Call for Public Art: Poetry of the Wild Comes to the Anza Trail

Wetland birds in Santa Cruz County

Don Clemans, Santa Fe Ranch Foundation

News Release Date: January 7, 2015

Contact: Hale Sargent, 415-623-2344

The Tubac Center of the Arts and the Anza Trail Coalition of Arizona invite you to participate in an intriguing art project called Poetry of the Wild, by Rhode Island artist Ana Flores. Poetry of the Wild is an educational program in support of Arte de Avian, a national juried exhibit of bird related art, which will be held at TCA March 13 to April 26, 2015.

Flores says:

Poetry of the Wild invites the public out for a walk to see their world anew through the keenly felt perspectives of poets and artists. Using a unique presentation of “poetry boxes” that combine art and poetry, the project serves as a catalyst for exploring our towns and considering how place informs mindfulness. The public becomes engaged by finding the boxes which are sited as a network on mapped trails, reading the poems, and responding in the public journals contained in each.

To participate, individuals and groups may create bird themed “Poetry Boxes.” The boxes will be placed for temporary installation along the Anza Trail between Tubac and the Tumacacori in Santa Cruz County, AZ.

The more diverse the participants -- poets, artists, residents, students, and ecologists -- the richer the project.

Your box must feature a poem of your choice. The poem can refer to the site or be by a locally known poet. Upon installation, a journal is put in each for public response.

The format for your box is flexible. It can be made out of found materials, sculptural or in the format of bird houses or shrines. The only prerequisite is that it withstand the elements and public use for three months.

The inauguration of the project will feature a Poetry Walk which includes the makers and poets of the boxes sharing their process and reading the poem. The deinstallation of boxes has often been celebrated with a poetry reading and an auction of the boxes.

For More Information

Ana Flores will host information sessions about the project Jan. 8-13, 2015, in Tubac.

Completed boxes are due to the Tubac Center of the Arts on Feb. 27, 2015 for installation the week of March 1.

On April 18, donated boxes will be auctioned with proceeds benefiting the Tubac Center of the Arts.

For more information, visit the Tubac Center of the Arts website.