Poetry Lovers  Converge at the Tang

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Skidmore’s Tang Museum hosted a poetry reading last Sunday that featured thirteen poets responding to artwork included in the exhibition “All These Growing Things.” The timing of the readings could not have been better, coinciding with National Poetry Month.

The event was a wonderful showcase of talents.

Each poet was received with a warm welcome from the audience as they expressed their emotions through their words. Regardless of how each poet interpreted their chosen piece of art, their words conveyed their opinions beautifully, and it was clear how much pride each poet held for their writing. A few specific poets stood out with their word choice and skill interpreting their chosen artwork.

Krista Rivera, an assistant professor of English at SUNY Adirondack, responded to a work by an unrecorded Tibetan artist. Her language was advanced and highly descriptive, eliciting emotions that aligned perfectly with the art.

Another talent was Saratoga’s former poet laureate Joseph Bruchac, who was responding to a tapestry created by Annie Taipanak in the late 1990s. His passion for the history behind the artwork was reflected in the execution of his poem. When giving the context for the tapestry, he said, “What are often seen as primitive images are often very sophisticated. What we think of as people who are without civilization means we are not really civilized ourselves.”

The night was full of creative works being read aloud for the first time. After the event ended, many audience members lingered behind to hold discussions with the poets, bringing the community together through a shared love for writing and art.