Author Dolly Berthelot’s original haiku will be among those featured in a unique Hai-Art exhibit of original haiku and the artworks that inspired them, all by national Pen Women of the Pensacola area branch. The show will be August 6-September 13 in the Suzanne Robbert Vault Room at Artel Gallery, 223 Palafox Place, in historic downtown Pensacola, FL. In adjoining Artel space is a larger exhibit of diverse works by multiple artists and a one person show by award winner Scott Carlson. A reception Thursday August 8, 5-7pm, offers free access to all exhibits and to attending artists and writers.

Dolly’s most recent (and very different) books are available at her publisher’s site Energion Expand and at Amazon: mini memoir STARS TO SCARS, Evolving Mystical Humanist UU: drdollyb.com/stars , and PERFECTLY SQUARE, A Fantasy Fable for All Ages: drdollyb.com/square.

Pen Woman Karen McAferty Morris, a writer and retired English teacher, conceptualized and coordinated this ekphrastic writing combo, echoing a similar Pen Women haiku-art exhibit at Quayside Gallery decades ago. Karen led a related haiku workshop assisted by Pen Woman writer Andrea Walker. Originating in Japan and traditionally taught as a non rhyming poem of three lines with 5 syllable, 7 syllable, 5 syllable structure; that demand has loosened today to simply 3 lines of no more than 17 syllables. The brevity of haiku makes each especially easy to read and grasp next to the art that inspired it. There are 38 works of art each accompanied by several haiku, one by each of the 10 Pen Women submitting poems.

Viewers may enjoy matching Dolly’s haiku shown here to the art that inspired it.