The Crocker Art Museum opened its doors to aspiring and experienced writers on Thursday night with Art as Muse, a writing and reading workshop.

The workshop at the Crocker Art Museum is designed to lend inspiration through art pieces at the museum for the writers.

This workshop costs $75 for non-members and $60 for members of the Crocker Art Museum in which it is a three-week class totaling six hours in the entirety of the workshop.

Sacramento State’s Elaine Gale is instructing the workshop. Gale, an assistant professor of communication studies and journalism, inadvertently stumbled upon the workshop idea when she was leading a book discussion within the One Book project at the Crocker Art Museum.

The book that the One Book project was focusing on was “Strapless: John Singer Sargent and the Fall of Madame X” by Deborah Davis. Gale said the painting on the cover of “Strapless” had inspired the author, Davis, to write the book.

In the discussion of “Strapless,” Gale decided to have a writing and reading workshop that was designed to have the same effect, which Davis had experienced in the creation of her own book; the effect of an art piece inspiring a piece of writing.

The class filled up right away and 20 people were on the wait list.

The popularity of this class led Gale to think about providing another workshop in the spring.

After two weeks of drafting and revising, the writers publicly read their finished works – based on an art piece they have chosen.

The Thursday evening workshop began with introductions: explanations on why the writers were attending the class, expectations and the writers’ backgrounds.

After the introductions, the writers were given a choice of two paintings, “Serenity” and “Reflection of,” on which to write on for a practice exercise before the real thing.

Workshop participant Beth Notter chose “Serenity” for her practice run.

Notter said she chose the painting “because I thought it was a deceptive scene. It looks so serene on the surface, but you have the feeling of real emptiness.”

Notter had not written for three years, following a 20-year history of writing. Notter said how her own writing has “gone dormant” in which her “muse went away and is now returning.”

Notter hopes this workshop will get her writing again.

Workshop participant Glen Powell chose to write on both, “Serenity” and “Reflections of.”

On the “Serenity” painting, Powell said he “always liked a view of something that is permanent.”

On the “Reflections of” painting, Powell described how it was “an expression of pain at certain levels. The kind if one chooses to move, they won’t be in it.”

Powell does not consider himself a writer, but he wants to give it a try.

Powell described how he is “fairly artistic at other mediums” and he “has a real love of literature.”

As an aspiring writer, Powell had found the writing and reading workshop to be very helpful.

“It’s kind of like your first parachute jump. It’s your kick out the door,” Powell said.

The last part of the workshop entailed participants choosing a piece from the Crocker’s art collection for their final writing assignment.

Susan Doherty, a workshop participant, chose the art piece “A Portrait Of My Father” by Stephen J. Kaltenbach to use as a muse for her final writing piece.

“It really provoked some feelings for me because it looked a lot like my father on his death bed,” Doherty said. “It was challenging for me to say ‘I want to do this.'”

Doherty likes group writing and finds it healing. She has been part of a writing group called “Sutter Writers.” The “Sutter Writers” are people who have been in cancer recovery in which they turn to writing as a therapeutic outlet.

Art not only sparks ideas for writing and healing for Doherty, but also helps her connect to her grandson.

Doherty went to an event at the Crocker called “Wee Ones,” where little kids come and look at art. She described how her grandson has “these amazing ideas about art,” which made her “excited about everything going on here.”

The workshop has become not only a passion for the instructor, Gale, but has inspired her to write a piece herself.

Gale said she is leaning towards choosing the “Laughing Woman” by Rufino Tamayo to use as a muse for a possible writing project of her own.

On Oct. 13, the final writing piece will be read in front of friends and family of the workshop participants. The writer’s chosen muse will be projected on a screen behind the presenter during their readings.

Colin McAteer can be reached at [email protected]