Write Into Art: Creative Writing Inspired by Visual Art

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 five online workshops that explore essential elements of writing and styles through close looking, word-sketching, and imaginative response to prompts.

Each session spotlights 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.

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.

Session Information

Weave Tales

Consider how seemingly different reflections and memories can weave together in writing, inspired by the mixed-media work, Winning, by 20th-century African American artist Emma Amos.

Additional Sessions

• September 27: Imagine Story
• October 4: Step Inside
• October 11: Shift Your Lens
• October 18: Dream Worlds

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.