Master of Fine Arts students constantly search for sources of inspiration. Whether by visiting faraway places or walking out the back door to Marr’s Spring, they leave the classroom hunting for the next muse. But maybe the inspiration isn’t far away; maybe it’s sitting right beside them.
Greg Houser, an MFA concentrating in fiction, thinks this is the case. After gauging the interest of his classmates, Houser started “Screen Porch: Alabama MFAs Writing About Photos of Alabama MFAs.” The project matches each of Houser’s classmates with a picture of another classmate. Inspired by the photo, the MFAs were asked to write no more than 300 words on a standard sheet of paper.
“Screen Porch” will culminate as an exhibit of the photos and writings at the Alabama Art Kitchen tonight at 8. The showing will continue during the month of March.
It all may sound like any normal art project and just another day for any MFA, but the “Secret Santa” aspect adds an unfamiliar layer of fun.
“It’s totally random,” Houser said. “Sometimes friends got matched with each other; sometimes people were matched with someone who runs in a different circle than their own. Either way, it’s interesting to watch.”
Tonight, not only will the MFAs see their art in exhibition, they will also discover with whom they were matched. Of course, it’s only a surprise if the student can keep a secret.
“People have been good about keeping their mouths shut,” Houser said. “But I’m sure someone has gotten drunk and blabbed.”
Betsy Seymour, an MFA concentrating in fiction, probably had the most work to do of all participants. She was the photographer responsible for taking the photos of her classmates. The photos are black and white and were taken in front of a white wall. Despite the unadorned style, Seymour hopes she captured something a little different.
“I guess I was trying to capture something slightly more quirky than the facial expressions that we usually see,” Seymour said. “We wanted to show a side of our friends that most of us hadn’t really seen before.”
Combining artistic mediums—specifically, writing and photography—has precedents. Poet C.D. Wright used the two mediums (photographs by Deborah Luster) to emphasize the psychic toll of incarceration for men and women in “One Big Self: Prisoners of Louisiana.” In fact, Houser first got the idea for “Screen Porch” while studying Wright’s poetry.
In Seymour’s view, collaborative art is a welcome stray from the norm.
“The modern image of writing is usually one person in front of a computer,” Seymour said. “I like the idea of working with others, being able to give it a deadline, and being able to give a it space where others can enjoy the work.”
Regardless, MFAs writing about one another may seem a little self-indulgent. But Claire Siepser, co-founder and co-director of the Alabama Art Kitchen, believes the public has an interest in entering the MFA bubble.
“It’ll be interesting for other people to get to know them and create a dialogue,” Siepser said. “It’s also good for the writers themselves to break out of their box with something more than standard writing.”
The MFAs are excited to showcase their flair and break out of their normal routines.
“There are a lot of really brilliant, creative people here,” Houser said. “I want people to get to see the talent.”
