Six visual artists, who have been meeting monthly since 2019 to share their writing, will display work that involves visual images and the written word at the Palmer Public Library from Wednesday, September 4 to Saturday, September 28. Calling themselves Women of Words (WOW), they have collaborated on previous group projects, such as online readings, exhibits, and the creation of a 12-panel accordion book. And they have continued to work individually, each seeking ways in which their visual art enriches and reflects their writing.

Artists Reception and Open Mic on Thursday, September 12

On Thursday, September 12, from 6-8 pm, the artists will hold a Reception at the Palmer Public Library and read from their written work. They will then host an Open Mic, inviting local authors to read for 3-4 minutes each. The Open Mic sign-up sheet will be available at the Reception, offering a limited number of time slots.

Palmer Public Library, 1455 N Main Street, Palmer, MA 01069

Hours: Monday, 10-5; Tuesday-Thursday, 10-8; Friday-Saturday, 10-2

• As a painter and printmaker, Janet W. Winston’sfocus lies in nature, in the wonderful colors and designs on butterflies, tiny creatures, and birds or in subtle shades of colors on distant mountains. “My thoughts and inspiration change with the seasons, and I find my writing often echoes these intimate connections with nature and family as I move through life,” she says.
• Marianne Connolly’svisual art explores storytelling, narrative, and the connections between language and image, often influenced by mythology or magical realism. She collects the images for her paper collages from discarded books and magazines, hand-cutting and pasting with scissors and adhesive. Marianne also writes speculative fiction and has published in anthologies and literary magazines under the name “Marianne Xenos.”
• Sue Katzcalls her abstract art works “constructs” combining encaustic paint and found objects.  “As I work, I enjoy the procedural,” she says. “As I continue, I wonder about the conceptual; thought and language reveal the theme, the spirit of relationships and connections.”
• Nancy Meagheris a painter and storyteller who exhibits at Gallery A3 in Amherst. Steeped in memoir, the natural world, Social Justice, and the Night Sky, Meagher is an Emily Dickinson enthusiast. Her first book of poems, “Morning After Several Days of Rain” (or “Last night I couldn’t find the moon”), will be available for sale at the Opening Reception.
• Laura Hollandmakes artists books, folding and stitching to create three-dimensional pieces that integrate text and images. For the Palmer Public Library, she reconfigured a hand-sized accordion-style book about the social impact of a colorful raincoat into a sequence of photographs and a very short story.
• In the painting series, Voices from Far Lands, Rochelle Shicoffinvites the viewer into an intimate world where the human images evoke the emotions of vulnerability, strength, and fear while the natural world inserts itself. The goats express sensuality and the red-winged blackbirds describe freedom and playfulness.

Online Reading on Tuesday, September 24

On Tuesday, September 24, at 7 pm, the six artists of VISUAL/VERBAL will present an Online Reading, free and open to the public, with time for discussion, questions, and comments from the audience. Preregister for this Zoom event at www.womenofwords.myportfolio.com