Atlantic crossing

A unusual creative collaboration between County artists and writers from the UK and Ireland

Art, by its nature, can be a form of exhibitionism, of baring one’s soul. The work can be intimate in subject and personal in commentary, but eventually, it will be put on display—exposed to praise, criticism or worse, indifference.

Imagine the anxiety and vulnerability then, of the visual artist whose freshly created piece is transmitted across an ocean to serve as inspiration for a work of prose or poetry by an accomplished writer—but whose identity remains hidden.

Such is the premise of 26 Atlantic Crossings a unique collaborative exercise between artists in PrinceEdwardCounty and group of writers from the United Kingdom and Ireland known as 26—the number of letters in the English alphabet.

Founded by John Simmons more than a decade ago, 26 is a collective of writers seeking to “spread ideas about the joy of language and good writing and get the wider world to have a better appreciation of words and language in everyday use.”

Included in the collective are laureates, novelists and professional writers earning a living by the words they put on paper.

26 may be best known in the UK and Ireland for its unique and unusual writing challenges. 26 Malts asked members to write a sestude (62 words) in contemplation of a Scotch Malt Whiskey assigned to them. Another event tasked 26 writers to compose a 62-word comment inspired by Peter Rabbit, or one of 25 other characters from the StoryMuseum in Oxford.

Sixty-two words is a contrivance, forcing the writer to be concise and disciplined in their wordsmithing. It is also the reverse of 26.

Faye Sharpe is a writer and member of 26. Her sister, Joanna McFarland lives and paints in Wellington. Earlier this year, Wendy Matthews approached McFarland, hoping to recruit her into the Studio Tour in September.

Matthews was eager for a fresh new way to raise awareness of the Studio Tour, the annual celebration of the art and artists in the County. Meanwhile McFarland and Sharpe were cooking up an idea.

Matthews began to scout for 26 artists willing to participate—willing to expose themselves to the interpretation and contemplation of their work by strangers living 3,500 kilometres away. Meanwhile, Sharpe took the proposal back to her group in the UK and Ireland.

In no time at all, a roster of artists and writers had agreed to join up including 26 founder, John Simmons.

Artists had until late April to create their work. Each piece was photographed and sent to the assigned 26 writer. The wordsmiths were given contact information for the artist—should they have questions about the work, inspiration or process. The artists were given only the name of the writer preparing a sestude about their work.

At the end of June the writerly works were completed. Matthews hand delivered the crafted prose to the nervous artists.

Simmons was paired with Douglas Thompson of Wilson Road, who has gained acclaim for his paintings often featuring a big, evocative sky. Simmons was flying over the Great Lakes, returning from a conference, when he was inspired to write his composition in contemplation of Thompson’s work.

“He was in Doug’s clouds,” McFarland wryly observes.

Kirei Samuel creates wildly imaginative works in glass from her studio, Lalaland, north of Bloomfield. She was deeply concerned her 26 writer would miss the allusion of her work—a stylized wave of water—to the Atlantic Crossing theme. She needn’t have worried.

“I can’t believe this—it is so right,” Samuel says after reading her sestude.

Already, deeper connections are beginning to form between participating artists and writers. In fact, at least one writer plans to visit their companion artist during the Studio Tour this fall.

Before then, however, all 26 pieces of art and their sestudes will be presented and offered for sale at a special exhibition at Books & Company. The exhibition opens on Friday August 22 from 7 to 9 p.m. and runs through the weekend.

Then on September 19 and 20, the Prince Edward County Studio Tour will throw open studio doors across the County.