A Gallery of Poems An Anthology of Poems by Students Poets in the Galleries A Gallery of Poems An Anthology of Poems from Poets in the Galleries A program of the Education Department at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco Edited by devorah major Fall 2001–Spring 2002 Copyright © 2003 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco All rights reserved Cover photograph: Paris Opera, 1924, Oskar Kokoschka. Bequest of Mrs. Ruth Haas Lilienthal. The Poets in the Galleries program and this publication were made possible by The Mary Harrison Fund. Additional funding was provided by the California Arts Council. For more information about Poets in the Galleries at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco contact: Jeannine L. Jeffries, Assistant Director of Education California Palace of the Legion of Honor Lincoln Park, 100 – 34th Avenue San Francisco, CA 94121-1693 415 / 750-3640 e-mail: [email protected] http://www.thinker.org Harry S. Parker III, Director Book design: Elaine Joe Printing: Coast Litho TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 Introduction 6 About the Program 7 Special Thanks California Palace of the Legion of Honor 9 Decorative Arts of Europe 31 European Paintings 67 Art of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas 71 Special Exhibition: Masterworks of New Guinea Art: Selections from the Marcia and John Friede Collection 80 About the Poet INTRODUCTION ■ 4 INTRODUCTION WELCOME TO THE California Palace of the Legion of Honor’s Gallery of Poems. I encourage you to go through it as you would tour through the museum. Just as in any gallery some pieces will make you stop and linger for a long time, others will encourage you to stay and ponder how you feel about the piece, and you will inevitably pass by others only to return on a future visit, won- dering how you had missed that particular work the first time around. Over twenty five-hundred poems were created by the participants in the Poets in the Galleries program in the fall of 2001 and the spring of 2002. The hundred or so poems in this volume are certainly the best of the best. However, I could have created an anthology three times as large and had the same high quality of poetics and perception. Sadly, I was again forced to leave out more excellent poems than I could include. As I was selecting the poems, returning again and again to this folder or that poem, I found myself consis- tently amazed and re-amazed at the depth these students could show in only two ses- sions at the museum. With one or two group poems under their belts, and perhaps one 5 ■ POETS IN THE GALLERIES practice poem hastily scribbled on their pads, a 5th-grader, becomes the painting and asks I let the students tour the galleries and find Jan-Frans van Dael to “Paint me silk petals one piece of art that called to them. I encour- of life and beauty,” I am invited to look at a aged them to use visual art devices that were favorite painting from a new perspective. I also poetic devices: perspective, texture, had to listen to the Guarnerius violin as 11th- form, and imagery to form a relationship grader Lorena Leite did before she imagined between themselves and the art. As you will the relationship the violin had with its player see, some became the art, some became the and penned, “Her maple complexion shines, painter, some climbed inside the painting or glows and loves him,” carefully sculpting the sculpture, and some wrote as omniscient graceful shape of the violin in her poem’s viewer. Some embraced the challenge of form form and content. Although I have over these and content, and like the visual art they years spent an aggregate of days standing in engaged, created a balance between the two. front of most of these paintings, sculptures, In my seven years of working with the and artifacts, although I may have had hun- Fine Arts Museums, one of my recurring dreds of young people compose a group pleasures is to have a young person’s poem poem about a particular sunset or describe make me look more closely at a painting that the beauty of a specific gallery without using I had repeatedly passed by or one that had the word beauty, when I read a particularly grown too familiar. When 8th-grader Max vibrant poem, I must again seek out the Snelling writes, “His lips needing nothing poem’s object of inspiration which has been more than to be kissed,” I found myself seek- made fresh by the images the student evokes. ing out the painting of Paul Mounet to see I invite you to experience the galleries through the vulnerability that Max saw in the por- young people’s eyes, to see what they found trait. When 4th-grader, Nate Gilchrist “tastes compelling, important, amusing, humbling, the crispness of the wind” I am encouraged and majestic in this Gallery of Poems. to go back to the Cabin on a Hill and see devorah major what flavors I might savor. When Rita Tam, Poet and Editor ABOUT THE PROGRAM ■ 6 ABOUT THE PROGRAM FEW PROGRAMS offered in museums poetry sessions, but the students choose the relate the language arts to the visual arts. objects that will be the subjects of their poems. However, through a poetry program, stu- They are given ample time to look, think, dents can enhance their verbal and written and reflect while writing their poems and at skills while learning about and viewing actual the end of the poetry session are encouraged objects. Students learn to communicate about to read their poems aloud to the class. visual art through the literary art form of During the academic year 2001-2002, poetry, and in so doing they create their own students learned about the works of art from personal interpretation of the subjects of their the permanent collection of European paint- poems. ings and decorative arts at the Legion of To this end, the Fine Arts Museums Honor; viewed highlights from the perma- have presented since 1987 the Poets in the nent collection of art from Africa, Oceania, Galleries program to students in the fourth and the Americas; and toured the special through twelfth grades. Each poetry session exhibition entitled Masterworks of New is one-and-a-half hours long and each class Guinea Art: Selections from the Marcia and visits the museum twice. The specific goals of John Friede Collection. the program are to introduce students to the With this edition we are resuming the visual arts in the museum through an inter- printing of the annual poetry anthology. The disciplinary approach that includes looking, anthology may have been gone for a few observing, learning about art objects and years but it was never forgotten. Illustrated poetic styles, and listening to and reading with photographs of the works of art in the poems. The program also gives students the Museums, the poetry anthology highlights the opportunity to meet and work with an actual creative spirit and enthusiasm of these Bay poet, devorah major. She selects the area or Area young people. areas of the museum to be used during the Jeannine L. Jeffries Assistant Director of Education August 2002 7 ■ POETS IN THE GALLERIES SPECIAL THANKS I MUST OFFER thanks to many people insights into particular pieces, especially in for the success of this volume. I know that in the New Guinea collection; and those guards, these days it is popular to find short-comings who in gentle and considerate ways helped and deficiencies in our schools or teachers, the students to be responsible visitors to the our children, our community organizations. Legion of Honor. I want to give my sincere Perhaps I simply see the cream of the cream, thanks to the Museums’ education depart- or perhaps there is indeed more hope than ment, especially Jeannine Jeffries, Assistant many would believe. I thank the committed Director of Education, who is constantly teachers who brought their polite and pre- helping me smooth out rough spots and find pared classes to the museum, as well as the solutions to various problems. I am also parents and teacher aides who helped with grateful to the book’s graphic designer, who discipline and spelling, and helped to ensure worked through the challenge of the students’ positive and productive student participation. concrete poems with aplomb and skill. I also thank the docents, who continue to Finally, my largest thanks go to the students, give me ideas on new ways to present a who opened themselves up to the art and to painting or an art era; the volunteers, who themselves and wrote with passion, intelli- helped young people and their chaperones to gence, humor, and sensitivity. Thank you one enjoy the museum more fully; the curators and all! and curatorial assistants, who gave me d.m. PARTICIPATING TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS Alamo Elementary, San Francisco: Margaret Ames Bolinas-Stinson Elementary, Bolinas: Andrea Parker Brandeis-Hillel Day School, San Rafael: Maria Seward Cabrillo Elementary, San Francisco: Kathy Kozuch Clarendon Elementary, San Francisco: Renee Theriault, Rusty Pendrey Crystal Springs Upland, Hillsborough: Elizabeth Miller El Granada Elementary, Half Moon Bay: Susan F. Hatfield Enola D. Maxwell Middle School of the Arts, San Francisco: Robin Brasso SPECIAL THANKS ■ 8 Foster City Elementary, Foster City: Julie Sitton Guadalupe Elementary, San Francisco: Ben Eiseman Havens Elementary, Piedmont: Joan Twohy, Gretchen Schnitzer H. J. Kaiser Elementary, Oakland: Jill F. Reese Kittredge School, San Francisco: Emily K. Evison Jefferson Elementary, San Francisco: Loret Peterson, Carolyn Ann Weiss Leadership High School, San Francisco: Laura Putnam, Eve Gordon Leonard R.