Katherine Lam, age 16, created this artwork for “Six-Word Memoirs.”

MAKAWAO – Hui No’eau Visual Arts Center, in collaboration with Larry Smith of SMITH magazine, will feature a juried art exhibition entitled “Six-Word Memoirs” from June 7 to July 26.

The Opening Reception is set for Friday, June 7, from 5 to 7 p.m., and the show will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with free admission at the 2841 Baldwin Avenue center.

This unique exhibition was inspired by a literary subgenre that took on a life of its own in popular culture, as publications began holding reader contests and publishing the results.

Legend has it that Ernest Hemingway was once challenged to write a story in only six words.

His response? “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”

In November 2006, Smith gave the six-word novel a personal twist by asking his community to describe their lives in exactly six words.

They sent in short life stories in droves, from the bittersweet (“Cursed with cancer, blessed with friends”) and poignant (“I still make coffee for two”) to the inspirational (“From migrant worker to NASA astronaut”) and hilarious (“Married by Elvis, divorced by Friday”). The Six-Word Memoirs project was born.

Since then, the Six-Word Memoirs project has become a global phenomenon and a bestselling book series.

Artwork submittals were open to both keiki and adults.

For more information about the upcoming exhibition, visit www.huinoeau.com.