Poetry of the Wild Opening Reception at
Expressiones Cultural Center in New London
( Lower Label Gallery )
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Saturday April 28 @ 3.00 pm.
Find out what's happening in New Londonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Join us for a poetry walk downtown on Sat, April 28 at 3 pm featuring the installation of poetry boxes created by community members, artists, poets and students. The walk begins at the Public Library and ends at Expressiones Cultural Center with stops along the way to view the boxes and hear the poems read aloud. The boxes are part Poetry of the Wild a participatory environmental art project designed by Ana Flores, an ecological designer and sculptor of Earth Inform Studio. Flores, whose studio is in Rhode Island, has done the collaborative, community based project,"Poetry of the Wild" throughout the country. The last city to host it was Colorado Springs, Colorado. She has created this New London project while she has been artist in residence at Mitchell College since February.
The poetry boxes, fabricated out of recycled materials or by adapting old containers, are designed to reflect the chosen texts inside. Each also contains a journal for public response. Many of the poems are by writers from the area including Jose Gonzalez, Rhonda Ward, Alva Greenberg, Michael Bradford, Minerva Sadorra, Lana Orphanides, Jeanne Sigel and others. The boxes will remain up for a period 4 months and also feature an audio phone tour sponsored by the New London Public Library. The walk on the 28th will stop along several sites downtown including: the Garde Arts Theater, the park at The Day, the Hygenic Art Park, The Bean & Leaf Cafe, and ISSAC school communtiy garden before ending at Expressiones Cultural Center (84 Bank Street) for the kick off reception at 4:30 pm. Looking for the boxes installed throughout the city including other sites such as Ocean Beach Park, Mitchell Wood, the FRESH community garden is an opportunity for local citizens and tourists to experience the soul of the city through its many creative residents.
The project is funded in part by the CT Commission of Arts and Tourism in partnership with the Mystic Arts Center, Expressiones Cultural Cultural Center in New London, the Alexey von Schlippe Gallery of Art at UConn Avery Point and the Public Library of New London.
