This month the Allen Gallery features the work of poet, Marjorie Maddox, and artist, Karen Elias. The exhibition will hang throughout the month and includes poetry by Maddox alongside photography by Elias. When viewed in tandem, the literary and artistic experience are enhanced by the word choice of the poet and the composition framing of the photographer.
Dr. Karen Elias taught college English for 40 years and is an artist/activist, using photography to raise awareness about climate change. Her award-winning work appears in private collections and galleries. She serves as board member of the Clinton County arts Council and as curator of their annual juried photography exhibit. Heart Speaks, Is Spoken For, an ekphrastic collaboration with poet Marjorie Maddox, appeared in 2022 from Shanti Arts. Additional collaborations have appeared in literary, arts, or medical humanities journals. Elias, also a playwright, has had work chosen by the Climate Change Theatre Action and performed in 8 countries.
Marjorie Maddox, Professor of English at Lock Haven University, has published 13 collections of poetry including Heart Speaks. Maddox is the author of numerous works, including the short story collection What She Was Saying (Fomite); 4 children’s and YA books—including Inside Out: Poems on Writing and Reading Poems with Insider Exercises (Finalist International Book Awards), A Crossing of Zebras: Animal Packs in Poetry; I’m Feeling Blue, Too! (a 2021 NCTE Notable Poetry Book), and Rules of the Game: Baseball Poems —Common Wealth: Contemporary Poets on Pennsylvania (co-editor with Jerry Wemple, PSU Press). In the Museum of My Daughter’s Mind, based on her daughter’s paintings (www.hafer.work), and including work by Karen Elias, Greg Mort, Margaret Munz-Losch and others, is forthcoming in 2023 (Shanti Arts).
Books are available online through Amazon and prints are available to purchase through Dr. Elias (eliaskaren100@gmail.com). Contact the artists for more details.
