Community Corner
Experience a “Groundswell” of Public Art at Ell Pond
Melrose residents are invited to get involved in temporary collaborative poetry exhibit
Have you strolled by the gazebo recently? Look for winding lines of poetry in vivid color.
“Groundswell,” part of Melrose’s Wayfinding & Creative Placemaking Initiative, merges words and art to create “walking poetry”—a temporary exhibit that encourages viewers to stroll through poems one phrase at a time.
The work of artist Adria Arch and poet Jessie Brown, “Groundswell” takes its inspiration from the natural world. “We wanted to lift some spirits,” says Arch. “Jessie’s poetry uses nature as metaphor beautifully; on the reverse side of the placards, I build on the poem’s tone to evoke a different visual experience in color and imagery.”
Their work has been shown at venues including Boston’s Fenway near the MFA, the Minuteman Bikeway, and the 2019 Earth Day celebration on Boston Common.
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The artists have installed three poems at Ell Pond—“Hope Speaks to Me,” “Listen,” and “Why I Miss the Lost Trees”—and they’re inviting residents to submit ideas for more.
“We hope the Melrose community will come together to create two entirely new poems to join the exhibit,” said Kris Rodolico, executive director of Follow Your Art Community Studios, who is helping to facilitate the project. Details are posted at www.facebook.com/walkingpoetry...
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“We want to hear from you,” says Brown. “If you cherish this outdoor space, what do you feel here? See? Hear?” Residents can share their thoughts directly with the artists at walkingpoems@gmail.com.
Zoom Poetry Writing Workshop Oct 19
The artists will be onsite at Ell Pond to talk to visitors about the art installation from noon to 2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 3. They also invite residents to a Zoom writing workshop Oct. 19 at 7:00 p.m. to create a collaborative poem together.
A celebration and community poetry reading is scheduled for Nov. 7 (rain date Nov. 8) for the installation of the final, communal poem at Ell Pond.
“I’m excited that word is getting out,” says Lenore Gauthier Smith, an Ashland St. resident who served on the city’s Wayfinding & Creative Placemaking committee. “I look forward to seeing what’s in store!”
Learn More
To learn more about the Wayfinding & Creative Placemaking Initiative, visit the “City News” area of the City of Melrose website: https://www.cityofmelrose.org/home/news/city-melrose-announces-artists-selected-public-art-projects.
