Biography Inspired by The Art of Storytelling Project
- By Alexandra Sastre
- May 15, 2009
We here at Night Kitchen love to share our thoughts on the value of collaborative storytelling and the impact it can have on museum visitors of all ages. Whether adding a humorous example of Abraham Lincoln in contemporary culture to 21st Century Abe’s growing collection, or sharing your thoughts on what photography means to you through the click! photography changes everything site, we’re passionate about creating and fostering opportunities to contribute to a communal dialog. It’s therefore always fantastic to learn about people who’ve contributed to and been inspired by one of our projects, and have since hit the ground running with their own storytelling pursuits!
As you may know from exploring our site, the Art of Storytelling project with the Delaware Art Museum invites visitors to write an original story inspired by the artwork, listen to engaging podcasts of submitted stories, or create their own composition using elements from the featured works of art in the museum’s collection.
One such story was written by museum-goer Betsey Farlow, who was taken by a striking 18th century portrait of Absalom Jones, a figure about whom she knew little at the time. In crafting her story for the Art of Storytelling project, Betsy’s research not only produced a unique and moving piece written from the perspective of the subject’s wife, but also inspired her to take things a bit further — she is now writing a full biography on Reverend Jones, the first ever on this compelling historical figure! The working title of her book is Searching for Absalom Jones and she intends for it to be “less academic or scholarly and more accessible and appealing to the general public”. Read the full story featured on page 4 of the Delaware Communion newsletter (PDF).
Image courtesy of the Delaware Art Museum
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