May 7, 2022: Panel Presentation for Another World at the Bennington Museum

On Saturday, May 7, 2022, 2:00-3:30, the Bennington Museum will feature a panel to celebrate the publication of a recent book by Ann Gengarelly and Tony Gengarelly: Another World: Poetry and Art by Young People from The Poetry Studio (Luminare Press 2021).

This 224-page book contains over 150 poems and drawings by young people ranging in age from 5-17. With a Foreword by Vermont Poet Laureate (2015-2019) Chard deNiord, Another World has received strong reviews from noted critics and educators. Naomi Shihab Nye, the Poetry Foundation’s Young People’s Poet Laureate (2019-2022) selected Another World for her January 2022 “Book Pick,” and has proclaimed: “These students’ poems and art are so beautiful and refreshing—they ring of truth in a time of lies. We need them!!”

Ann, poet/teacher and director of The Poetry Studio, and Tony, art and bookmaking, will introduce the student’s work from Another World and reveal how the poetry and art were inspired and created within a framework of reverence and respect. Situated in a beautiful garden landscape in Marlboro, Vermont, the Studio invites an intimate connection with nature and an expression of caring for the natural environment.

The values of kindness and compassion, diversity and inclusion, communicated by the artful combination of the young people’s words and images, are highlighted as well. Chard deNiord will place the students’ accomplishments into a broader literary context, while the Studio’s assistant teacher, Trey Wentworth, will read and comment on their poems and reflect on the context in which they were created. Studio alumni will present their poems as well as comment on their experiences at The Poetry Studio.

Currently, a selection of poetry and art from Another World is on display in the museum’s lobby area, and the book is available for purchase in the museum shop.