Art-inspired spoken word and poetry event March 30

UAB Department of English students will virtually perform poetry and spoken word inspired by artworks on display at the Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts.
Written by: Fletcher Allen
Media contact: Shannon Thomason


inside.4A reading of spoken word and poetry, inspired by artwork on exhibition at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, will take place at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 30.  

The free virtual event is presented by the Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts and the College of Arts and SciencesDepartment of English.

The third iteration of this Inside the Arts Live event will feature graduate and undergraduate students from the UAB English Creative Writing: Ekphrastic Poetry class. The students will present their poems inspired by artworks on display currently at AEIVA. Participants must register for the event online and will receive a link.

Ekphrastic poetry is derived from the Greek word ekphrasis, meaning “description.” An ekphrastic poem uses an artwork as its basis to expand upon what is seen through an imaginative, narrative or depictive description or reflection on the work of art.

AEIVA’s current exhibitions include “Shona McAndrew: Wednesday Night,” “Jordan Eagles: Can You Save Superman? II” and “Lucas Blalock in T-e-l-e-p-h-o-n-e,” along with the 45th annual Juried Student Annual Exhibition. Along with the poetry event, the public is also encouraged to see these exhibitions at AEIVA through its virtual reality tours.