Untitled (Woman in Yellow Hat), 1943
Elizabeth Catlett. JLW Collection. © 2025 Mora-Catlett Family / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY.
Join the Poems While You Wait collective outside of Elizabeth Catlett: “A Black Revolutionary Artist and All That It Implies” to explore how poetry can deepen our interactions with art.
Poems While You Wait is a collective of poets and their vintage typewriters who provide an unexpected and unpretentious encounter with poetry. The process is simple. Take inspiration from Catlett’s work, the wall text, or anything else in the show. Then, talk to one of the poets in Griffin Court and suggest a topic for a poem. While you wait, go explore the museum. Upon your return, you will have a custom-made, one-of-a-kind, original poem to keep for yourself or give as a gift.
what to expect
The program will take place in Griffin Court, which is most easily accessible through the Modern Wing entrance. Poets will be arranged at tables with typewriters. The typewriters will create louder than normal sounds while in use. Participants can use nearby seating or explore the museum while waiting for poems to be completed.
