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Thursday, April 16, 2015

What's Your Vision?

Hello, Toads! This is lolamouse. You're half-way through your April challenges! Hooray!

 For today's prompt, I ask you to consider visionary art. Visionary art, as defined for the purposes of the American Visionary Art Museum is "art produced by self-taught individuals, usually without formal training, whose works arise from an innate personal vision that revels foremost in the creative act itself." Visionary artists are moved by "an inner voice" that compels them to create. The artist himself or herself may not even consider their work as art.

The American Visionary Art Museum, or AVAM, is located in Baltimore, Maryland and is one of my very favorite places to visit. They have a permanent collection of works by "visionaries" as well as special exhibitions. The art in this museum can evoke so many different thoughts and emotions in visitors. It can range from whimsical, comical, and clever to thought-provoking to downright disturbing.  If you ever get the chance to visit Baltimore, do check out this museum. If you can't visit in person, here is the link to their wesite: AVAM

I've posted some photos (not mine) of various works at AVAM. Let them speak to you and then choose one or more to compose a new poem. Your poem may be about the art itself or about feelings/thoughts/memories/stories the art inspires. It's wide open. Let your inner voice express itself!

Super Powers by Howard Finster

Birds Nest by David Hess

MADGrowth by Beatrice Coron

The Gallery a Go Go by Nancy Josephson

Always by Jim Doran

Horse Dress by Anonymous

Cosmic Galaxy Egg by Andrew Logan

Untitled "Doodle" by Ted Gordan

at

22 comments:

  1. Magaly GuerreroApril 16, 2015 at 12:18 AM

    This is a gorgeous, wild and inspiring prompt. I wanted to write about every piece. Wonderful. Hm... I might have to get to Maryland soon...

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  2. AnonymousApril 16, 2015 at 1:25 AM

    Sounds like a place well worthy of a visit... Very inspirational prompt (and I apologise in advance for choosing another photo of the Galaxy Egg).

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  3. Rosemary Nissen-WadeApril 16, 2015 at 4:13 AM

    I decided to use two of my own artworks. It was nice to revisit them in a new way.

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  4. MarianApril 16, 2015 at 6:24 AM

    Nice! Thank you, Ms. Mouse! :)

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  5. JinksyApril 16, 2015 at 6:47 AM

    Now that's what I'd call an Easter Egg! Might feel sorry for the chicken who had to lay it, though...

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  6. AnonymousApril 16, 2015 at 7:44 AM

    Such an inspiring prompt.

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  7. Sanaa RizviApril 16, 2015 at 9:34 AM

    Hello everyone,

    Hope you like my poem. It was a tough prompt for me.. nevertheless I did my best! :D

    Thank you Lolamouse for this opportunity :D
    xoxo

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  8. hedgewitchApril 16, 2015 at 10:23 AM

    Some really cool artwork there, LM--thanks--the one I really wanted to use was under some massive draconian copyright warnings (Ingo Swann), so I went with something else. See everyone a bit later.

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  9. Kerry O'ConnorApril 16, 2015 at 11:36 AM

    These images are amazing, LM. Poetic in their own right.

    I have fallen behind this week, being the first of a new school term but I hope to catch up over the weekend.

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  10. Kerry O'ConnorApril 16, 2015 at 11:37 AM

    Hedge makes a good point. Please check copyright before using any images of art on your blogs.

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  11. David P. KingApril 16, 2015 at 11:57 AM

    Very cool art. I could hang some of that on my wall. :)

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  12. Susie ClevengerApril 16, 2015 at 12:02 PM

    Thanks Miss Lolamouse for the inspiration!

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  13. LolamouseApril 16, 2015 at 1:36 PM

    Hello Toads,
    Thanks for your postings to the visionary art prompt. I've gotten a chance to respond to a few before work this morning. I will be away this evening (to see Andrea Gibson, one of my fav poets!) but will check back in to get to more of poems ASAP.

    Thanks, Hedge, for the copyright warning. I'd better go back and check on the images I used!

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  14. HannahApril 16, 2015 at 2:26 PM

    I love these images...thank you for the challenge, Lolamouse!!

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  15. humbirdApril 16, 2015 at 2:38 PM

    Thank you,lolamouse for introducing this museum and art works here. Love it!

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  16. AnonymousApril 16, 2015 at 2:40 PM

    I was drawn automatically to the faces, as all humans are. Then, another science prompt gelled for me this morning in Forensic Science class! You could have a career in reading faces for the FBI, CSI, or Israeli Intelligence with a lot of training in observation. I read all about it in a high school textbook.

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  17. brudbergApril 16, 2015 at 3:30 PM

    The birds nest fitted so well in my next sonnet installment.. maybe more nostalgia in this part of the narrative than anything else... I wonder if I will make it all the way through.

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  18. EllaApril 16, 2015 at 9:23 PM

    Thank you Ms. Mouse! Love the art you shared. I had fun with this one!

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  19. Other MaryApril 16, 2015 at 9:24 PM

    What a cool museum... love the art work!

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  20. OutlawyerApril 16, 2015 at 10:12 PM

    Hey Lola--A very cool prompt which is dear to my heart--I have written a few drafts today! Agh! But posted something long and really a story- or worse part of a novel. Couldn't quite get the others to the tipping point .k.

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  21. JimApril 16, 2015 at 11:44 PM

    I'm late, I'm late, but not for a very important date! It's still the 16th of April where I live, about 11:40 or so.
    Hi Lola, thank you for this prompt. I went overboard, and sometimes what I write might not really be poetry. But my keyboard and my fingers won't shut up.
    THINGS did shut me up today, a guest at noon, going to the doctor with Mrs. Jim in the afternoon, and some very important discussions his evening.
    But I'm here, with Mrs. Jim reading the mail beside me.
    ..

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  22. LolamouseApril 17, 2015 at 7:42 PM

    Thank you all for your thoughtful and interesting responses to my prompt! I had a great time reading through them.

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Much time and effort went into this post! Your feedback is appreciated.