FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 25, 2022
Lyman Allyn Art Museum
Press Contact: Rebecca Dawson, Director of Communications
860.443.2545 ext. 2112 / dawson@lymanallyn.org
LYMAN ALLYN ART MUSEUM DEBUTS POETRY OF THE WILD INSTALLATION
NEW LONDON – The Lyman Allyn Art Museum is pleased to debut three new Poetry of the Wild sculptures by artist Ana Flores. The sculpture series was made in collaboration with area poets Michael Bradford, Jose B. Gonzalez, and Rhonda Ward. The installation will debut on June 10 with a ceremony and reception.
Poetry of the Wild is an environmental art project designed to engage communities with their landscape through poetry, art and activities. At the Lyman Allyn, the sculptural “Poetry boxes” made by Flores feature poems by area poets Michael Bradford, Jose Gonzalez, and Rhonda Ward. Each poet has a deep awareness of place in the City of New London. The poems call attention to the poets’ perception of nature and encourage viewers to reflect on their own relationship with place, memory, and the natural world. The poetry boxes also contain journals that invite the public to respond with commentary and poetry.
Ana Flores is an award-winning sculptor, ecologist, writer and curator based in Rhode Island and Nova Scotia. She is interested in how place and geography inform who we are. Her sculptures, park designs and environmental designs begin with long walks and explorations into each unique landscape. Her works were previously featured in the 2021 exhibition Forest Dreaming at the Lyman Allyn.
Michael Bradford is the Vice Provost for Faculty, Staff, and Student Development at the University of Connecticut. A scholar and playwright, Bradford is professor of dramatic arts and teaches theatre history, dramatic literature, and playwriting. At UConn, Bradford has held roles as department head of Dramatic Arts, artistic director of the Connecticut Repertory Theatre, and faculty director for the Schola2rs House Learning Community.
Jose B. Gonzalez is a professor at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. A nationally known speaker and Fulbright Scholar, he has received national and regional awards for his teaching, for his efforts to improve the conditions of Latinos pursuing a college degree or a career in higher education, and for his poetry.
Poet and writer Rhonda M. Ward served as the inaugural Poet Laureate for the City of New London from 2017 to 2021. Her poems have appeared in print and online, most recently in Poetry in collaboration with poets Marilyn Nelson, Kate Rushin, and Antoinette Brim-Bell, and in the nature anthology Waking Up to the Earth. Ward has served on the board of directors for The Writers Block Ink and Soul Mountain Retreat.
The opening ceremony and reception for the Poetry of the Wild will be Friday, June 10 from 5 – 7 pm. The ceremony will feature readings by the three poets. Please visit the Museum’s calendar of events tab on www.lymanallyn.org for event registration information.
For more information, please contact Rebecca Dawson by email at dawson@lymanallyn.org.
About the Lyman Allyn Art Museum
The Lyman Allyn Art Museum welcomes visitors from New London, southeastern Connecticut and all over the world. Established in 1926 by a gift from Harriet Allyn in memory of her seafaring father, the Museum opened the doors of its beautiful neo-classical building surrounded by 12 acres of green space in 1932. Today it presents a number of changing exhibitions each year and houses a fascinating collection of over 17,000 objects from ancient times to the present; artworks from Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe, with particularly strong collections of American paintings, decorative arts and Victorian toys and doll houses.
The museum is located at 625 Williams Street, New London, Connecticut, exit 83 off I-95. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sundays 1 – 5 p.m., and closed Mondays and major holidays. For more information call 860.443.2545, ext. 2129 or visit us on Facebook or the web at www.lymanallyn.org.