On the evening of April 2, 2026, poetry glowed softly beneath candlelight inside the Exploratorium, as Decentered Arts presented Decentered Poetry Lounge: After Dark - Immersed in Verse.

Set within the museum’s beloved Exploratorium After Dark, the evening transformed part of the Exploratorium into a cozy oasis of words, rhythm, and reflection. Surrounded by interactive exhibits exploring science, perception, and art, guests stepped into a quieter corner of the night-one filled with poetry.

Bay Area poets took the stage to share their work, while soft candlelight, ambient visuals, and the hum of creative energy invited visitors to slow down and listen. The lounge also opened space for participation: guests sat down to write, shared their own lines, or simply let the poetry carry them through the evening.

Nearby, the immersive installation The Green Fairy offered a playful ritual-guests could swap a poem for a sip of a nonalcoholic cocktail, turning creativity itself into currency.

Throughout the night, a freestyle poetry workshop welcomed both seasoned writers and first-time poets to experiment with language and voice. Whether arriving to listen, write, or simply vibe, the lounge offered a space where curiosity, imagination, and community met.

For one Thursday night, inside the Exploratorium’s world of experiments and discovery, poetry became its own kind of exploration-an invitation to romanticize life, line by line.


Decentered Poetry Lounge (After Dark: Immersed in Verse) 

Decentered Poetry Lounge at the Exploratorium featured candlelit readings, interactive visuals, freestyle workshops, and poems traded for sips at the Green Fairy.

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.

Maze

Artist at:

DECENTERED
ARTS