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Annual “A Good Place to Stumble Upon” 
Poem: Rick Smith Artwork: Kent Swanson Calligraphy: Jay Lee Evans 2012 |
Poem: H Marie Aragón Artwork: Margy O’Brien Calligraphy: Jay Lee Evans 2012 |
Poem: Julie Brokken Artwork: Joshua Willis Calligraphy: Jay Lee Evans 2012 |
A Good Place to Stumble Upon is a collection of illustrated Haiku poems submitted by local Albuquerque poets for a special exhibition at the City of Albuquerque Open Space Visitor Center. These poems capture the essence, wonder, and intellect of the landscapes of the City’s Major Public Open Space. First, the poets submitted their work to the review committee. After selection, the imagery complimenting the poems was added as a secondary project. The application of imagery to the poems changes the Haiku poems to "Haiga."
Haiga: A Definition
Traditional Japanese haiga involved brush art work coupled with a haiku poem done in brush calligraphy. Like the haiku poem, the focus of haiga is in simplicity of expression.
Digital art-haiku is one form of modern haiga. Other forms include photo-haiku [haiku attached to a photographic image] and all modern forms of art coupled with haiku. Of course, traditional haiga is still practiced.
Just as the haiku form often contains a juxtaposition between two of its lines and a third line, so does or can modern haiga contain a juxtaposition between the haiku itself and the digital art work. In short, the art work does not necessarily directly represent the images presented in the haiku.
If you would like to see examples of other forms of modern and traditional haiga, simply search the internet with the following key terms: haiga, Japanese, haiku.
~Courtesy of Ray Rasmussen 
Images from the 2011 "A Good Place to Stumble Upon" Exhibit
These poems from the community embody Open Space. We received poems from well known poets, hobbyists, elementary students and volunteers. Each poem is an image which samples the unique attributes of a time and place. Written by a calligrapher and decorated with water color, these poems are perfectly simple.
Poem by Marian Olson
Poem by Aidan B.
Poem by: Zachary Kluckman