Ekphrastic Poetry Contest

World Art Day: Ekphrastic Poetry Contest

World Art Day is April 15 and to kick off the celebrations, AU’s Art Committee is launching an Ekphrastic Poetry Contest.

This contest invites AU students, alumni, staff, and Athabasca community members to create ekphrastic poetry inspired by one or two of the selected pieces of art selected pieces of art from the Athabasca University Art Collection.

The top three winning poems will be displayed with the corresponding art on April 15 at the World Art Day event and will be viewable through to Convocation in June.

The first and second place winners will also receive a copied print of the AU artwork displayed beside their poem and third place will receive a greeting card stationary set featuring artwork from the AU art collection.

Submissions will be accepted until March 15, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. (Mountain). Winners will be publicly announced on April 15, 2026, at the World Art Day event. Work must be submitted via the contest submission form.

The submissions will be judged by AU’s Priscilla Campeau, Associate Vice-President Indigenous Conciliation and Professor of Indigenous Studies, Dr. Michael Lithgow, Associate Professor of Communication and Media Studies, and Dr. Mark McCutcheon, Professor of Literary Studies.

Enter the contest today

What is an ekphrastic poem?

An ekphrastic poem is one based on a piece of art. These poems take an existing piece of visual art and use written words to describe and expand on the theme of that work of art. Often these poems explore hidden meanings or an underlying story. Ekphrastic poetry is a vivid, detailed poetic description or response to a work of visual art, bridging the gap between the visual and literary by using words to interpret, expand, or reflect on the artwork’s meaning and emotions.

What to submit:

AU students, alumni, staff, and Athabasca community members are invited to write an ekphrastic poem about one or two of nine selected pieces of art from the Athabasca University Art Collection.

Interested participants may submit up to two poems that respond to the art. Through your poetry, express how the art moves, puzzles, frightens, enlightens, or however else it makes you feel. Please do not put your name or identifying information in the poem.

Art to choose from: