Our reading series, "Ekphrastic! (Latin for "out speak" and meaning the portrayal of one work of art through a different medium--traditionally, through literature) is our effort to revivify the language arts for all artists, demonstrating that a poetry reading is not less captivating than other artistic displays, that it is a moment of critically (or beautifully, or experimentally) engaging with language.
To enact this, we solicit a handful of local artists to create a response in their own medium (painting, film, sound, installation, etc.) that is in conversation with work by contemporary writers. The resulting art pieces are exhibited, accompanying a reading by the writers whose work underwent reinterpretation. Our hope is that by exemplifying methods of actively engaging with poetry, we will foster a cycle of creativity that moves in both directions between the language and plastic arts.


March 9, 2012: Ekphrastic! V Readings by Jen Burris, Kevin Killian, Ben Mirov, in collaboration with artists Nick Almquist, Adrian Buckmaster, Christine Elfman at Krowswork Gallery in Oakland.

June 23, 2011: Ekphrastic! IV Readings by Lisa Cattrone, Brian Ang, Gillian Conoley, with art by David Aipperspach, Matthew Cella, Bobby Glass, Frederick Koulouch, Jerry Smith, Blake Straus, Maria Villote at Krowswork Gallery in Oakland, CA.

March 12, 2011: Ekphratic! III Readings by Steve Lance, John Sakkis, and C.S. Giscombe, with art by Ben Belknap, Lucky Banks-Kenny, Misako Inaoka, Shannon May, Jae Lauren Payne, Sarah Ratchye, Peter Schulte, and Jon Stich at Krowswork Gallery in Oakland, CA.

October 21, 2010: Ekphrastic! II Readings by Christopher Bennett, Jesse Nathan, and Jessica Fisher, with art by Ryane Acalin, Niv Bavarsky, Neil Cline, Gillian Dreher, Yotam Mann, Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck, and Mark Inglis-Taylor at Krowswork Gallery in Oakland, CA.

May 14, 2010: Ekphrastic! Readings by Jesus Castillo, Jane Gregory, and Lisa Robertson, with art by David Aipperspach, Tracy Burnham,Neil Cline, Andrew Greene, Mike Harris, Ian Huebert, Clare Hutchinson, Yotam Mann, Diego Marcial Rios, Sarah Jean Roberts, Jon Stich, Willis Stork, and Maryam Yousif at Krowswork Gallery in Oakland, CA.