Discover how visual art can inspire creative writing and how writing can offer a powerful way to experience art. Join Mary Hall Surface, the founding instructor of the National Gallery of Art’s popular Writing Salon, for a series of three online workshops that explore essential elements of writing and styles through close looking, word-sketching, and imaginative response to prompts.
The sessions spotlight a diverse range of visual art chosen to inspire writers of all experience levels to deepen their process and practice. Each workshop has a limited enrollment to maximize interaction among the instructor and students.
Please Note: Individual sessions are available for individual purchase.
June 14 Memory, Identity, and Setting
Take inspiration for memoir writing from 20th-century Catalan artist Joan Miró’s painted visual memoir, The Farm.
June 21 Sunlight, Shadow, and Story
Step into American artist John Singer Sargent's Breakfast in the Loggia to explore how light, shadow, and more can inspire characters and story.
June 28 Surprise, Connect, and Experiment
Dive into Robert Rauschenberg’s fascinating Urban/Interior Network/ROCI VENEZUELA, and engage with his experimental, collaborative spirit to try new ways of imagining and writing.
Surface is a teaching artist, playwright, and theatre director and producer. She presents workshops nationwide in creative writing, reflective writing and drama as a Kennedy Center teaching artist and museum educator. She was a faculty member at Harvard’s Project Zero Classroom and a writer for Arena Stage’s recent films, May 22, 2020 and The 51st State.
3 sessions
Photo Caption (upper right): Mary Hall Surface
Patron Information
- If you register multiple individuals, you will be asked to supply individual names and email addresses so they can receive a Zoom link email. Please note that if there is a change in program schedule or a cancellation, we will notify you via email, and it will be your responsibility to notify other registrants in your group.
- Once registered, patrons should receive an automatic email confirmation from CustomerService@SmithsonianAssociates.org.
- Separate Zoom link information will be emailed closer to the date of each session. If you do not receive your Zoom link information 24 hours prior to the start of each session, please email Customer Service for assistance.
- View Common FAQs about our Streaming Programs on Zoom.
