When I stepped into Buckham Gallery, I didn’t know it would give me the permission I needed to write with freedom.
The first painting that caught my eye was Yanna. Thick, layered brushstrokes of golden yellow and emerald greens filled a 5-by-4 foot stretched canvas. The frayed edges immediately reminded me of an artisanally woven blanket. Tropical colors formed the shape of palm and banana tree leaves that surrounded a beautiful, Black woman, leaning back, relaxed with a radiant smile. Her hair was wrapped in a fabric of ombre orange shapes, her nails long and blue, and her face framed by large golden hoops.
Next to her, a red macaw hovered on its perch above a small, wooden table. On it sat a blurred photograph of an elderly woman, standing proudly.
My eyes filled with tears. My heart ached with saudade. The colors carried me back to Brasil. The photograph reminded me of my grandmother, and the woman –– with her hoops in, nails perfect, and brilliant smile –– was my aunt Tereza staring back at me.
I looked over at Michele LeClaire, the executive director of Buckham Gallery, and asked, “How do I write about this? Do I write about the painter [Kiara Aileen Machado] or about the painting? Do I write an essay or poetry?”
“Anything you want,” she replied.
Instantly, her words changed how I interact with art. I no longer had to write as a journalist chasing deadlines or fit my thoughts into traditional forms. I could write as I felt –– restorative, healing words that helped me explore pieces of my culture I hadn’t known how to reach. To see yourself in art is sacred. To see your culture reflected back in color and texture is a gift.
In October 2024, I completed my year as the Buckham Fine Art’s Project (BFAP) Writer in Residence at Buckham Gallery. During that time, I wrote 22 pieces inspired by the gallery’s exhibitions, ranging from a screen play on origins of the earth to poetry drawn from my time as a COVID-19 nurse in the ICU.
Currently, Vivian Kao is the fifth Writer in Residence. Her work is breathtaking and her ability to explain the nuanced feelings of being a cultural outsider are staggeringly beautiful and real. Over the year, she has or will attend 10 exhibitions, culminating in her final work in September 2025.
The BFAP’s Writer in Residence program began in 2021 as an outreach project to connect Buckham’s visual arts exhibitions with literary arts and Flint’s literary voices, particularly from Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and other marginalized communities. The project provides exposure, support and the freedom to experiment in ways many of us have had the chance or access to do.
Applications are now open for the 2025-2026 residency, which runs from October 10, 2025, to September 30, 2026. The selected writer receives a $1,000 honorarium and membership to the Buckham Arts Collective. Submissions are open until August 30, 2025.
Now entering its sixth year, the program has grown and continues to welcome historically underrepresented writers in Genesee County –– including people of color, immigrants, refugees, veterans, and LGBTQIA+ writers, and those individuals living with disabilities.
My time as the Writer in Residence was one of the greatest gifts of my adult life. The book that was created was beautifully designed by Katie Cotton, and the support I felt from Michele and the Buckham community will stay with me always. My book signing was a dream. And since then, I’ve had the privilege of meeting and interacting with other incredible Latinx artists like Teresa Dunn and Paloma Núñez-Regueiro.
With August 30 quickly approaching, I encourage every writer looking to grow, take risks and discover new freedom in their craft to apply.
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