Calling all writers

Inverloch artist John Mutsaers is fascinated by the intersection of the visual and literary arts and is calling for writers to contribute to an upcoming exhibition.
To mark his August exhibition at the Gippsland Performing Arts Centre in Traralgon, curated by Gabriella Duffy of the Latrobe Regional Gallery, Mr Mutsaers wants writers to respond to a series of paintings and drawings, based on his childhood.
Each writer will be paired with a painting, a drawing and a cue card. Mr Mutsaers said the cue could be something like a quote and the connection might not be obvious.
John has set similar challenges in the past, in 2020 he received 35 submissions when he asked Gippsland writers to respond to his exhibition The Infinite Birdcage.
The drawings will depict the interests of a 12 to 14-year-old boy of John's era - the mid-1950s. While John grew up in the Netherlands, he said that wasn't the point of the exercise.
"It could be set anywhere and be about any boy of that period, real or imagined."
The 12 selected writers will be very much a part of the exhibition, which opens on August 12 and runs until October 15.
The project is being run in conjunction with the Bass Coast Prize for Non-Fiction.
The writers will be invited to attend a creative writing workshop with a professional writer. A manuscript of the writings, along with Mr Mutsaers' paintings and drawings, will be submitted to a publisher, giving the authors the prospect of a permanent record of their participation.
Those interested are invited to email around 250 words of creative writing to Mr Mutsaers at opusjoop1@gmail.com by June 30.
If it's an extract from a longer piece, feel free to explain the context.