Talking With Poets: Don Maurer and Alexander Perez at Poetic License 2024

Thom Francis welcomes poets Don Maurer and Alexander Perez whose poems inspired visual art in the Poetic License 2024 exhibit. They both shared their poetry at the Poetic License Poetry Reading and Open Mic at the Honest Weight Food Co-op on Monday, October 14, 2024.

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Poetic License celebrates the creative intersections of poetry and visual art!

Now in its third year, the joint project of the Hudson Valley Writers Guild and the Upstate Artists Guild is all about bridging the worlds of poetry and visual expression in new and exciting ways.

This year’s exhibit, on display at the Honest Weight Food Co-op through November 10, flips the script on the traditional concept of ekphrastic art. Instead of poets responding to visual pieces, local artists were invited to create works inspired by poems submitted by both local and national poets. It’s a creative inversion that brings the expressive power of both mediums together, resulting in a truly dynamic and thought-provoking collection of visual responses to the written word.

The exhibit showcases 42 stunning pieces of art, created by 24 talented artists, each responding to poems written by 23 unique voices from the world of poetry. This fusion of imagery and language gives us a fresh look at how art can interpret, transform, and reimagine the written word.

On October 14, 2024, poets featured in the exhibit were invited to read their work in a special poetry reading hosted by the legendary Dan Wilcox. Poets shared their pieces while surrounded by the very art they inspired—a full-circle moment for words and visuals alike.

Today, we’re thrilled to bring you the voices of two of those poets: Don Maurer and Alexander Perez. They’ll share their poems and reflect on the artwork they inspired.