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Pop-Up Writing Workshop: Visiting Artist Chris Marcotte

Pop-Up Writing Workshop February 10 & March 3, 2026 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM Free to Attend & Open to All!

Discover the powerful stories hidden inside your photographs in this intimate, two-part, in-person writing workshop with Artist-in-Residence Chris Marcotte. Finding Your Story invites participants to explore memory, imagination, and craft as they write a memoir or short story inspired by a personal photo from any time period. Designed for writers of all experience levels, this workshop offers guided exercises, individualized feedback, and a supportive community in which to draft, revise, and share a complete piece of writing. The small group setting allows for thoughtful discussion and one-on-one constructive feedback—making this a rich and rewarding experience for every participant. Participants will leave with a polished memoir or short story (500–1500 words) and a deeper understanding of how images can unlock meaningful narratives. For inspiration, the facilitator will also share a recently selected short story written from a photograph and published in an online anthology.

This workshop is FREE and open to ages 12–92. Space is very limited (6 participants) to ensure personalized attention.

Workshop Structure & Goals

Goal: Using personal photographs, participants will draft, revise, and share a memoir or short story with a clear beginning, middle, and end.

Session One – Tuesday, February 10, 2026

  • Guided writing exercises and prewriting activities
  • Participants bring one photograph (from any time period) to inspire their writing

Between Sessions

  • Participants draft a 500–1500 word memoir or short story
  • Drafts are submitted to the facilitator for individualized, helpful feedback (Feb 14–21)
  • Writers revise and polish their piece in preparation for sharing

Session Two – Tuesday, March 3, 2026

  • Brief discussion on the value of positive feedback
  • Participants share their work aloud
  • Each writer receives written, positive feedback from the group

Event Details:

✍️ Pop-Up Writing Workshop 📅 Tuesday, February 10 & Tuesday, March 3, 2026
🕙 3:30 - 5:00 PM
📍 New York Mills Library – Meeting Room
🎟️ Free & Open to All; Registration Required!

To register, click below to complete the form or call the Center at 218-385-3339.

Register for Writing Workshop with Chris Marcotte

About Chris Marcotte

Chris Marcotte has visited New York Mills many times as a visiting artist. She writes historical fiction and nonfiction, a passion she discovered after retirement while exploring stories from her grandmother’s family. A lifelong love of history naturally became her niche.

In 2014, she created Reminisce, a weekly newspaper column that ran in the Western Itasca Review until its closure in 2018. The Grand Rapids Herald-Review revived the column in 2019, where she continues to write the bi-monthly column. Reminisce focuses on the people, places, and events of Itasca County between 1890 and 1930. Years of research into the murder of her third great-grandfather, William Thomas Boxell, led her to pursue creative writing. In 2019, she completed her first historical novel, What Amelia Knows, based on that case.

She lives on a small lake near Deer River, Minnesota, with her husband, a dog, and a cat, and enjoys woodland walks with her grandson, gardening, and reflecting on the wonders of everyday life.

👉 Questions? Contact the Center at 218-385-3339 or email info@kulcher.org.

This activity is made possible in part by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.