairball will appear…
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How fabulous! I am definitely bringing this into my middle school classroom next week – perfect for my young poets.
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Hi Kat. I has been a challenging week and we do continue to bang our collective heads against the wall in frustration. When will we learn? When will something change? What WILL it take? Your pink piggy put a smile on my face, though. I love anything that has to do with pigs!
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How much fun is this whole project–and what I love most is that it’s not contained indoors in a gallery but designed to be public art. I would LOVE to be a part of something like this.
I heard on the radio what it will take to change gun culture in the US. I’ll pass it on…
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Wow — that giant pink pig poem is wonderful. The font really helps express your pig’s character. Congratulations on the exhibit.
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What a fantastic project! And I love your poem. I wish I could see it all in person!
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This match-up of text & art is marvelous. What happened to your porcine’s voice in words is just a sweet hoot.
And so many appreciations for the “shoot” poem. It’s potent.
I’m so lifted up by everything about this essay/article/post & great images, including the cat gift at closing.
Thank you for leaving this link, especially at this time (Jan. 9,2021) at my Bookseedstudio site.
Too, too Wonderful. Much needed here in the USA on this 4th day after Jan. 6. 2021 the shame at our Nation’s Capitol Bldg.
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I am so glad you could visit and be encouraged, Jan. (I had forgotten the ‘shoot’ poem was included in this post – but I would say it again and again.) Praying for you all in coming days. Much love to my beautiful American friends!
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