The P2 Collective

PHOTOGRAPERS:

Alexa Frangos, Steve Geer, Suzanne Metzel

POETS:

Maureen Tolman Flannery, Caroline Johnson
Wilda Morris, Susan T. Moss

FACEBOOK PAGE
YouTube PAGE

About P2

In the summer of 2019, a group of Chicago area photographers and poets met to discuss the idea of pursuing an ekphrastic conversation between poetry and photography, a conversation in which one art-form inspires the other. For example, a photograph might inspire a poem, which in turn inspires another photograph, which then inspires another poem and so on.

The group named itself The P2 Collective, a collaboration of four poets and three photographers. During the two pandemic-constraining years 2020-21, the P2 Collective held online poetry readings in which accompanying photographic images were displayed and produced several poetry-photography videos.

In November 2021 the Collective held its first gallery exhibition at the Perspective Gallery of Fine Art Photography in Evanston, IL. Photographs and poems were exhibited from some of the P2 members’ favorite “conversations.” In April 2022 these poems and photographs were presented at a reading at the Cliff Dwellers Club in downtown Chicago, with mood setting music by cellist Najette Abouelhadi.

In 2022 the P2 Collective produced a new program: "Collective Visons," a second collection of poems and photographs presented with mood setting music by violist Lauren Voegtle at The Art Center, Highland Park, and at the Cliff Dwellers Club, downtown Chicago. This has been followed, in October 2023, by a third collection of poems and images: "Collective Visions II," first performed at The Cliff Dwellers Club with mood setting music by cellist Martine Benmann.

Along the way, the group has published poems and photographs in a number of poetry magazines. We hope to see you at one of our future events.

P2 Catalogs

Collective Visions II
Poetry and photos from the third collection of work by the P2 Collective, Oct. 2023

Buy at Blurb

Collective Visions
Poetry and photos from the second collection of work by the P2 Collective, Oct. 2022

Buy at Blurb

Poetry and Photography
Poetry and photos from the P2 exhibition at The Perspective Gallery of Fine Art Photography, Evanston, IL. Nov. 2021

Buy at Blurb

Publications

Synkroniciti "Space" Cover (Vol. 5 No. 4 Fall 2023) contest winner
East on Central Volume 22, 2023-2024
After Hours Press Issue No. 43, Winter 2022 Featured Artists
Highland Park Poetry March 2022 Muses Gallery & Daily Poems
Still Point Arts Quarterly Issue No. 45, Spring 2022
Synkroniciti Vol. 5 No. 4 Space, Nov. 30, 2023

Poetry Reading Videos

Chicago
Music by violist Lauren Voegtle, November 2022

P2 Video: Chicago, extracted from the program Collective Visions

YouTube Video

Fish Tales
Music by violist Lauren Voegtle, November 2022

P2 Video: Fish Tales, extracted from the program Collective Visions

YouTube Video

Ukraine
Music by violist Lauren Voegtle, November 2022

P2 Video: Ukraine, extracted from the program Collective Visions

YouTube Video

Homeless Sparrow
Poetry with Projected Images, 1st May 2021

YouTube Video

Unstable Ground
Poetry with Projected Images, 1st May 2021

YouTube Video

In Covid Times
Poetry with Projected Images, 30th August 2020

YouTube Video

Still Life
Music by violist Lauren Voegtle, November 2022

P2 Video: Still Life, extracted from the program Collective Visions

YouTube Video

Flower Arranging
Music by violist Lauren Voegtle, November 2022

P2 Video: Flower Arranging, extracted from the program Collective Visions

YouTube Video

Winter
Music by violist Lauren Voegtle, November 2022

P2 Video: Winter, extracted from the program Collective Visions

YouTube Video

Poetry, Photography & Music
Music by cellist Najette Abouelhadi, April 2022

YouTube Video

Reading at Perspective Gallery
Poetry with Projected Images, 11th Nov. 2021

P2 Poetry reading at Perspective Gallery

Recording of the Event

Lipstick and Balm
Poetry with Projected Images, 1st May 2021

YouTube Video

Shadows and Circles
Poetry with Projected Images, 1st May 2021