Whether it’s through painting, song or poetry, art can tell a story, and 22 women from Appalachia hope to share theirs Thursday night.
The Women of Appalachia Project’s Women Speak is collaborating with the Ohio University Multicultural Center to host Women Speak, Encore and More, a one-time event celebrating five years of collaboration and work, said Kari Gunter-Seymour, founder and curator of the Women of Appalachia Project.
“Women Speak is one in a series of events I came up with to encourage women from the Appalachia region to present their written work in the form of spoken word, by way of a public presentation,” she said. “A wonderful sense of balance is created between the work that we speak and its interaction with the community.”
The project has worked with the Multicultural Center before, as well as partnered with ARTS/West.
Kim Jordan, who teaches Asian inspired cooking classes in her kitchen in Athens, is reading for the second time at Women Speak this year.
Although Jordan has been paid for her writing before, she said it’s not how she makes her living; instead, it’s a creative outlet.
“I write more about the intersection of living and food and creativity; it’s what I like to write about,” she said. “Because I started writing on a blog, I do write about my experiences.”
Her essay for Women Speak is about her experience moving to Athens in 2012 after living in Japan for five years.
“I am American, born in Ohio, but I never lived here,” she said. “I blend in and look like a native, but when you come from a country where they speak a different language, have a different writing system, and everybody looks different but you, well, that inspired me.”
It’s an outlet for women, and it means a lot, Jordan added.
Collaborating with the Women of Appalachia Project has been a success in the past and the events always capture the essence of the region, said Winsome Chunnu-Brayda, associate director of the Multicultural Center.
“I love these events every year that we’ve collaborated, and it’s usually a great turnout,” she said. “The stories and pieces have ranged from compelling to sad to happy, so I can’t pick a favorite part because it takes you to so many emotions, and I love it all.”
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