YSU arts fest adds literary element

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The annual Summer Festival of the Arts will include a public project in which folks are being asked to write a short literary submission that is inspired by a work of art.

It’s a genre known as ekphrastic writing.

The submissions cannot exceed 50 words, and all members of the public can take part.

For inspiration, writers can view images of art accepted by the Summer Festival of the Arts at ysu.edu/sfa, but any artwork is admissible as a topic.

The project is sponsored by Lit Youngstown, a literary group, and submission guidelines are available at LitYoungstown.wordpress.com. The deadline for submissions is June 21.

The Summer Festival of the Arts will be July 11 and 12 on the Youngstown State University campus and its environs.

Project entries will be screened by Lit Youngstown staff and then juried by a guest judge. The winning submission will be printed on a reusable, sustainable tote bag that will be distributed to the public at the Summer Festival of the Arts.

All submissions will be displayed at the Lit Youngstown booth during the festival, where patrons will be able to view the ekphrastic writing, and where they will be invited to write the endings of positive affirmation statements such as, “I wish I had the courage to ...”

A Powerpoint presentation of the statements will be projected on the back wall of the Lit Youngstown booth, and readings and performances will take place throughout the two-day event.

In addition, Lit Youngstown volunteers will lead ekphrastic free-writing tours to artists’ booths where participants will free-write, using local art as inspiration. There will also be a raffle to win an original sculpture birdbath created by metal sculptor Tony Armeni. Tickets cost $3 or two for $5.

Lit Youngstown is a non-profit group that celebrates poets, fiction and nonfiction writers and journalists, as well as presses, programs and publications. The Summer Festival of the Arts, presented by YSU, is in its 17th year of celebrating the fine and performing arts.