Experience Haiku and art - art and Haiku
Artists merge poetry with art at the Lincoln Art Institute

[November 17, 2015]   LINCOLN - The Lincoln Art Institute and Logan County Arts held their last art exhibit of the year Thursday evening. The unusual event paired traditional art with Haiku, a form of Japanese poetry known for its spare phrasing and insightful meanings.

Internationally known Haiku expert, Dr. Lee Gurga, got the idea for the exhibit going several months ago when he lectured at the LAI about Haiku and its very unique construction. The group decided to try combining art with Haiku.

While the artists were allowed to borrow Haiku from several of the books that Dr. Gurga provided, almost all of them chose to construct their own Haiku to fit the art. Or was it constructed art to fit a Haiku. Several of the artists were not sure which came first, but all were in agreement that the meshing of words with art was a unique challenge.

While each of the paintings had a paired Haiku from the artists, show hosts encouraged each visitor to write their own Haiku and place it next to the artwork of their choice. This created a dynamic contact between artist and viewer.

Artist Pam Moriearty said, “Most of the artists felt comfortable creating their own Haiku even though it was a first introduction to the form for them. The art and Haiku mesh on several different levels. In many cases they were co-generated.”

Artist Cheryl Spove said, “When I created Haiku to compliment my paintings, I kept in mind that Haiku needs to be spare to be effective. Unnecessary words reduce the emotional impact of the Haiku.”

To view the exhibit and maybe gain your own Haiku and art inspiration, contact Lincoln Art Institute resident artist Moses Pinkerton at [phone].

[Curt Fox]