Contact
Catherine Hammond
Tempe, AZ
Catherine Hammond, Poet
Since 1987 I have been on the Arts Roster as a creative writer. However, my strong sense of image has in recent years overflowed into the visual arts. Whether I am writing or making art, I am interested in layers of knowing, in the complex ways that various realities interact and interrelate and in the connectedness of everything. Collage, both written and visual, is a frequent technique.
I coordinate Tempe Poetry in April, a reading series moving into its eleventh season, sponsored by Tempe Cultural Services.
For the last couple of years I have been translating the poetry of a Spanish poet, Olvido Garcia Valdes, who won Spain's Premio Nacional in 2007. Many of these translations have been published in literary magazines. A chapbook, "House Surrounded by Scaffold," appears in fall 2010 from Mid-American Review.
My poetry has published nationally for years. I've been a runner-up for Discovery/The Nation four times and have three Pushcart ... > Read morenominations. My MFA in Creative Writing is from Arizona State University.
I have recently had involvement in 2 public art pieces. The city of Chandler is creating "Sustainability Pathway," a work with both my visual art and writing, in their new city hall. The city of Phoenix features one of my translations in their 7th Avenue Streetscapes Project.
Solo exhibitions of my visual art have been held at the Chandler Center for the Arts, Shemer Art Center and Museum, and at Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale. The Westin Kierland Resort and Spa and Shemer have art pieces of mine in their permanent collections.
As a teaching artist, I enjoy giving workshops, poetry readings, and artist talks. Editing, particularly of creative works, is a pleasure to me. Because of the way my own art forms cross boundaries between writing and visual art, I am open to many kinds of multi-disciplinary partnerships, particularly those that explore aesthetic issues.
Styles: Editors, Expert Panelists, Lecturers & Educators, Poets - Dramatic, Subject-Matter Experts, Workshop Facilitators, Writers
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Photo
7th Avenue Streetscape
7th Avenue Streetscape
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Description
Public art, city of Phoenix
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Title: Community Based
Approval Type Community Based Artistic Discipline Literary Arts Program Type Performances, Workshops, Residencies, Lecture/Demonstation Populations/Areas of Interest Adults, Older Adults, Intergenerational Artistic Approach When I make work, whether in poetry or in visual art, I always work in layers and focus on exact moments. Color and intensity are important. With each layer and its imposed repetitions, my goal is to create an integrity that clashes with the systems in the other layers and paradoxically achieves a balance with them. My poetry has a strong visual aspect; my collages and assemblages, significant narrative content. For me, the veiled reality we glimpse but cannot entirely experience causes a deep sense of longing. Teaching Artist Approach As a teaching artist I am interested in facilitating entry into an artistic experience with the participant. My assumption is that everyone has strong imaging systems. Over many years I have developed a system that helps people discover specific images on their own internal screens and then convert those into their own art. This process is always about personal discovery. The first step is to learn how to focus. Program Management Strategies The key to freedom is discipline. If there is a strongly organized base to any activity, then there is far more flexibility possible in the actual doing of a project. As a working and teaching artist, I pride myself on flexibility and use of intuition coupled with the discipline I bring to individual tasks. Good communication with all partners within any collaborative enterprise is always a priority for me. I am pretty organized for an artist and generally have paperwork in early. I am extremely comfortable at the performance level, whether I am moderating a reading or an interview, demonstrating a technique for an art piece, teaching a workshop, or giving an artist talk. Evaluations need to be ongoing throughout the residency, workshop, or series, that is, a constant assessment of how is all this going both visually, verbally, and in writing with all partners and participants. Program Description Community-based residencies can take as many shapes as people have ideas. Programs I have led in the past may provide some idea of what might be possible for the future. I am particularly interested in programing that combines art and writing. In the fall of 2008, I will provide the writing component for a series of workshops on ekphrasis, or art based on another piece of art. I am the founder, organizer, and moderator for Tempe Poetry in April, sponsored by Tempe Cultural Services, a reading series that celebrates National Poetry Month, and that is going into its 9th year. For the Shemer Art Center and Museum, I collaborated in an outreach program in a community center in which participants created a wall hanging with their own writings woven in. I have given workshops for Vision Kidz in Chandler. I always enjoy doing poetry readings, Young Authors' Days, and artist's talks. Technical Requirements My technical requirements are minimal. If I am speaking to a group larger than 20 or so, I like a good microphone. Space Requirements My programs tend to be intimate. That means they are held in intimate spaces. Supply Requirements These would be determined by the nature of the program. I tend to travel light. Special Considerations These would be determined by the nature of the program. References Dora Hernandez, Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture, 602.495.0193 Fees Please contact artist. Educator/Staff Training My work tends to be highly collaborative. If there are tools and techniques I need to share with my presenters to help orient them, I will be sure to communicate those, ahead of time, if necessary. On communication with partners is vital to my programming. Often such information is shared during planning sessions. How Arizona State Academic Standards are Addressed Community based residencies only, please. |
Resume/Bio
Literary Arts Bio
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Recent Work
- Tempe Poetry in April, 2011, moderator