On an evening in mid-March Saint Joseph's Art Society hosted the return of Poolside Poets, presented by Decentered Arts alongside curators Baruch Porras Hernandez, Rhea Joseph, and Liz Cahill. In this breathtaking historic venue—founded by Ken Fulk—poetry, music, dance, and fashion unfolded together in a dreamy evening of performance and community.

Guests arrived dressed in their best “Forbidden Fruit.”

Think: mysterious masquerade, red velvet and black lace, dark glamour and desirable anonymity, cherry-printed dresses and strawberry jumpsuits, masks, silk gloves, lush crimson tones, leafy greens, temptation couture, decadent textures—mix & match: satin, lace, velvet, mesh, silk, whatever felt deliciously forbidden.

The evening also featured the debut of the Forbidden Words Quilt Project, led by Lorraine Woodruff-Long and Trisha Hickey. This international community quilt highlighted 384 words and phrases banned or scrubbed from U.S. government communications, as identified by PEN America. Created by more than 200 contributors across every U.S. state and six countries, the quilt transformed censorship into collective storytelling through fabric and thread.

Featured Performers: Tasha Malan, Hidden Thread Music, Baruch Porras Hernandez, Maze

Dancers: Jin Lee Baobei, Erica Knox, Tobias Echeverria

More artists joined throughout the night as the soaring halls of Saint Joseph’s Arts Society filled with poetry, music, movement, and celebration.


Poolside Poets at Saint Joseph's Art Society 

Poolside Poets returned on March 18 at Saint Joseph’s Arts Society—featuring poetry, music, dance, the debut of the Forbidden Words Quilt, and a Forbidden Fruit masquerade.

Lorraine Woodruff-Long

Artist at:

DECENTERED
ARTS