By Oregon Coast TODAY
It’s no secret that writers and visual artists are mostly solitary creatures when they work, but when they work together, it can create magic, as was the case with the collaboration between Taylor Yount and Veta Bakhtina.
“My Sutured Mind: Poems of Healing Beyond Trauma,” written by Yount and illustrated by Bakhtina, will be presented at the grand opening of Bakhtina’s Creatures’ Secrets Studio Gallery in Aquarium Village on Saturday, June 14.
The event will feature a reading, an art exhibition and an auction of original artwork. Food provided by Julia Dobies, beer donated by Rogue Brewery and wine donated by Grocery Outlet will be served.
“The poems are about my personal journey through trauma and trauma recovery,” Yount said. “I’ve had a lot of medical things in my life, and I want to use my journey to give some resilience and hope to others.”
The journey from idea to published work started roughly 10 years ago, when Yount shared her writing with close friends, who then encouraged her to share it with the rest of the world. She heard about Don Gomez and Sterncastle Publishing through the Newport Chamber of Commerce.
“I liked the fact that Sterncastle highlights marginalized authors, so I created a draft manuscript and brought it to Don.”
Gomez was immediately drawn to the project.
“It’s been an honor to see this come together and be a part of it,” he said. “It’s a gorgeous book.”
Yount found Bakhtina through a mutual friend who was familiar with her work.
“I went to her studio and saw her artwork and the piece ‘The Atrium’ immediately spoke to me,” Yount said. “It just felt like the right connection between the surrealism of her art and the surrealism of my words.”
Bakhtina’s paintings, illustrations and murals can be seen at the Crows Nest in Toledo, on walls all over Lincoln County and now, in her new studio space.
“This project was really exciting because I immediately resonated with the poems,” she said.
“Taylor would read a poem and I would connect it to something meaningful to me. That’s the only way to make art – if you are connected to the project.”
The collaboration resulted in 26 stunning illustrations, some of which will be auctioned off at the gallery opening with proceeds going to support ABLE House, a space for people experiencing crisis.
“This project was so meaningful to us, so we wanted to use it to support something else meaningful,” Yount said.
The events begins at 4 p.m. Saturday at Creatures’ Secrets Studio Gallery, located in Aquarium Village, 3101 Ferry Slip Rd #508.
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