The art of ekphrastic writing comes alive at OSU’s MOA

Monday, November 10, 2025

Media Contact: Amy Juarez | OSU Museum of Art Marketing and Communications | 405-744-2783 | amyjuar@okstate.edu

Oklahoma State University professors are finding creative ways to expand their classrooms by bringing their students to the OSU Museum of Art.

What happens when a poem meets a painting? When imagination bridges the space between canvas and page? At the OSU Museum of Art, that question comes to life as creative writing students translate visual works into words.

Stephanie Choi, assistant professor of English, brought her creative writing classes to the OSU Museum of Art with a specific assignment in mind: use the art on display for ekphrastic writing.

“There’s a specific mode of writing called ekphrastic, where the writer describes a visual artwork and also offers a unique and specific perspective — that might be rooted in the actual elements of the artwork or more imagination,” Choi said.

By bringing her students to the museum, Choi not only gave them the opportunity to learn outside of the classroom but also introduced them to a new way of writing through a hands-on approach.

During their visit, museum staff guided students through a brief exercise before they explored the galleries to select a muse for their writing assignment. The exercise encouraged students to observe closely and think creatively about a specific artwork.

With contributions from over 90 artists, the “Cimarron National Works” on Paper exhibition was ideal, offering a rich variety of themes and techniques — ranging from realism to abstraction — for the writers to choose from.

“The museum is a very fitting and fruitful place to bring a creative writing class — where we are always searching for a ‘muse’ to write about,” Choi said.

Although students came with a writing assignment in mind, they left with new perspectives, both on writing and art.

“One of my students was very excited to learn that it was possible to paint with salt crystals, which was listed as one of the mediums for one of the pieces, and I didn’t know that was possible either, so it was a fun learning moment and something that my student taught me,” Choi said.

As a result of this collaboration, the OSU Museum of Art is now featuring the students’ poems in its galleries. Next to each selected artwork from “Cimarron National Works on Paper,” visitors can scan a QR code to read the accompanying poem and experience how visual art and creative writing connect. This interactive addition turns the exhibition into a dialogue between image and word, inviting visitors to see, think and wonder in new ways.

To read their poems, learn more about our exhibitions, or book a tour of the museum, visit  museum.okstate.edu

Funding for this season is provided by Marilynn and Carl Thoma, Lou Watkins and the OSU Museum of Art Advocates.  

Story By: Ashton Miller | ashton.miller11@okstate.com