Meditations in an Emergency: Ekphrastic Poetry on Demand by Henry Goldkamp

Mediations in an Emergency:
Ekphrastic Poetry on Demand
by Henry Goldkamp

Saturday, November 9, 12 – 8 PM
With a musical performance by Zak Marmalefsky, 6-8 PM

fort gondo compound for the arts, The Luminary Center for the Arts and Temporary Art Review are pleased to present “Meditations in an Emergency: Ekphrastic Poetry on Demand by Henry Goldkamp.” The event will take place Saturday, November 9 from 12 to 8 p.m. and will include a musical performance by Zak Marmalefsky from 6 to 8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

An extension of an on-going series of programs organized by the three host organizations about the problem of art criticism in St. Louis, this event offers artists in the community an opportunity to have ekphrastic poems written about their artwork. Between noon and 8 p.m., St. Louis poet Henry Goldkamp will be stationed at fort gondo with a typewriter, where he will compose poems for any piece of art brought to him. The event aims to provide an alterative approach to traditional critical strategies and encourage play as a solution to absences and ostensible crises.

“Meditations in an Emergency” (1957) is a bellwether book of poetry by poet-curator Frank O’Hara, whose candor remains radical in the way it relates art to everyday life.

The last two hours of the day will be accompanied by a musical performance by Zak Marmalefsky, marking with sound a celebratory “closing reception” for event.

Events are sponsored by Schlafly Beer.
Follow this event on Facebook

about the poet
Born and raised in St. Louis, Henry Goldkamp translated his skills as a union sheet metal worker into the medium of sculpture while simultaneously molding his craft as a self-taught poet. The latter led to the development of his poetry project, Fresh Poetry, Ink, in which he fashions poems tailor-made for passersby. His work has led him to collaborations with Contemporary Art Museum, The Mayor’s Office of Saint Louis, Clayton Fine Art Gallery, The Masses, St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, Crystal Bridges, and many others.

Featured on NPR, Time Magazine’s art blog, and a multitude of local media, his current project “What the Hell is Saint Louis Thinking?” spotlights residents’ typewritten stories across the city and her outskirts. A book of the project’s findings is due out in early 2014.

He also plays a supporting role in “The Makings of You,” a feature film centered around the city of St. Louis, currently in production.

about the musician
Zak Marmalefsky is an aspiring crooner and country music admirer who lives in St. Louis. He holds a B.F.A in visual art from Washington University’s Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Art.