Observations, Volume 5 - 2026

On March 7, 2026, Buckham Gallery hosted the “Observations, Volume 5” release event celebrating the fifth Writer in Residence and collaborative work of Vivian Kao. 

Over the course of the 2024-2025 season, Vivian attended and responded to 24 shows in ten exhibitions. Some of the shows were concurrent solo artist presentations, while others were themed group shows and a myriad of combinations. Ultimately, Vivian created more than 30 poems in different literary forms, approaching each with vulnerability, compassion, strength, and often humor. 

Copies of “Observations, Volume 5” are available for purchase at Buckham Gallery and online at  https://www.buckhamgallery.org/store/p72/Observations-_Vivian_Kao.html. 

Buckham owes its deepest gratitude to Vivian for her hard work and enthusiastic participation in Buckham’s Writer In Residence program and her contributions to our community. 

A profound thank you to the Mary Elizabeth Adams Manley Beautification Fund of the Community Foundation of Greater Flint,  whose sponsorship of the fifth residency and publication truly saved the day. We are so grateful for each individual who donated, helping us to produce this publication and supporting the continuation of the WIR program.

About the Writer In Residence Project:
The Buckham Fine Arts Project’s Writer In Residence (WIR) program started as an outreach project in early 2021 to intentionally create opportunities for literary artists from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities in Genesee County by encouraging creative engagement with visual art. While increasing representation within its programming, Buckham supports literary artists to create new art and builds meaningful relationships within a wider and more diverse audience.

Event photography courtesy of Cliff Hughes

Buckham Fine Arts Project is supported in part by an award from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the Michigan Arts and Culture Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, the Community Foundation of Greater Flint, and the Greater Flint Arts Council Share Art Genesee Grant Program made possible by the Genesee County Arts Education and Cultural Enrichment Millage funds. Your tax dollars are at work!