A simple exchange of an article about watercolor painting between Grand Valley State University faculty members has bloomed into a collaborative project secured by one of the most prestigious collections in the world.

The Spencer Collection, housed in the New York Public Library, has purchased a collection of poetry and original prints by faculty members Patricia Clark and Steven Sorman. The GVSU galleries have also purchased one of the collections.

“Steven had given me an article about making your own watercolors,” said Clark, GVSU’s poet in residence and a writing professor. “I wrote a poem about it and left it in his mailbox. Later he gave me a print he made about the poem.”

The back and forth exchange resulted in 14 poems, all with 14 verses, and 14 handmade prints titled “(T)here.” The 31-page collection was produced in limited numbers in 2009.

Clark’s work has appeared in many different publications including Slate, Atlantic Monthly, New Letters and Poetry. Clark has also produced books of her poetry, including her 2009 collection “She Walks into the Sea.”

Sorman has been a working artist since the ’70s and has held numerous positions around the country including the Stuart and Barbara Padnos chair in art and design at GVSU. Although now a New York resident, Sorman has taught at several different colleges and universities.

In 2007, Sorman started his three-year position at GVSU and was introduced to Clark. At the time, Clark was the interim chair of art and design at GVSU.

“She gave me her book and I read it,” Sorman said. “I was really impressed so I suggested doing a project together.”

The collaborative project is not currently available for public purchase.

“The Spencer Collection has existed for over 100 years,” said Margaret Glover, curator of the NYPL’s print collection. “We have a large collection that is very accessible.”

The Spencer Collection is named after William Augustus Spencer, a prosperous art collector who left his extensive book collection to the NYPL after his death as a passenger on the R.M.S. Titanic.

The Spencer Collection features illustrated books from different times and cultures, including a Bible manuscript that is more than 700 years old. Parts of the collection are lent out to museums and universities for public consumption.

“It’s always nice to be a part of a collection,” Sorman said. “As an artist you can never be in too many.”

This is his second piece of work to be added to the NYPL’s collections.

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