Summer Workshops

Summer Intensive Workshops Combining Poetry, Art, Bookmaking and Nature

For over twenty years, Ann Gengarelly and her husband Tony Gengarelly have been offering week-long summer workshops where, each day, students have both a poetry class and a bookmaking/art workshop. In the summer classes, often a curriculum is created that focuses on the natural world: classes take advantage of the beautiful gardens and woodlands that surround The Poetry Studio. There is a profound relationship between outer and inner nature. As the philosopher Novalis wrote: The soul is where the inner and outer landscapes meet.

Classes are kept small in order to provide an intimate and individualized experience. For the past ten years, Trey Wentworth, a writer and gifted teacher has collaborated with Ann, allowing for a 1 to 4 teacher-student ratio. For younger students who are not yet comfortable writing, Ann or the assistant teacher acts as a scribe for their poetry words.

Each student creates a personal memoir of their week of creative work in the form of a book, which can be hard or soft cover or a folio edition. Echoing the beautiful book movement of the late 19th century, the students visually embellish their presentations of poetry and illustration with decorative borders, elegant script and other design formats—the book itself becomes a work of art.

Classes take place mid-August to late August and run from 10:30-4:00. Students range in age from 6-17.

For information regarding after-school programs and summer workshops contact Ann or Tony Gengarelly at gengarellya@gmail.com

Willa Redden writing at The Poetry Studio

Trey Wentworth mentoring Hazel Harris at The Poetry Studio