When art inspire words at Peace Gallery North

A quilt might catch your eye but at Peace Gallery North, it might also inspire a story.

Earlier this month, Peace Gallery North announced the winners of its latest ekphrastic writing competition where local writers were invited to create original stories and poems inspired by artwork featured in the gallery. Now as the Fort St. John Country Quilters' exhibition winds down after spending July on display, another collection of artwork is giving local writers plenty to think about.

Ekphrastic writing starts with a piece of art, but where it ends is entirely up to the person looking at it. Instead of simply writing about what hangs on the wall, participants use it as a jumping-off point, letting a painting, photograph or quilt lead them wherever their imagination decides to go according to Bev, Peace Gallery North coordinator.

"We are so fortunate to have such an array of talent in Fort St. John and area, and the monthly exhibitions are always stunning and inspirational," said Bev.

"Introducing an Ekphrastic opportunity with each exhibit, we hope to showcase the writing talent we have in our area as well."

Spend a few minutes walking through the gallery and it doesn't take long to see why the idea works. Every quilt has its own colours, patterns and little details that catch your attention and if you ask five different writers what they see, you'll probably get five completely different stories.

That's part of what makes the competition so enjoyable, visitors aren't just looking at the artwork, they're also seeing how someone else interpreted the very same piece, often in a way they never would have expected.

If the past competition proved anything, it's that a single piece of artwork can mean something completely different depending on who's standing in front of it. It'll be interesting to see where this latest exhibition takes the next group of writers.