The intimate relationship between images and words stretches back to the dawn of language and the first cave paintings. The ancient Greeks called poetry written in response to artwork ekphrastic. Centuries later, English poet John Keats famously explored the form in “Ode on a Grecian Urn,” declaring, “Beauty is truth, truth beauty.” For lovers of both art and poetry, a chance to view the process behind this rich tradition of creative dialogue is on display at the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers with a new exhibition in celebration of National Poetry Month.
“This Gallery Is a Poem: Unearthing Stories from the Collection,” was curated as a collaboration with Westchester County Poet Laureate Phylisha Villanueva and Laura Vookles, Chair of the Hudson River Museum’s Curatorial Department. The exhibition, which runs through August 31, features 15 artworks that demonstrate the breadth of the museum’s collection—from prints and photographs to paintings and a quilt—all chosen for their thematic resonance with nature, gardening, and growth. Villanueva selected 14 poets to write original responses to each artwork, and contributed a work herself. Visitors are also encouraged to contribute their own poetic and artistic reflections, adding their voices in response to the poetry and art on view.
Among the artworks included in the exhibition are contemporary artist Alison Saar’s “Black Eyed Susan,” a powerful linoleum cut printed on a vintage cotton seed sack that pulls from African diasporic experience and themes of mythology and collective memory. In “Unknown Distances/Undiscovered Islands #7”, iliana emilia garcía explores identity and migration, offering a poetic meditation on memory and place. Historical works like Seymour Joseph Guy’s “The Pick of the Orchard (Picking Apples)” (1881) captures a nostalgic vision of agrarian life in 19th-century America.
“This exhibition is a celebration of connection—between nature and imagination, artist and observer,” says Villanueva. “Poetry breathes new life into visual art, transforming each piece into a conversation where images become words and silence gives way to story. I hope that visitors feel inspired to see the art differently and hear their creative voices emerge.”
In addition to the exhibition itself, a special poetry reading will take place on Sunday, April 27 at 2pm where the poets will share their work live.
