Local artist’s painting picked for poetry competition cover

Published 8:53 am Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Organizers of the Rainshadow Poetry Competition, a community event including poets from Clallam and Jefferson counties from all levels of ages and experience, have picked art for the cover of its 2016 anthology.

Founders Judy Duncan and Ruth Marcus have selected Blue Whole Gallery artist Ryoko Toyama’s painting, “Harvest Time 1,” for the cover.

This painting was accepted and exhibited in three juried shows in 2015: Collective Vision Gallery in Bremerton, Sequim Arts Juried Show and Northwest Expressions of the Northwind Arts Center in Port Townsend.

“I am honored that you like my painting,” Toyama said, regarding the selection.

Toyama acknowledged that painting is her active response to the world, past and present.

“I create my feelings and thoughts in painting,” she said. “The process and its result move me; they give me tremendous joy.”

Toyama moved from Japan to the U.S. in 1962. She studied library science and linguistics and found work with the Library of Congress, University of Oregon Library, Columbia University Libraries and Libraries of Rutgers University. She and her husband, Eckart, moved to Sequim in 2004.

When not painting, Toyama spends time at the Blue Whole Gallery as she is a gallery sitter.

In addition to original paintings, Toyama’s work is available as frameable art cards.

About the competition

In the Rainshadow Poetry Competition, poets are invited to send up to three poems on any theme. Juried poems receive publication in the 2016 Rainshadow Poetry Anthology.

The deadline for submitting poems to the Rainshadow Poetry Competition is 5 p.m., Jan. 22. Submission guidelines are available at www.rainshadowpoetry.com.

More information is available at www.rainshadowpoetry.com or visit Facebook for more details.

This event is sponsored by Olympic Theatre Arts. The culmination includes a public reading of winning poems at 2 p.m., Sunday, May 1, at OTA’s Main Theatre.

Call 775-4878 for more information.