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Top 10 Reasons to be a WiVLA Member!
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- Exhibit your visual and literary work online in our virtual gallery.
- Read your work at WiVLA literary events.
- Exhibit your creative muse in art shows, collaborations, and performances.
- Opportunity to win an Education and Cultural Opportunity grant.
- Opportunity to share your accomplishments and feature your work in the monthly newsletter.
- Grow connections with other creatives.
- Receive discounts on workshops.
- Access online resources from WiVLA workshops and programs.
- Receive notices of national CFEs and other exhibitions/competitions.
- Participate in WiVLA Members private group on Facebook.
To renew your membership for 2021 please visit, www.wivla.org or click here.
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Varsha Shah
January's Member Highlight
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Varsha Saraiya-Shah is a literary member of WiVLA whose poetic roots lie in her mother tongue, Gujarati. Varsha arrived in Houston from Ahmedabad, India, via Pasadena, California, newly married and in her twenties. She pursued a financial career, having earned an MBA degree from Cal-Poly Pomona, California. Further studies led her to a career as a CPA professional in Texas until 2012.
After about two decades of dormancy in her literary creativity due to a corporate career and years of raising children, her poetry passion re-emerged in the 1990s. Now English, her language of thinking, imagining, and dreaming, give words to her poetry.
She is a frequent participant in Words & Art poetry events and Archway Gallery's monthly soirees with a community of writers in various genres. With an eye for life's little wonders in nature as well as the quotidian, she pursues her literary work. The objects and events of each inspire as well as energize her poetry.
Varsha started studying creative writing craft at Inprint House in 1998 and continued with some of the notable faculty of contemporary American poets in weeklong summer workshops such as Sarah Lawrence College (NY), Squaw Valley Community of Writers (CA), Reed College (OR), San Miguel Poetry Week (Mexico), and Noepe Literary week (Orvieto, Italy). She was a poet-in-residence at Noepe Literary Center (Martha's Vineyard, MA) in October 2015. This year of Pandemic brought some unique online workshop opportunities to further her commitment to study the craft of poetry.
Varsha's poetry chapbook, "VOICES" was published by Finishing Line Press. Her poems have appeared in numerous print and online journals and books/anthologies, including Borderlands, BorderSenses, Cha, Convergence, Dos Gatos Press, Echoes of the Cordillera-Ekphrastic book (Jim Bones' photography), Gulf Coast Eco-poetry anthology, Mutabilis Press, Right Hand Pointing, Singing In The Dark - a Pandemic anthology by Penguin Random House, Skylark-UK, Soundings East, Texas Observer, and University of Texas Press: Poetry & Photography (Wyman Meinzer) book. She is currently working toward a full-size poetry manuscript.
Her work has been featured on local Public Radio and staged twice in a multi-language & multi-century dance program: "Poetry in Motion" by Silambam, Houston.
As a member of Matwaala: South Asian Poets' Diaspora, she has participated in NYC and Austin events and writers' panels, including recent participation in Asia Pacific Writers and Translators' Organization and Desi Poetry by India Currents.
Poetry is her lifelong purpose, her true love. She firmly believes it is a permanent boarding pass to freedom of human ingenuity and expression and goes beyond countries' boundaries. It binds all people with its resonating spirit. Of course, laughter, dancing, cooking, hikes, friends and family, yoga, and traveling are her beloved lifetime partners.
Her association with WiVLA began in the early 2000s. The artistic camaraderie is deeply rooted in its members' boundless talent, generosity, friendship, and free spirit. She has made some lifelong friends and feels fortunate and grateful for their contributions to her artistic growth.
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The following poem is one of her latest publications from: Singing In The Dark - A Global Anthology of Poetry Under Lockdown by Penguin Random House India.
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I Speak from Towers of Silence
(April 2020)
It is spring, people are afraid
to sit on empty benches in parks
self-distancing. Coffin’s length apart,
no matter where on the street or at work
dreading a footloose and lethal microbe.
Hugs are hats hung at the back door.
Babies like flowers can’t stop being born,
mamas in hazmat suits swollen with milk
weep for their misfortune.
Imagine a massing of crows on terrace
gathered for feast to appease the dead.
Vultures plucking at corpses
I wish not to pollute air or water,
earth or fire. Let birds of prey feed on us.
Fire, Good fire, that burns to cleanse us all
of hunger and passion, anger and emptiness.
Assure the earth, it makes us part of our dirt.
Tell the skies, merge in your stardust.
O Invisible! Can you hear our dirge?
Italians belting out operas alone?
Tarantellas on balconies?
Hear the Spaniards banging pots,
strumming guitars in night skies?
Indians trumpeting conchs, chanting
Aum, Aum, Aum.
~Varsha Saraiya-Shah~
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January - February Online Exhibit
Members, Sally Worthington, Jo Zider, and Gretchen McDaniel are featured in the WiVLA virtual gallery show which will run from January to February. To view their exhibition please click here.
Sally Worthington, Artist's Statement:
Sally likes to explore the world in different media - sculpture, printmaking, collage, and paint. This Jurassic series is based on a visit to the Jurassic Coast in England, where she was raised. She was inspired by the story of Mary Anning who, though uneducated, spent her life discovering and annotating fossils along the Lyme Regis cliffs and discovered the first intact Plesiosaurus.
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Jurassic Undersea III, Relief Print Collage, 11 x 14 inches, USD $350.00
©2021, Sally Worthington, Houston, TX
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Gretchen McDaniel, Artist's Statement:
Gretchen McDaniel grew up in a Christian-like cult. Breaking free of that when she was 18, she has explored the concept of “truth” ever since. Gretchen was born in Houston and raised along the Texas Gulf Coast. Being the oldest of five children taught her leadership skills. She moved to Detroit on a whim and stayed there for eight years. Her discovery of Judy Chicago’s “The Dinner Party” and Diego Rivera’s “Detroit Industry Murals” showed her the power of art in making a statement. Gretchen is focused on bringing about world peace through her art and spreading love wherever she goes.
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Excerpt from Compassion I
©2021, Gretchen McDaniel, Houston, TX
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Jo Zider's Artist's Statement:
Jo Zider’s Relic series started as a commission for a piece of garden sculpture that would inspire meditation and upon which one’s attention could be focused. The form rises as a mountain yet exhibits the outer strength and mechanism of a high-rise man-made structure. The surface is a lichen glaze, red, from matte to glossy, reflecting the centuries of exposure to the earth’s atmosphere. The outward appearance draws one in to examine its crevices and contemplate the forces which have acted upon it. One piece from the series was selected to be presented to the CEO of the Hitachi Corporation in Tokyo, Japan.
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©2021, Jo Zider, Houston, TX
Relic VI, Stoneware with red glaze and mason stain black, 22 x 10 inches, UDS $950.00
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Jo Zider announces her acceptance in the Texas Sculpture Group Show, On the Bayou, which will be from Jan 16 through Feb. 23, 2021at Redbud Gallery West. The reception will be “live” on January 16, 2021, from 6:00pm - 9:00pm. For more information, you can visit the gallery's website, redbudgallery.com. The piece of sculpture selected is called COMPASSION. This is the same piece that was created for the WIVLA Compassion Collaboration, however, alterations and additions have been made to the piece.
Janet Reynold's gouache painting, “Hamilton Pool,” and Cori Austin’s artist book, “Autumn’s Symphony,” were both accepted into the Sebastopol Center for the Arts’ exhibition, Ecstasy: Breathtaking Beauty of Nature. The exhibition will be held virtually from January 9 - February 14. It may be viewed at https://www.sebarts.org/exhibits .
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A literary member is needed for March - April Virtual Exhibit
Deadline: February 15
To apply for the remaining 2021 exhibits you may complete the application located under the Resources tab on our website or by clicking here. Each exhibit will feature one visual artist and one literary member.
For further information on this new member perk please visit our website or click here.
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Artist Residencies:
- The Printing Museum's artist residency program for Spring 2021 is accepting applications. Artists of any creative discipline are eligible to apply for a residency with the opportunity to use our book arts studios — papermaking, letterpress, and bookbindery — to create works of art or as an integral part of their artistic practice. The residency lasts four months, and while artists are not required to live in the Houston area, they are expected to spend significant time in the studios gaining skills and producing work. To learn more, click here. Applications are open, December 15, 2020 – January 15, 2021.
- The Ross Lynn Charitable Foundation (RLCF) and the North Central Louisiana Arts Council (NCLAC) are excited to announce the second iteration of the North Louisiana Virtual Residency. From February 8th to April 2nd, this 8 week online residency will provide the virtual space and rhythm for artists to come together as a community and collaborate in pairs on new work. The deadline to apply is Sunday, January 10th at 11:59 pm. The residency will begin on February 8th and end on April 2nd. Artists are encouraged to apply as pairs or be willing to join another individual artist for collaboration during the residency. There will be at most 16 artists (8 pairs) selected. To apply you will be asked to submit a resume/cv, a proposal, a portfolio showing samples of your art, and agree to pay a $20 application fee if accepted into the residency. More information and the application can be found through the link here!
Open Call for Visual Artists:
- A Smith Gallery Photographic Arts, Deadline: 1) 1/11/2021 - Life, Juror Alyssa Coppelman Diptych -1/25/2021, Juror, Kevin Tully. For more information, click here.
- International Watermedia Exhibition presented by Watercolor Society Houston (Deadline, 1/8/2021) The 44th Annual International Watermedia Online Exhibition (IWE) will highlight the artistic excellence of its global participants in an online gallery exhibit held in Houston's popular Museum District. In March 2021, selected entries will receive maximum exposure at our juried, month-long online exhibit and have an opportunity to win generous awards from our sponsors. An archived catalogue will remain online through the end of 2021. This year highly sought after Keiko Tanabe is the Juror and Instructor. The 44th IWE is intended to help promote and provide optimal exposure for outstanding international artists who excel in water media. To apply CAFE, click here or visit the website at, https://watercolorhouston.org/International-Exhibition.
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Open call for writers:
- The Texas Institute of Letters, TIL’s Literary Contests are now open for submissions in twelve categories, with over $23,000 in prizes. The deadline to submit is January 4, 2021. Click the link above to download the PDF with all the necessary information.
- Slab Literary Magazine (Slippery Rock University, PA) is accepting pieces for their annual Boggs Fiction Contest (Deadline, 2/1/2021). To learn more, click here.
- Rubery Book Award (Deadline March 31, 2021) The Rubery Prize is a prestigious international book award seeking the best books by indie writers, self-published authors, and books published by independent presses, judged by reputable judges. For more information, click here.
- MAYDAY Magazine, MAYDAY Magazine is an online journal of literature, art, and commentary based in the United States and interested in speaking to an international audience. They read all year and there is currently is no submission fee. Please read some of the magazine prior to submitting. To submit to the magazine, click here. In addition, MAYDAY announces 2 new annual prizes for the poem and short story. Jacques Rancourt will judge poetry and Kali Wallace will judge fiction. The deadline, March 1, $20.00 entry fee. For more information on the contests, click here.
- The Non-Fiction Collection Prize (formerly Sandstone Prize/ The Ohio State University Literary Magazine ) is accepting submissions. Judge, Nick White. Deadline: 2/1/2021. To learn more click here.
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We'd love to celebrate your good news. If you are interested in sharing, please send your items to newsletter@wivla.org. There is no deadline for this content. Thank you. |
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I spent a recent Sunday prepping WiVLA paperwork for our archives, which are housed in the University of Houston Libraries Special Collections. WiVLA’s record-keeping began in 1994, and we are pleased to have our 26 years of history serving Houston’s creative women safely preserved.
I attended my first WiVLA meeting in November 2016, and I was hooked. The women were gracious, and the meeting was inspiring. I didn’t know if I was qualified to attend these meetings, but Jane Mulholland allayed my insecurities and assured me that I was. Since then, my time with WiVLA has been a life-changing whirlwind of fun and artistic activities. I joined to meet some new friends and stretch my artistic wings as I prepared for my retirement. Not only did I meet some amazing women and make new friends, but I gained so much more. Had it not been for the support that I received from WiVLA, I would not have progressed in my art, nor would I have opened a studio. And now I’ve become your new president. I’m humbled and honored.
Fern Brady is the founder and CEO of Inklings Publishing. She holds multiple Masters degrees and several certifications. Fern began her professional life as a foreign correspondent, taught for 15 years in Alief ISD, and is a full-time Realtor in Houston. She has published numerous short stories, two children's picture books, and a couple of poems. She is excited about the upcoming release of her debut novel, United Vidden, which is book one in her Thyrein's Galactic Wall Series. Her graphic novel collaboration with Rosa Maria Garza, New Beginning, also debuted in 2020. She is an active member of the Houston Writers Guild, with whom she served as CEO for four years, and currently serves on the board of Authorology, a non-profit organization that helps authors in various ways. Besides being Municipal Liaison for Nanowrimo Houston, she is also a member of the Authors Marketing Guild, Blood Over Texas, and Romance Writers of America. Follow Fern's writing at:
