Workshop: Intro to Memoir Writing

March 25 1-5PM $40 

Instructor: Casey Lane

Intro to Memoir Writing – Inspired by Soil Stories by Mary Mattingly

Mine your past for the rich stories that lie unearthed within. Take inspiration from the artwork by artist Mary Mattingly in the exhibition currently on view at Kimball Art Center. 

This class is for anyone simply curious about memoir writing, to those who have begun writing, but are looking for community and education to help turn their work into an edited narrative– long or short form. Memoir, as seen in Soil Stories by Mary Mattingly, is a dynamic art form that inspires readers, heals writers, and turns the ordinary into a powerful tool for connection and compassion. Prompts will be provided, encouraging attendees to view their lives from unseen angles, both natural and cultural. All attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of the elements of memoir, including structure, narrative arc, and banishing writer’s block.

Sign-up here.

 

About Mary Mattingly

Mary Mattingly is an interdisciplinary artist based in New York.

She founded Swale, an edible landscape on a barge in New York City. Docked at public piers but following waterways common laws, Swale circumnavigates New York’s public land laws, allowing anyone to pick free fresh food. Swale instigated and co-created the “foodway” in Concrete Plant Park, the Bronx in 2017. The “foodway” is the first time New York City Parks is allowing people to publicly forage in over 100 years. It’s currently considered a pilot project.

Mattingly recently launched Public Water with More Art and completed public artwork “Pull” with the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de la Habana and the Bronx Museum of the Arts, two spherical ecosystems that were pulled across Habana to Parque Central and the museum. In 2018 she received a commission from BRIC Arts Media to build “What Happens After” which involved dismantling a military vehicle (LMTV) that had been to Afghanistan and deconstructing its mineral supply chain. A group of artists including performance artists, veterans, and public space activists re-envisioned the vehicle for BRIC. In 2016 Mattingly facilitated a similar project with teens at the Museum of Modern Art.

Recent New York Times article about Mary Mattingly: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/30/t-magazine/mary-mattingly-art-climate.html