Palm Beach Poetry Festival Announces Winners of Ekphrastic Poetry Contest

Susan R. Williamson, Director of the Palm Beach Poetry Festival, today announced the five top winners of this year's Ekphrastic Poetry Contest, in which writers were encouraged to submit original poems inspired by 10 Plein Air works from the WILD exhibit at Old School Square's Cornell Museum.

The contest project, in its second year, provides a platform for artists and poets to explore the relationship between visual and poetic inspiration. Ekphrastic Poems may include literal descriptions of a work of art, the poet´s mood in response to a work of art, metaphorical associations inspired by a work of art, or personal memories about a work of art. The poetic tradition of taking inspiration from works of art is "ekphrasis" from the Greek. The term "plein air" refers to or relates to painting in outdoor daylight.

"Judging this year's contest was a difficult delight; the quality of the work was such a delight that it made deciding so difficult," said Contest Judge Stephen Gibson, author of five poetry collections and professor emeritus at Palm Beach State College. After reviewing 140 entries, he named the top five winners:

1st Place: Jennifer Grant of Gainesville, Florida, for "Mermaids of Morrison Springs" - based on the painting "Mangroves" by Lorrie B. Turner.

2nd Place: Michael L. Crowley of Greenville, South Carolina, for "Imagining Lily Ponds" - based on "At The Lily Pond" by Stan Dornfest.

3rd Place: Jo Ann Steger Hoffman of Cary, North Carolina, for "Foraging" - based on the painting "Searching for Breakfast" by Elphreda Shragen.

4th Place: Markie Babbott of Northampton, Massachusetts, for "Backlit Banyan" - based on the painting with the same name by Sheila Wolf.

5th Place: Barry Rosson of Boca Raton, Florida, for "Searching for Breakfast" - based on the painting with the same name by Elphreda Shragen.

"We are honored to feature the works of these poets and join with the artists, and the work that inspired the poets, to celebrate the creative process" said Festival Founder Miles Coon.
"The Ekphrastic Poetry Contest was one of our National Poetry Month events in April," added Williamson. "This contest is another example of how the Poetry Festival effectively collaborates with other cultural organizations in Palm Beach County."

The winning poet, Jennifer Grant, will receive a $100 prize, and $25 will be awarded to each of the four runners-up. Their submitted poems - along with another five "honorable mentions" - can be read and appreciated by all on the Poetry Festival's website at http://palmbeachpoetryfestival.org.

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