More Photos from Art2Art4

Because Blogger won't work for me right now, you'll need to visit my own site to view these stellar photos.  Hopefully I'll have them up here before too long.  They're by Mark Hoffman, so definitely worth a look.

Singing, Sliding, Flashing - Art2Art4

Yes, the economy's struggling.  Yes, we're spending less.  And yes, art still matters.  

We're the proof.

On Saturday night, amidst fairy lights and music, a crowd of over fifty joined to celebrate art.  Here are just a few of the stellar artists who treated us to their work:

Wayne displayed stunning sculptures of colour and light, which caught the eye wherever we stood, and Annie and Margaux sang, with rich, soulful voices, also inviting the audience to pelt out a tune.  Michael Mack, oral poet and storyteller, gave a powerful performance from his play, "Speaking in Tongues", which, I might add, has been reviewed to great acclaim (rightfully named "Exquisite" by NPR, for one).  Several authors shared work-in-progress.  While I read a couple of pieces of flash fiction and talked about what it means to write in the genre, Randy Ross, Matthew Sandel, Bill Sorrell and Chris Payne-Taylor each read from their highly engaging works.  We laughed a lot on Saturday night, not least because of Steve M. who dazzled us with a his witty slide-show, (for which, I am told, he skipped a sunny Saturday prepping his slides in the basement!).  We finished the night with live music from Thom Donovan, whose rendition of "It's a Wonderful World" was original and moving.

No write-up would be complete, of course, without mentioning our audience.  The warmth and support was second-to-none -- these incredible folks bring such life to the evening.

Many thanks to the A2A team, without whom the event wouldn't happen - that's Wayne Strattman, Sue Williams (me!), Jerry Fireman, Richard Williams and Greg Smutny.

If you've been part of Art2Art and would like to share links or news, let us know.  Also, if there are folks out there who are interested in joining us, drop us a line and we'll evite you.  Art2Art, in case you're not aware, is an entirely free event.

(Having said that, we're grateful to all of you who donated time, food, drinks and money on Saturday night.  From fairy lights to napkins and paper towels, every bit helps!).

A2A will be taking a break over summer.  We look forward to getting together again this fall.  In the meantime, do check back for news and events, and feel free to get in touch.

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UPCOMING FREE EVENT!

Yes, I'm first to plug myself, we notice!  If you'd like to hear me, Sue Williams, read and talk about flash fiction in a little more depth, I'll be reading and presenting along with Tara Masih, Stace Budzko (who read at Art2Art1), Steve Almond and Rusty Barnes (Editor of Night Train) at Brookline Booksmith on Thursday June 11th, to promote The Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Writing Flash Fiction, edited by Tara Masih.  We kick off at 7pm.  Hope to see you there!

I'll also be teaching a one-night seminar on writing stories about "Vulnerable Monsters" (June 16th).  Do visit the Grub Street site or my own blog for more details.