The Beach by Hughie Lee-Smith, 1962 (Smithsonian American Art Museum)
Spend a summer morning discovering the joy and power of reflective writing inspired by visual art. Guided by the founding instructor of the National Gallery of Art’s Writing Salon, Mary Hall Surface, participants have the opportunity to slow down, look closely, question, wonder, and write inspired by Hughie Lee-Smith's intriguing painting, The Beach. These reflections can become fertile creative ground for memoir, poetry, and more.
Designed for the curious and writers of all levels, the workshop invites participants to see with new eyes and strengthen their resilience and hope as they look outwardly at art and inwardly through writing.
Surface is a teaching artist, playwright, and theatre director and producer. She has presented workshops nationwide in creative writing and drama as a Kennedy Center teaching artist, a Harvard Project Zero Classroom faculty member, and online for Washington National Cathedral, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and more.
The workshop has a limited enrollment to maximize interaction among the instructor and students.
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.
- Unless otherwise noted, registration for streaming programs typically closes two hours prior to the start time on the date of the program.
- 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 the program. If you do not receive your Zoom link information 24 hours prior to the start of the program, please email Customer Service for assistance.
- View Common FAQs about our Streaming Programs on Zoom.
