Poetry of the Wild (POW) is a participatory environmental art project connecting people to landscape throughout New London County by combining poetry, visual art, and nature observation. The POW project was designed by Ana Flores, an ecological designer and sculptor who has toured nationally with this unique project. The current installation of POW began last year during the MAC's Outdoor Sculpture exhibit and is a collaboration of the Mystic Arts Center, The Alexey von Schlippe Gallery of Art at UConn Avery Point and Expressiones Cultural Center in New London.

POW features handmade "poetry boxes" fabricated out of recycled materials that are designed to reflect the chosen texts within them. Flores makes some of the boxes but a majority of them are constructed by poets, artists, students and community members in each locale. Inside each box resides a poem and a journal for the public to record responses to the work and the site.

Poetry of the Wild is made possible by a Strategic Initiative Grant from the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism.

Box Locations:

Ocean Beach Park Nature Trail
Box by: Diane Barcelo / Poet: Rhonda Ward
Box By: Ana Flores / Poet: Jose B. Gonzalez

Mitchell Woods
Box by: Jamie Wo / Poet: John Keats
Box by: Kyle Steiner / Poet: Emily Dickinson
Box by: Zachary Rudnick / Poet: Mark Twain

Mitchell Beach
Box by: Victoria Brennan / Prose: Rachal Carson
Box by: Michael Peno / Poet: Henry W. Longfellow

Hygienic Art Park
Box by: Karen Rand Anderson / Poet: Nancy Brady Cunningham

Expressiones Cultural Center
Box by: Guido Garaycochea / Poet Michael Bradford

The Day Newspaper Park
Box and poem by: Alva Greenberg

Garden at Sabilia & DeSantis
Box by: Jim Stidfole, George Haling, Gwen Basilica & Elaine Mills / Poet: Jeanne Sigel

Bean & Leaf
Box and poem: Minerva Sadorra

Public Library of New London
Box by: Dimi Orphanides / Poet: Lana Orphanides
Box by: Ana Flores / Poet: Walth Whitman

ISAAC School Garden
Box by: E. Grenger, I. Stephanski, T. Tolles, S. Fergusson (assisted by Diane Barcelo)
Poets: H. Masse, M. Christensen, A. Garcia, R. Barnes

Riverside Park
Box and poem: Dan Potter