Skirts & Found Blackout Poetry Installation
This year’s Skirts on Whyte interactive art installation is Skirts & Found, an interactive found poetry installation. This form of poetry utilizes pre-existing or “found” text that is used to create an original poem.
Across Whyte Ave, you’ll find four original poems by local spoken word artist and advocate, Medgine Mathurin. Each board has a poem, marker, and eraser. Use the marker to blackout some of the words in Medgine’s poems, while leaving others, to create your own work of art. Each board has a different poem that you can use to create an inspiring poem of your own!
Find a board and create your found poem at the following locations…
Lewis Mayhem
10139 82 Ave
Old Strathcona Business Association
10314 82 Ave
Village Goods
10432 82 Ave
Chianti Cafe & Restaurant
10501 82 Ave
About the Artist – Medgine Mathurin
Haitian-born spoken word artist and advocate, Medgine is a person for whom the love of language and the alchemy of words is second nature. Her multi-lingual upbringing (French, Creole, English) not only prompted her to begin experimenting with the potential and magic of language, but naturally compelled her into a deep love of poetry. Her work has been featured in CBC, Global TV, SkirtsAfire Festival, and the Edmonton Poetry Festival. She is the author of Waiting in the Land of the Living / Attendre dans le monde des vivants, a multilingual poetry collection, that touches on navigating chronic illness, inter-generational healing, and the wrestle of waiting for answered prayers.
And be sure to check out the SkirtsAfire Festival happening in Old Strathcona until March 10th. The festival features the work of women and non-binary artists from Edmonton, Alberta, and Canada, who look to share their stories, experiences, and work with others. Over the past twelve years, the SkirtsAfire Festival has showcased and celebrated multidisciplinary arts, like theatre, music, comedy, visual art, and more, all based around the experiences and stories of women.
Check out our event page for more details on the festival and where you can enjoy live performances through March 10.