MAY 30 | Finding Yourself in Art: A Creative Writing Workshop with Tara Campbell

Date: Saturday, May 30
Time: 11 am  – 12 pm
Location: Lightcatcher Building | Whatcom Museum

Have you ever looked at a painting or sculpture and wondered what inspired the artist? Or tried to imagine the story behind an artwork?  

Join author Tara Campbell for a closer look at selected works from the current exhibition Personal to Political: Celebrating the African American Artists of Paulson Fontaine Press. Through the creative writing process, Tara invites people to form new relationships with galleries and museums. In this workshop, participants will develop a draft of a poem inspired by one of the works in the exhibition, as well as techniques they can use to explore other works of art in the future. Tara will use guided observations and personalized writing exercises to help you go beyond an artwork’s printed description and see new ways of looking at an object.  

This event is free to attend thanks to generous support from Humanities Washington, but advance registration is required to reserve your spot, and seats are limited. If you would like to continue exploring the galleries after the program, please visit the front desk to pay admission or show your membership card.   

About the Instructor 

Tara Campbell is a writer, teacher, fiction editor at Barrelhouse, and graduate of American University’s MFA program. Her 2024 novel City of Dancing Gargoyles was a finalist for the 2025 Philip K. Dick Award for science fiction. She’s the author of two novels, two hybrid collections of poetry and prose, two short story collections, and a chapbook of sestinas. Tara lives in Seattle, WA.  

All workshop registrations are final and non-refundable, but you may transfer your spot to another person by notifying us in advance.