A campus museum’s first writing competition, “Words on Canvas,” invites UF’s wordsmiths to show off their art-influenced prose and poetry.
Undergraduate and graduate students are invited to submit creative writing or poems inspired by 10 pieces of art currently in the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art. The deadline for submissions is March 15.
“We’re just basically looking for creative writing inspired by the art ... sort of organic and enjoyable,” said Colin Williams, a UF creative writing graduate student and intern at the Harn.
A total of eight winners will be announced April 5 during the Harn’s “Written Inspiration” literary event. Winners will be awarded about $30 worth of museum merchandise, which is subject to change.The winning written pieces will be published in a book in the museum and on its website to complement the art pieces the works were inspired by.
“What really matters is that the work clearly reflects the art that it’s based on,” he said.
Benson Joseph, a 22-year-old UF biology senior, said the competition could encourage poetry on campus again, following the closing of the Reitz Union’s Orange and Brew.
“It could definitely be a start for bringing things back,” he said.
[A version of this story ran on page 5 on 2/20/2014 under the headline “Harn announces competition to inspire creative writing"]
