GALLERY | FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2 | 4–6:30 PM | FREE

The Poetry of Flowers Exhibition Opening Reception
An Official Exhibition of the Rising High Arts Festival

After the opening reception, the AABA Artist Member Exhibition will be on view at FUSION from October 2 through November 7 during public FUSION events or by appointment. To schedule a visit, email FUSION.

You’re invited to the opening reception of The Poetry of Flowers Exhibition on Friday, October 2, from 4–6:30 PM, as part of the ABQ Artwalk and the First Friday ARTScrawl.

The Poetry of Flowers Collaborative developed organically—perhaps even a little haphazardly. Each artist brought a personal connection, a particular talent, or a completely unexpected way of seeing a flower. Maggie Seeley, the poet, initiated or responded to that vision with words, and then the artwork and poem began to speak to one another.

From Maggie:

“It all began with three water lilies.

One summer day, I was gazing at my pond when, quite unexpectedly, three water lilies opened at the same time. I had never seen more than one bloom at once. It was glorious—a little gift from nature—and I had to write a poem about it: 'Did they conspire, did they collaborate, did they agree to all stand up at one time, welcoming the light?'

I began noticing and/or imagining that the flowers around me seemed to have personalities of their own. There is a sizable patch of yarrow in my front yard. One day, it looked to me like a group of crew-cut, lemon-headed boys at a prep school. Naturally, I wrote: 'Yarrow stands up straight. It is responsible. You can count on it.'

Circular and crepe-like, the petals of the hibiscus reminded me of the robes of Sufi dancers, arms raised praising Rumi and Hafiz. Sally Beers gave it life. Wisteria, frankly, seemed downright erotic, so that poem became rather sensual and was illustrated by Liz Davenport.

I have friends who talk to their plants, which makes me feel somewhat reassured that I'm not entirely crazy. I'm not sure they carry on quite the full-fledged conversations that I do. “Time for a haircut, guys,” I say to the salvia. “Do you want a crew cut or a mohawk?”

And to the rose: “Darling, what's it going to take for you to bloom again? What do you need?” It's hard not to love a rose. I've discovered that if you listen carefully enough, sometimes the flower talks back. And the mulberry trees, hotels to insects, woodpeckers, hummingbirds. They must be extroverts. They simply won't be quiet!”

So Maggie began capturing her conversations with the flowers as poems. And, as the poems grew, Maggie began to feel that the flowers deserved more than words alone. They needed a visual presence—a way to honor them through art: paintings, pottery, crochet, origami, photography, oil, stitching, many artistic forms. And that is where The Poetry of Flowers Collaborative took off..

The collaboration between poet and artist is at the heart of this project. Sometimes a poem came first and inspired an artist. Sometimes an artist chose a flower, and that choice sent the poet in a completely unexpected direction. Sometimes they discovered that their personal histories with a particular flower had already connected them before they even began.

For example, Karen Jones Meadows chose gladiolus, flowers that were beloved by her grandmother. Maggie’s own grandfather grew 500 gladiolas in his backyard. The connection was already there—the collaboration was almost ready-made. Laurie McCann chose white phlox, which immediately suggested to the poet an 18th-century landed gentry dance (watching too much Downton Abbey). Jackie Hertel researched sunflowers and discovered that their growth patterns are Fibonacci miracles. Her research opened another door for the poem. Richard Hample, a tall, wiry, energetic man, actually reminded the poet of a trumpet vine. His personality became part of the way she imagined the flower. Mary Brown is artist maestro and personifies a peony. One day, Maggie watched a dandelion puff float into the air, and suddenly imagined a mosquito dancing with it in the season of the wind. And then there was Paul Duggan. Maggie heard he was doing computer art, so she sat down with him to see what might happen. Instead, she discovered that he was a master of origami and had created beautiful pots of tulips and roses.

The artist brings the visual imagination. The poet brings the language and story. And somewhere between the two, something magical happens. That is what makes this project so much fun. The result is more than a collection of flower poems and illustrations. It is a conversation between nature, artist, and poet.

We hope you'll enjoy not only the poems and the art, but also the stories behind them—the memories, discoveries, conversations, and unexpected connections that brought each collaboration to life.

With flowers, there is always another surprise waiting to bloom.

FEATURED ARTISTS:

Ellie Ballen, Sally Beers, Mary Brown, Laura Blum, Liz Davenport, Paul Duggan, Ife Fidudusola, Alex Brown Godwod, Lissa Hammit, Richard Hample, Jackie Hertel, Laurie McCann, Karen Jones Meadows, Ann Hart Marquis, Leo Neufeld, Maggie Seeley, Pansy Stone, Mischa Steinhardt, Candace Stoughton, Lori Wells & Sueki Woodward.

After the opening reception, the AABA Artist Member Exhibition will be on view at FUSION from October 2 through November 7 during public FUSION events or by appointment. To schedule a visit, email FUSION.