Another World
Poetry and Art by Young People from The Poetry Studio
April 1 through mid-June
This lobby exhibit will feature 6 of the original hand-made poetry/art books by the children who participated in the Poetry Studio, as well as panels of their (reproduced) art and transcribed poems.
About the Poetry Studio
In 1995 Ann Gengarelly, poet-teacher and education consultant for over thirty years in Southern Vermont and neighboring towns in New Hampshire and Massachusetts , opened The Poetry Studio. Located on beautiful grounds in Marlboro, Vermont, the Studio offers classes and summer workshops for young people, ages 7 to 17, and provides an intimate lens through which to see the natural world and inspire a deep communion with nature. Giving their devoted attention to the scent of pine needles after a long night of rain, to the patient unfolding of hibiscus blossoms, students are surrounded by rich imagery that finds expression in both poetry and art. The studio atmosphere invites a marriage between inner and outer landscapes, where imagination and discovery are often imbued with magic.
Combining illustration and design with text heightens the poems’ message through expansion of meaning and visual impact on the reader. Tony Gengarelly, Professor of Fine Arts, joins Ann for the summer programs, offering classes on art and bookmaking. The several examples here are a testament to the students’ ability to combine word and image and fuse these with decorative design—the books, vessels for their poetry and artful applications, then too become works of art.
In the fall of 2021 Ann and Tony published Another World: Poetry and Art by Young People from The Poetry Studio. This 224-page book contains over 150 poems and drawings, including book title pages and image poetry. With a Foreword by Vermont Poet Laureate (2015-2019) Chard deNiord, Another World has received strong reviews from noted critics and educators. Naomi Shihab Nye, the Poetry Foundation’s Young People’s Poet Laureate (2019-2022) selected Another World for her January 2022 “Book Pick,” and has commented: “These students’ poems and art are so beautiful and refreshing—they ring of truth in a time of lies. We need them.” Another World is currently on display and available for purchase in the Museum shop.