CALL FOR POETRY!
The past year has been a year unlike any other. The REACH Museum closed its doors due to COVID-19 just over a year. While we “stayed home and stayed safe”, many of us found ourselves seeking solace in our local wild and outdoor spaces. Over the past year, did you spend time outdoors in the Columbia Basin? If you did, what did you observe? Did you notice new patterns in nature? Were you able to take a closer look at the weather, the plants, or the creatures in your neighborhood? How has nature inspired you?
Our “Connections with the Land” Community Exhibit aims to highlight how we turn to the natural world in times of hardship, and we need your help! In April, for National Poetry Month, the REACH extended a call for poetry to seasoned lyricists, intrepid rhymesters, and fledgling poets alike. Poetry Month is over and now we invite you, community members of all ages and artistic abilities, to reflect on how you have been inspired by nature over the past year and then, to share your experiences with our community through poetry and visual arts! Not a fan of poetry? Send us your stories, sketches, doodles, paintings or photographs for consideration, too. Selected submissions will be displayed at the museum beginning in May and continuing throughout the summer. Select pieces will also be highlighted on our website and social media pages.
There are so many different ways to create poetry and other forms of art and we will consider all submissions that adhere to the guidelines, so be sure to read through carefully and contact us with any questions. Works of art will not be returned unless explicitly requested at the time of submission and will be displayed in a variety of formats, including with pushpins. For some simple poetry ideas, you can find examples of a few of the many different types of poems or check out the poem below written by a REACH staff member for some inspiration. We look forward to celebrating the thoughts of our community and the creativity that our local landscapes inspire!