CIRCLE CREATION EXPOSÉ
“Ascendance” — Lindsey Stirling
Photo above: Wikipedia — The Richat Structure (also known as the Eye of the Sahara and Guelb er Richat) is a prominent circular feature in the Sahara desert near Ouadane, west–central Mauritania.
PLAYKulture
&
ZO Magazine
PRESENT
The
CIRCLE & SPHERE
EXPO
Photo: © Ralf Poppcke – FOTOGRAFIE
This Expo is in Development
Starting a brand new project is always exciting and sometimes just a little scary . . . As submissions from around the world came into our first Poetry & ART Expo, we all wondered where the winners would come from. Our judging is blind, so upon finding out that we had a Gold winner from Italy, as well as the U.S., we were thoroughly jazzed and very pleased that we were indeed truly “international.” Silver winners were from Thailand, Latin America and the U.S.
One of the judges thought they could see the eyes of the Black Madonna in John’s art . . . 🙂
At the time of her win, Annalise Mabe was pursuing an MFA at the University of South Florida where she writes poetry and nonfiction. Her work has been published in The Offing, Proximity Magazine, and elsewhere. She reads poetry for Sweet: A Literary Confection, and is a poetry editor at Saw Palm: Florida Literature and Art.
2015 SILVER
BRITTNI REEVES
“Lost”
Brittni Reeves is 18 years old and lives in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. She is presently a university student pursuing a degree in art education. “I have a passion for the arts and wish to share my talent and techniques with others.” — Brittni
AOF SMITH
“Summer Chaos”
Aof Smith is an artist from Thailand working with oil on canvas. His art stems from his own particular perspectives and a deep curiosity of the world. The subjects he ultimately depicts are questionings about what has happened to society and the world today. “My art(s) reveals and combines every moment I capture from my feelings (about these things).” — Aof
ALBERTO ARAVENA
“Jirafas Y Luciernagas | Giraffes and Fireflies”
Alberto Aravena was born in Valparaíso, Chile. He now studies Fine Art in Santiago, Chile. His pictorial work creates dreamlike compositions in landscapes of great figurative synthesis. The work establishes a relationship between plains, hills and other objects that seem to float to evoke ideas about life, feelings and states of mind. His main technique is oil on linen, preferably using large formats. The original of Jirafas Y Luciernagas | Giraffes and Fireflies is 65cms x 245cms.
2015 POETRY & ART JUDGES
All of us at ZO are so very grateful for the supportive artists and friends that we have made over the years in experimenting with these unique presentations. We not only love to promote artists but the creative side in everyone. Pierre Gable says it best on his website: “Photography is nothing, It’s life that interests me.” Pierre
SHIKHA MALAVIYA
POETRY JUDGE
Shikha (Saklani) Malaviya is a poet & writer, born in the U.K. and raised in Minnesota and India. Her book, Geography of Tongues, was launched in December 2013, in India, and featured in The Times of India Literary Carnival, Lit.mus & other festivals. Shikha is co-founder of The (Great) Indian Poetry Collective, a literary press.
JANE VARLEY
POETRY JUDGE
Jane Varley is the Chair of English and Coordinator of Creative Writing at Muskingum University in New Concord, Ohio. She teaches writing and literature, and writes and publishes poetry and nonfiction.
TONYA INGRAM
POETRY JUDGE
Connect with Tonya Ingram on Twitter — @TonyaSIngram
“Where The Wild Things Are … Lover of God and People. Performer. Writer. Accidental Hipster. NYU Alumna. Otis Grad Student. Cincinnati Native. Bronx-bred Introvert. LA Odd Soul.”
PIERRE GABLE
ART JUDGE
Pierre Gable is a photographer presently residing in France. He is a prolific creator of photo art, which can be seen at his French Art Site, P. Gable Facebook and P_Gable Instagram
SCOTT NAVICKY
ART JUDGE
Scott Navicky is the author of Humboldt: Or, The Power of Positive Thinking (Chicago Center for Literature and Photography, 2014). He attended Denison University and the University of Auckland, where he was awarded an Honors Master’s Degree in art history with a focus on photography theory.
ABHAY K
ART JUDGE
Photo: Abhay K reading poetry in Gangtok, Sikkim,India by Kalhause
Wikipedia: Abhay K is an Indian poet-diplomat and artist. He has written several books including The Seduction of Delhi and River Valley to Silicon Valley.
ERICCO — Ericco Studio
ART JUDGE
Ericco is the principal for Ericco Studio (an Art Design firm in Los Angeles, CA). Ericco has been a supporter of ZO’s projects since its formation. He is continuing work in regard to developing Artists’ Creative Spaces in the Los Angeles and working on projects around the country and Puerto Rico.

TARA COTTER’ NESCI
ART JUDGE
Tara is an artist and entrepreneur. She has acted as a liaison between ZO and many of the artists it has connected with over the years.
FEATURED POETRY from the CONVERGENCE EXPO
can be found on the following indicated pages
Post | The Ocean | Precipitation | What Cloud Are You On? | What Is the Grass? |
Jane Varley—Face On Mars | Shikha Malaviya—Good Indian | Tonya Ingram—October 6 | Rafael S.W—Fault Lines | |
10/17/15 | Rachel Miskei—House Fell | Meg Eden—Hokotashi | Tarak Mahadi—Odyssey of Life | KD Matheson—lizard |
10/31/15 | David Gustavsen—Perfection | Brenda Romo—Single Point | Tarak Mahadi—Odyssey | Kine Fall—Channeled |
11/07/15 | Matthew Harris—Mellifluous | Faith Cotter—Bone Daughter | Ariana Harley—Fire Wood | Rachel Miskei—One Fig Tree |
11/21/15 | Levi Noe—Five Points | Lenore Weiss—Shoot Me | Vince Ruston—Transfusion | Mauricio Almonte—if we belong |
11/28/15 | Tammi Williams—Lady In Red | Krystal Brown—Liberty/Chains | Vince Ruston—Transfusion | Denise Martin—Ship |
12/05/15 | Eva Mozette Novar—All Is One | Douglas Thorne—Phone Call | Gabriel Maybank—BEDROCK | Bobbi Rudin—Yantra |
12/19/15 | Winston Mayo—Wise In Body | Douglas Thorne—Phone Call | Will Schmitz—Equinoctial | Cynthia Ghazary—I Know You |
01/02/16 | Alexander Smith—Same | Georgios Ampatzidis—Just In | Oliver Newman—Ambient | H. Issa—I Remain |
01/16/16 | J.C. Elkin—Souvenir | Natalie Worrell—Baby R | Stephanie Gartner—Ignis | Levi Harris—Once I Met A Hero |
01/30/16 | M. Terry Bowman—Collector | Maxwell MacDonald—Limbo | Dawn Cuccienello—Market | Miles Cobbett—First River |
02/13/16 | Timothy Davis—Observations | Athens Ramseyer—Never Say | P.L. Summers—Old Frost | Hannah Dow—#43: Marionette |
02/27/16 | Colton Adrian—Pocket Water | Yolanda Lewis—Heart | Katherine Norland—Love | Kelly Jolene—Your Dying |
03/12/16 | Collin Sullivan—Stone Seed | John Barnes—Makes Cents | Megan Tucker—The Way | Susan Anderson—Braiding |
03/26/16 | Vanessa Piccirilli—The Second | Steven Lee—Leah’s Mom | Mark Flint—For Dimples | Kelsey Robb—Baby Doomers |
04/09/16 | Bobbi Rudin—Happenings | Emily Johnson—The Elephant | Janet Ghio—Camouflage | Andrew Erwin—Child’s Eye |