Bridging the Arts: Publication submissions sought

Visual art and the written word come together in many ways. Northwest Pennsylvania celebrates this with a variety of collaborations from open mic nights, inviting a jazz trio to accompany readings, art exhibits like the one coming up in Foxburg's Red Brick Gallery and the annual publication of a literary arts journal.

Recently poets and short story writers met in the newly renovated theatre at the Oil City Library to read their works with the trio CATRO providing the vibe behind the expressive reading. Dozens attended this reading with many getting up to read their own personal works.

Bridge Literary Arts Center founder Phil Terman used the event to also promote the journal and encourage entries of poems, short plays, prose and artworks. The journal provides space for the visual artists to intermingle with the pages of words. Photography, digital copies of paintings, drawing and even 3-D pieces are welcome.

​The journal returned last year after a long hiatus that was not helped by the COVID-19 pandemic. But they are back on track ready to put out another collection with a publication date in September in time for LitFest which will coincide with the Allegheny River Music and Arts festival in Oil City.

They are currently accepting art and writing until June 1.

Submissions are open to everyone, though the organizers are particularly interested in local participation as they continue their mission to establish northwest Pennsylvania as a literary center and destination. “Given our mission, we encourage writers and artists from or with a connection to Clarion, Venango, Armstrong, Butler, Crawford, Warren, Forest, Lawrence, Jefferson and Mercer counties,” the group posting on their website.

Guidelines allow for prose and plays under 2,000 words per piece and individuals can submit up to two pieces in these categories.  For poetry, writers may send up to three individual poems.
For visual art, The Bridge will accept photography as well as pictures of paintings, line drawings, collages, graphic design, typography, calligraphy, and other media. Visual artists can submit up to three pieces.
Individuals are permitted to submit in more than one category but works should be emailed [email protected]. Work should also be accompanied by a profile/bio of less than 150 words.
There is no fee for applying and artists/writers retain all rights to their work. Accepted artists/writers will receive one free copy of the journal.
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The 2026 Bridge Literary Arts Journal is expected to be published in September with a launch during the second annual Allegheny River Music & Art Festival and Bridge LitFest in Oil City on September 12.
For more information visit: www.bridgeliteraryartscenter.org/journal.

Also coming up is the art exhibition Reverse Ekphrasis, a followup to the Ekphrais show two years ago at the Red Brick Gallery in Foxburg. In that first show visual artists submitted works that writers were then given to create poetry or prose to accompany the work. Gallery director Jason Lewis said the show was a success with one of the larger turnouts the gallery has experienced in recent years.

This time the writers submitted works in which visual artists were given one written piece each to create something based on interpretation or reactions from their reading.

​This show will run from May 29 to July 5 with an opening reception from 2 to 4 p.m. on May 30 that will feature readings from the authors.

​Below are more images from their open mic at the library.