Late in 2021, a month or so after Julie Blackmon had released a photograph entitled Tall Girl. I received an email from my friend Jim Howard. The email contained a poem, inspired by the photograph but also more than capable of standing on its own. It was accompanied by a brief note from Jim.

"I just found this in my drafts. I barely even remember writing it."

I wondered how somebody could just dash off a poem like this and then forget about it, but that initial wonder was soon magnified as the poems started trickling in, one after the other. Poems inspired by Night Swim, Smoke, and Chicken Littles followed, and then many, many more.

“It’s just so easy to write to these things. I feel like the possibilities are endless.”

Somewhere along the way, the three of us decided to make this into a book project, which is currently in the works. In the meantime, we’re proud to present a selection of Jim’s poems paired with the photographs that inspired them in this show. Exhibition visitors will find the poems in vinyl on the walls, and upstairs, a large-scale projection accompanied by photographs and music.

We look forward to having you in the gallery to experience this special pairing, and sometime soon, to announce the book.

Bill Haw