Hired to record and illustrate my intent and focus of my "Every Painting Is A Story" cross-discipline creative collaborative initiative: Video by T2PTV (Ashley Love and Bruce Nairn)

See also: Creative Collaboration - Elaine Weiner-Reed's Every Painting is a Song Initiative (https://youtu.be/N4w_rIJeX-c ); 3:57 minutes

EVERY PAINTING IS A SONG | EVERY PAINTING IS A STORY

"How do my works SOUND to you? Tell me in word, song, music... in your own true voice."

In 2016 or before, visual artist Elaine Weiner-Reed began asking and wondering: "If my paintings and sculptures were music, how would they sound to you?"

From this, her cross-discipline collaboration initiative "Every Painting is a Song" was born, and over the years musicians and writers have begun to respond, intrigued with engaging creatively across the many arts. Many videos were created based on the songs, music, and poetry inspired by these artists works. This video is an overview of Weiner-Reed's initiative and a gateway to "imagining more!"

In 2018, Elaine and her artist friend, April M Rimpo, collaborated to mount a Summer 2019 two-person art show entitled "Portraits of Life: The Art of Storytelling" which led to a magical merging of creative minds "Every Painting is a Song | Every Painting is a Story." In May-June 2019, Slayton House's Bernice Kish Gallery served as multimedia-cross-discipline exhibition and performance stage.

Visual Artists Elaine Weiner-Reed and April M Rimpo are visual storytellers, exploring relationships, life, shape, and color in different ways to honor life’s journey and individuals they meet along the way. Both artists are inspired by music and musicians in different ways as interpreted in their different styles, but their visions align and converged around the idea of creative collaboration with other artistic disciplines. Believing in the positive energy created when Artists-Inspire-Artists, they took Weiner-Reed’s “Every Painting is a Song” collaboration initiative and expanded into “Every Painting is A Song/Every Painting is a Story” incorporating writers and musicians in two collaboration events at their exhibition: “Portraits of Life – The Art of Storytelling.”

In 2021, Elaine and April collaborated again in their exhibition: Portraits of Life: Once Upon a Story. Art took flight as it found alternative reflections in poetry and music. The professional poets will be honored in separate videos throughout 2022.

Elaine Weiner-Reed: https://www.elaineweinerreed.com/

This video shows excerpts from "Portal," a full-length, dance theatre work, as well as portions of the video and poem that are part of the piece.
(Please note: this video was recorded in low light conditions in performance at Y Arts Center, Frederick, MD, June, 2022)

Conception and Performance by Ray Shaw and Kitty Clark/MAD Dance
Poetry by Neha Misra
Soundscore by Cam Millar

Total run-time with poem, video, and live dance is 45:00.

Sacred Tree Chants for Earth Renewal is an eco-poem dedicated to first generation immigrant poet, climate justice advocate, and contemporary eco-folk artist Neha Misra's tree elders across India and North America. Inspired by trees across the diverse geographies poet's life, this poem inspires listeners and readers to tune into the profound wisdom of lessons we can learn from trees for our private, collective, planetary wellbeing and justice.

“Different Strokes/Different Folks: Queer Artists of Color Paint the 21st Century” is made possible in part by the Kors/Le Pere Foundation and with public funds from Creative Engagement, supported by the New York State Council on the Arts

Sylvia Jones reading in The HOT L Poets Series! June 12, 2022. The HOT L Poets Series is a reading series presented by Smartish Pace magazine and Baltimore Poets Theatre. Readings are held on the second Sunday of the month at The Ivy Bookshop in Baltimore and feature two or three poets along with an open mic.