Alleyways to Creativity: Art at PSU

Meghan Hall

She/Her

Staff Writer

10/7/25

It’s been a tough year for creatives at Plymouth State. Potential program restructuring seems to speak to what is becoming a national issue: the censorship of art, language, and critical thinking.

With this in mind, there is truly no better time than now to be creative. As it has always been, the poem is a political act; the canvas is a statement far greater than the wooden frame supporting it.

Try as one might to disconnect the artist from their art, we will always put our lived experiences, preferences, and preconceived notions into our work. In this way, Plymouth State’s artistic community reflects its own individual expression but also our shared connection to New Hampshire, the White Mountains, and our campus.

While we are in the heart of it all, it is important to go out of our way to engage with the diverse array of creative outlets thriving on our campus. To not platform these opportunities would be particularly remiss, for it is up to us to celebrate art loudly. This joy—and the beauty of this joy—is as intrinsically human as our bodies and is as delicate as our skin.

Calls for Art and Writing:

“Why Art Matters” — This multi-media art exhibition, curated by Simone Faucher, recognizes that art is impactful; however, it is your job to explain how. How has art impacted you? How has it changed your personhood or morphed your identity? Who are you because of your art?

Make something that symbolizes the importance of art or what art means to you, regardless of what medium you choose.

This is a great opportunity for you to put your best foot forward and get your work shown in the Collins Gallery at Draper & Maynard. All submissions and questions should be emailed to Simone Faucher (Simone.Faucher@plymouth.edu). Submissions close 10/10/25.

“Rooted: Story of Trees” — As part of an upcoming Museum of the White Mountains Exhibition, students are encouraged to submit poetry and art for publication/showing. The upcoming exhibition is based on Plymouth State’s Adopt-a-Tree program. Work submitted may be published in zines, on posters, or hung on the walls, all of which will ultimately appear in Rooted: Story of Trees.

This exhibition will explore Plymouth State’s trees and forests, and raise awareness about climate change and the dire need for tree care in built environments such as our campus.

To this end, you are welcome to write/draw/create whatever best explores the topic of “trees”! You could draw inspiration from Robert Frost, write about your love for Plymouth State outdoor life, or talk about the socioeconomic and political nature of urban/rural life.

If you are looking for particular inspiration, featured trees include: Black Tupelo, Gingko, Japanese Umbrella Pine, Katsura, Nootka Cypress, Paperbark Maple, Sugar Maple, Tamarack, Tulip Tree, European Beech, Bigleaf Magnolia, Dawn Redwood, and Eastern Redbud. These trees can all be found across campus. You’re welcome to learn more about them on the Adopt-a-Tree website.

The deadline for poems is October 13th. Final drafts are expected at this time. All poems should be emailed to Meghan Hall at mjh1166@usnh.edu for consideration. Reach out with any questions or concerns!

The first draft deadline for art is October 13th. Finalized pieces and work accepted for showing will be received at a later date.

This exhibition will be accompanied by an open mic hosted by PSU Poets and Writers and an art market led by the Student Art Collective (SAC). It will take place on November 21st at the Museum of the White Mountains, with the art market going from 5:30-8pm. The open mic will be 6-7pm.

Centripetal — Centripetal is the semesterly publication produced by PSU Poets and Writers, and it is shared with our campus community for free, as they believe all books should be.

This open call asks for no more than four pieces of writing (poetry, prose, screenplays, fiction/non-fiction, anything goes!) and/or four pieces of artwork (photography, images of work, digital drawings, etc.).

For written works, there is a maximum of 4000 cumulative words for your submission.

Work is due by Friday, October 17th, emailed to psupoetsandwriters@gmail.com.

Lamson Library Archives — The Spinelli Archives is seeking submissions from PSU organizations; student researcher Madison Dwyer is collecting both new and old materials to preserve the culture and art of our student life on campus.

This archiving project is collecting physical and digital materials, whether that is a handbook, an advertisement, or a publication. This is important to sharing your club’s story, its legacy, and demonstrating the direct impact that you have had on PSU’s campus.

Dwyer noted: “I was drawn to the memorabilia of campus life. The photographs of students, the artwork and artifacts all called to me.” Particularly interesting is how this speaks to our history of campus life and politics; Dwyer has noticed that club posters commonly reflect cultural trends, she said.

There is a lot of hope central to this project: the idea that we have a rich, deep history curated by countless other people with passion as strong as our own. There is a beauty in what we have created here as students, and it will last long beyond us.

Questions about whether something fits? Reach out to psu-archives@plymouth.edu.

Hinman Award for Literary Studies — This award is offered to the best undergraduate essay focusing on literary analysis, film studies, and/or cultural criticism. The Selection Committee for this essay prize includes some of PSU’s English and film professors.

You can submit any essay written for class, for personal projects, or anything in between.

This prize is only available for English majors and minors. All submissions are judged blind, so your name should not appear on the document. Files should be either in .pdf or Word format. Essays should be sent to Liz Ahl, Hinman Selection Committee Chair, at eahl@plymouth.edu.

Submissions due Friday, October 31st at 5pm.