Visual art, film and literature collide this month at the Grand Rapids Art Museum in the form of the Michigan Film, Art and Literature Symposium. The idea for the symposium came about in part through the Friday Night Conversations at the GRAM and the Michigan Film Festival. Those two events generated multiple conversations among local artists and enthusiasts, which eventually led to the topic of art with a Michigan perspective.

A focus on the "Michigan Perspective" is what the symposium will have thanks to a unique partnership between some of Grand Rapids more well-known organizations.

"Organizing the symposium was a truly collaborative effort, with special thanks to Toni Perrine and Caitlin Horrocks of GVSU and Kristen Krueger-Corrodo and Chris Byron from Grand Rapids Public Library for their expertise in the areas of film and literature," said Kerri VanderHoff, marketing and public relations director at the GRAM.

Michigan Film, Art & Literature Symposium Grand Rapids Art Museum Nov 12 and 13 FREE! RSVP at michigansymposium.kintera.org artmuseumgr.org, (616) 831-1000

The symposium aims to bring together scholars, artists and community leaders from around the state to focus on the theme of identifying the Michigan perspective and understanding it as a whole through creative expression. Some of the scholars and artists talking at the weekend-long event include Michigan Public Radio's Jennifer Guerra, artist Paul Collins, Calvin College professor Carl Plantinga and more. Don't think you can go to the symposium and merely listen to what the experts in film, art and literature have to say though. The symposium is all about the dialogue.

To help facilitate conversation among participants, the symposium is organized along a "conversational arc" that's filled with roundtables, keynote speakers, networking opportunities and more.

"In a way, the conversations have always been out there, and the symposium is hoping to pull it all together by gathering people in one place and encouraging them to share with each other," VanderHoff said.

Sharing is essentially the key to the symposium. The more attendees talk to each other and participate in the roundtables and talks, the more engaging the entire event will be.

So what can participants expect to walk away with after a weekend of art, film and literature-filled conversations? Inspiration.

"We hope to inspire critical thinking about what it means to live and create in Michigan, that after such lively and diverse discussions we all walk away with a greater awareness of who we are and how that is uniquely expressed," VanderHoff said.

Complete details about speakers and sessions are available at artmuseumgr.org.

Pictured: Michigan Public Radio’s Jennifer Guerra, who will speak at the symposium.