If walls could talk 

By Cathy Hay

If you’re feeling smitten, grateful, inspired or any kind of love deeply, then the Freeborn County Arts Initiative wants to hear from you. Specifically, they want you to put those feelings into poetry for display at its gallery on Broadway in downtown Albert Lea.

No matter if scrawled in pencil or crayon, printed on paper, painted on a canvas or swirled in calligraphy, all poetry will be displayed for the Arts Initiative’s If Walls Could Talk show Jan. 29-Feb. 28 with a special Valentine’s Day event in between.

The idea evolved from discussions of the Arts Initiative’s organizing group on how to create a home for all art, including poetry, said Susie Crane, president of the Freeborn County Arts Initiative. The idea is to take art beyond what can be framed and hung on a wall.

“The written word does not get enough attention as an art. It’s truly a great art,” Crane said.

The Arts Initiative recently put out a call to artists for romantic poetry. “It’s whatever you think about reverently,” Crane said. And it doesn’t have to be painful to create.

“Write what you know. Be authentic. Write from the heart. And have fun with it,” she said.

All submissions are welcome, though they need to be original or give credit to the writer. Submissions can be a love poem, a Shakespearean sonnet, or an inspirational quote. Participation is open to everyone, though subject matter should be appropriate for all ages.

“It’s whatever you’re passionate about or idealize, whatever you are moved by. It could be a sunset or a newborn baby. It’s wide open,” Crane said.

Submissions so far include whimsical and serious topics. See the poems “Beyond” and “Summer Concert” submitted by adults who live in southern Minnesota.  The show will include a children’s section. The poem, “Sunset Colors,” accompanying this story, was written by an 8-year-old girl.

The Arts Initiative building at 224 S. Broadway is closed for floor renovation and will open for business again at 9 a.m. Jan. 29, the first day of the show. In the meantime, people can email 224broadway@gmail.com to make arrangements to submit their poetry or send it to the gallery via the U.S. Postal Service.

The show will have a soft opening Thursday, Jan. 29, with light refreshments and poetry reading at 7 p.m.

The Arts Initiative will continue to accept submissions through Friday, Feb. 13, in time for the main event Saturday, Feb. 14 with refreshments served from 7 to 9 p.m. Crane expects the event to be fun for the community. One idea for people is to submit poetry about the ones they love and then bring them to the gallery for their Valentine’s date.

“All the poems go into a book that stays in the gallery, a permanent testament to love and its finer dealings,” Crane said. This means submissions will not be returned.

Like love and romance, this show will be dynamic.  “You absolutely don’t know what the show will be like. It’s organic so it’s exciting,” she said.

 

If you go

What: If Walls Could Talk poetry show

When: Jan. 29 (soft opening at 7 p.m.)-Feb. 28 with special event from 7-9 p.m. Feb. 14

Where: Freeborn County Arts Initiative, 224 S. Broadway

Admission fee: No charge

Gallery hours: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursdays, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Fridays and 1-4 p.m. Saturdays

More information: Search for Freeborn County Arts Initiative on Facebook or email 224broadway@gmail.com.