Indianapolis painter LaToya Marlin and poet Januarie York are joining forces at the Madame Walker Theatre Center for an evening of inspiration and empowerment.
More than a dozen of Marlin’s paintings are already on display and will stay up until Jan. 29, but the painter and her cousin York, who specializes in spoken word performances, will bring a live element to the exhibit on Dec. 4.
The exhibit, “Peaces: Her pieces, her words,” celebrates and examines what it means to be a woman. During the Dec. 4 “First Friday” reception, which runs from 6–9 p.m., Marlin and York will collaborate for an hour-long painting (“her pieces”) and poetry (“her words”) performance.
York is penning two to three new pieces for the occasion, and while she reads them aloud, Marlin will create a painting based on York’s words.
“She uses her words to motivate women and encourage them, and I think that’s kind of what my art does, so we’re so excited to bring the two together,” Marlin said.
Marlin, who’s been painting since elementary school, said she doesn’t have a specific method of turning words to art — it’s just a feeling she embraces.
“Certain words just make me feel a certain way, or may make me identify with a certain color,” she said. “I think it’s going to be interesting to see what I come up with. I haven’t heard any of her poetry prior to; we’re just going to do it.”
The two have done a similar performance before, at a domestic violence event.
York said seeing her words become a painting was “trippy.”
“To me, I’m just Januarie. I’m just a woman over here with an ink pen and a keyboard, just typing up a whole bunch of words, hoping when I share them somebody will appreciate them,” she said. “But to see that get manifested into canvas is like, wow. It’s so cliche to say wow. But that is the perfect word.”
After the performance, the finished painting will be raffled off. Marlin said she tries to do a raffle at each of her shows.
“Sometimes people may not have a lot of money, but it’s pretty cool to be able to buy a raffle ticket for a dollar and go home with a beautiful piece of art,” she said.
The event is free and open to the public, and light refreshments and a cash bar will be available.
For more details, click: http://www.yelp.com/events/indianapolis-peaces-her-pieces-her-words
