Envisioning Poetry: A Collaboration Between Artists & Poets

"Envisioning Poetry: A Collaboration Between Artists & Poets"

Showing at the Nevada City Winery Galley April 11th – May 12th

Artists: Maile Claire, Meredith Manning, and Mark Wilcox

Poets: Rachael Courtier, Meredith Manning, and Graham McGrew

Opening Reception & Reading: Friday, April 19th | 5:00–7:00 PM

ABOUT THE SHOW

“Envisioning Poetry” brings together poets and visual artists to collaborate with no boundaries or rules. Visual artists created works in response to a poem, or the poet wrote a poem in response to a visual work. As the collaboration evolved, the artists and poets discovered it can go both ways; an interplay or reciprocal dance occurred; an exchange between poet and artist – a shared reflection of inspiration.

Come savor a glass of wine while you view, read, and hear the boundless results of this collaborative show at the Nevada City Winery Gallery.

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ABOUT THE POETS

Rachael Courtier Poet

“I see poetry and songwriting as ways we can reflect on trauma, while finding hope in the spirit that connects us all.” – Rachel Courtier

Rachael Courtier grew up in Lake County, Northern California. Childhood memories of these lands, taken from the Pomo people, have shaped her perspective on how beauty and injustice can intersect. For the last 15 years she has worked as a clinical social worker and licensed psychotherapist specializing in complex trauma. Her current passions are dreamwork, poetry and songwriting, and the integration of expanded states of consciousness into her work for healing. She currently sings with Deep Blue, a musical duo with Mark Wilcox.

Meredith Manning Poet & Artist

“For this show, I began with a few sketches relating to several poems—both mine and work by poets I’ve loved throughout my life. Over time, the ideas in the poetry seemed to provoke new layers of meaning. I kept adding new elements throughout the process (another color, a new texture) which brought a lot of excitement—and chaos—into play as I tried to listen and respond. The resulting work is as much of a surprise to me as anyone else.” – Meredith Manning

Meredith Manning lives, paints, and writes in Grass Valley, California where her representational and abstract paintings and assemblages are created using acrylics, mixed media and found objects. Her work often incorporates poetry and prose either borrowed or written for a specific piece.

Graham McGrew Poet

“Four and a half years ago I moved to Nevada City with my wife, Maile, and our son, Wilder, from the coast of California. Floods and fire have followed us, or perhaps we brought them with us? But the rift in humans' relation to nature goes further back. Even in Gilgamesh, our oldest epic poem, the human view of nature, of the animal, and of the gods, is undergoing transformation. One key may be to see without possessing.” – Graham McGrew

Graham McGrew has been published in Existere, Porter Gulch Review, and Chinquapin. Describing his experience of the Porter Gulch Review reading, he says, “I got up on stage, despite my shy and retiring nature, and declaimed with musical accompaniment.” Graham added, “I have worked as a used book buyer, grocery clerk, and (briefly) a mailman – it ain't as glamorous as Bukowski makes out”.

Graham has three poetry chapbooks – Let’s Switch, b/w, and Scent of Melody Lit by Grassfires.

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ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Maile Claire Artist

“I am interested in the threshold between the human and the more-than-human world, the interplay of 'the real' and 'the imaginary' and the wisdom of indigenous cultural practice and renewal.” – Maile Claire

Maile Claire has exhibited paintings, drawings, and assemblages in New York City, NY, Taos, NM, Santa Cruz, CA, and Nevada City, CA. Her artwork was chosen to represent the Wild and Scenic Film Festival in 2022. Most recently, she was selected to participate in the Visibility Through Art: Perspectives on Erasure project in 2022, completing "Imaginal Portrait of Shelly Covert" in 2023, and this year’s The Story of Land, Water and People, for which she completed "Imaginal Portrait of Virginia 'Ginger' Covert”, currently on display at the Uba Seo Gallery, in Nevada City, CA.

Meredith Manning Artist & Poet

“For this show, I began with a few sketches relating to several poems—both mine and work by poets I’ve loved throughout my life. Over time, the ideas in the poetry seemed to provoke new layers of meaning. I kept adding new elements throughout the process (another color, a new texture) which brought a lot of excitement—and chaos—into play as I tried to listen and respond. The resulting work is as much of a surprise to me as anyone else.” – Meredith Manning

Meredith Manning lives, paints, and writes in Grass Valley, California where her representational and abstract paintings and assemblages are created using acrylics, mixed media and found objects. Her work often incorporates poetry and prose either borrowed or written for a specific piece.

Mark Wilcox Artist

“I like to capture a moment or a mood, and usually start with a visual reference, but abandon it midway in favor of a half-remembered idealization. The memory of a thing is more powerful than the thing itself. I’m less concerned with the reality of a place than with its visual poetry.” – Mark Wilcox

Mark Wilcox is a native of Northern California, where he lives, works, and finds inspiration. His early education in the visual arts came from a love of the Golden Age book illustrators. He works in oil and paints nature with a translucent, watercolor-like approach that emphasizes texture, mood, and luminosity.

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