View by Artists | View by Student Authors

artwords is an annual writing contest for University of Minnesota students taking courses in creative writing. Both undergraduate and graduate students select a work of art on view in the Weisman Art Museum’s permanent collection galleries and write a short creative piece - prose or poetry - inspired by the visual art.

Student work is judged, awards are given, and a public program presents live readings of the winning literary pieces. Student creativity offers rich and sometimes surprising insights into the visual work that is different from an art historical viewpoint. The Weisman shares the students’ writings with our other audiences through booklets, labels, audio recordings, and newsletter publication.

artwords promotes an interdisciplinary understanding of works of art and writing. Both visual artists and writers look closely at the world but also express personal and private experiences.
The next artwords submission deadline is March 2009. Download the application and guidelines here.

Launched in 1998, artwords is a collaborative project between the Weisman Art Museum and the Creative Writing Program in the Department of English.