According to Columbia Arts Council chair Warren Feld, Columbia was once a hotspot of art and entertainment in middle Tennessee that over time lost some of its appeal. He aims to reverse this decline, making it his mission to expand the arts and the number of people who enjoy artistic adventures in Columbia. Offering poets a day of ekphrasis with a workshop led by Poetry Society of Tennessee (PST) member Cathy Hollister is just one of the ways he is bringing that mission to life.

Feld enjoys showing off Columbia’s cultural resources: a centerpiece is the Pryor Art Gallery at Columbia State Community College. The gallery boasts a permanent collection and exhibitions. Curator Tori Zemer is understandably proud of the gallery’s current show featuring all local artists. She has filled the gallery with paintings, sculptures, and even a few fashion accessories. The result is a peaceful space that allows viewers to enter other worlds of abstraction, portraiture, farm scenes, and children’s laughter.

Laughter was the theme of the day for the ekphrastic poetry workshop recently held at the gallery. Cathy Hollister, a society member and published poet from middle Tennessee, led a group of enthusiastic writers. Cathy provided an overview of tools that participants might use for their poems, then read several of her published ekphrastic poems. Participants considered the images and offered ideas of how to use images as inspiration. They commented on the poems, noting poetic techniques and how the image related to the work, then they turned to the art surrounding them to create their own ideas and poems. With so many works to choose from, it was an easy task. For many attendees, ekphrastic writing was a new concept. With expanding arts in the area, ekphrasis seems certain to take root in Columbia.

Why not begin your own ekphrastic adventure? Explore ekphrastic poetry, visit a Columbia arts venue, or find inspiration in an art gallery near you.