25 Mar Drop-In Writing with Lighthouse: Mary Ellen Mark’s Indian Circus | Oct. 17th

Posted at 12:46h in Classes and Workshops - Current and Upcoming, Fall 2026 by
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Acrobats Practicing at Famous Circus, Calcutta, 1989 ©Mary Ellen Mark, courtesy of The Mary Ellen Mark Foundation/Howard Greenberg Gallery
Jumping acrobats practicing, Famous Circus, Calcutta, 1989. ©Mary Ellen Mark, courtesy of The Mary Ellen Mark Foundation/Howard Greenberg Gallery

Drop-In Writing with Lighthouse: Mary Ellen Mark’s Indian Circus | Oct. 17th

Date  | Saturday, October 17, 2026

 

Register early to help ensure your class runs. Courses that do not meet minimum enrollment may be cancelled.

Time  |  10 AM – 12 PM

Location |  Colorado Photographic Arts Center

1200 Lincoln Street, Suite 111, Denver, CO 80203

Cost  | $10

Additional Materials Fee  | None

Instructor  |  Marissa Morrow

Skill Level  |  All

CPAC adheres to a strict payment, cancellation, and refund policy. Please review our Payment & Refund Policies prior to registration.

Objective:

This drop-in workshop is open to all experience levels. Participants do not need to identify as writers or photographers to take part. The workshop is designed for anyone interested in exploring the relationship between photography, observation, memory, and creative writing.

Course Description:

Find inspiration in photography and writing during this creative workshop presented in partnership with Lighthouse Writers Workshop.

Participants will explore Mary Ellen Mark: Indian Circus, an exhibition highlighting Mary Ellen Mark’s enduring influence on documentary photography through an intimate body of work shaped by trust, observation, and deep attention to people and place. After spending time with the photographs in the gallery, participants will respond through guided writing prompts designed to spark reflection, memory, image-making, and storytelling.

This workshop invites participants to consider how photographs can open pathways into language, personal response, and creative exploration. No previous writing or photography experience is required. Writers, photographers, artists, and curious community members are all welcome.

Indian Circus by Mary Ellen Mark presents a powerful body of documentary work made during Mark’s travels with circus companies in India. Rather than focusing only on performance, Mark photographed rehearsals, work, daily life, and the moments between, creating images that reveal the circus as a complex community of performers, children, animals, and caretakers.

TOPICS COVERED
  • Spend time viewing Mary Ellen Mark: Indian Circus in the CPAC gallery
  • Respond to the exhibition through guided writing prompts
  • Explore connections between image, memory, character, place, and point of view
  • Have the option to share writing in a supportive group setting

Materials Needed:

  • Please bring a notebook, pen, laptop, or preferred writing materials.

If you have questions about equipment or file preparation, contact us at edu@cpacphoto.org in advance of class.