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  • February 17, 2012
  • Christine Davis Mantai

By Brittany Neddo, '12

The SUNY Fredonia 2011-12 Convocation Series, “Taking Risks: Rewards and Repercussions,” will include an evening event featuring a writing/poetry collaboration broadside project completed by the students of Visual Arts and New Media Associate Professor Timothy Frerichs’ Relief Printmaking course and English Associate Professor Aimee Nezhukumatahil’s Intermediate Poetry Writing course.

The event, “Odes to the Unsung and Unpraised,” will be held Thursday, Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. in the Reed Library Japanese Garden Room area.

The design of the project was based on the writings of Pablo Neruda, a Chilean poet who wrote countless odes during a time of national civil unrest, conflict and poverty, focusing on the simple and unsung. The odes included subjects as diverse as socks and garlic, raised questions about nature and the environment, and were considered political in nature.

Following the theme of risk and the uncelebrated, Ms. Nezhukumatahil’s poetry students were assigned to write odes following the style of Neruda, focusing on simple yet unpraised objects. Once drafts were completed, her class collaborated with Mr. Frerichs’ art students in bringing the poems to life through the creative design of a 22 inch by 15 inch color relief woodcut broadside that incorporated digital and collage elements.

This upcoming Convocation series event will give students of both classes the opportunity to read from their work and discuss the visual elements that went into this collaboration project. The event is free and open to the general public.
For more information contact Dr. Frerichs at timothy.frerichs@fredonia.edu or 716-673-3811.