Cornwall Ontario — Local artists and writers joined creative forces to launch a truly unique Haiku and Art exhibit at the Cornwall Public Library on Wednesday June 15. Pairing Haiku with art is the brainchild of artist Lorna Foreman, who is also founder of the Cornwall & Area Writer’s Society. A crowd of 70 artists, writers and supporters attended the launch where artist and writer met for the first time.

Chief Librarian Dawn Kiddell read greetings from Michael Chan, Ontario’s Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, in which he applauded the imagination of the writer’s group for looking at literature through a new lens by blending poetry with painting. “Your efforts are helping to inspire creativity, encourage an appreciation for the arts and for literacy in the community. I know that this artwork will inspire discussion, reflection and a greater appreciation of the multicultural influences in our society.”

Foreman got the idea to combine Haiku with art from an Arts Council Forum where artists spoke about collaboration and cooperation between different art mediums. The library and arts community supported her vision and the result is truly remarkable. The Haiku are written in French and English and the artwork includes sculpture, paintings, drawings and photography done by local artists.

Haiku is a minimalist form of Japanese poetry usually focussing on the everyday experiences of the writer. Haiku is expressed in three lines with 5, 7 and 5 syllables per line. Foreman says that it is deceptively challenging to write. The exhibit will be on display at the library until June 22.