b'faculty perspective:matt donovanDirector of The Boutelle-Day Poetry Center at Smith CollegeAS A WRITERwho has always been fascinated by the relationship between written language and the visual arts, I was thrilled to initiate a collaboration with the Smith College Museum of Art. Just a few months into my job as the director of The Boutelle-Day Poetry Center, I approached the museum with the idea of asking poets who had previously participated in our reading series to write a poem inspired by a work of art housed at SCMA. Im pleased to say that Jessica Nicoll immediately loved the idea, and that its been wonderful to develop this project together as part of the museums centennial celebrations. The resulting publicationThe Map of EveryLilac Leafborrows its title from a phrase in a poem written by AdrienneRich in response toEdwin Romanzo Elmers Mourning Picture. Con- of the whole SCMA staff, as well as the tremendous tributing writers had nogenerosity of Smith College President Kathleenrestrictions placed uponMcCartney and numerous donors, including Thethemthey could chooseTammis Day Foundation, Jan Fullgraf Golann 71from any of the more thanand Janice Carlson Oresman 55, whose gifts enabled 28,000 artworks ownedthe full realization of this project. by the museum, andWhen I first approached the museum with the could write a piece of any length, using any desiredidea for The Map of Every Lilac Leaf, I couldnt have approach. In the end, we had 40 acclaimed poetsfully known what an extraordinary pleasure this col-including six Smith College alumnae and two formerlaboration would afford. For me, the many highlights U.S. poets laureatewrite poems in response to workinclude reading for the first time the books beautiful that spanned the period from antiquity to the present, and lyric introduction by National Book Award recipi-including sculpture, painting, etching, drawing ent Mark Doty; the pure joy of accompanying visiting and video. Some of the writers knew immediatelypoets to private viewings of, say, a painting by Bon-which artwork they wanted to engage with, havingnard or a drawing by Mondrian that happened not made time to visit the museum during their previousto be on public display; and working with designer campus visits; others finalized their artwork selectionCarolyn Eckert, who made the final book an exquisite after being provided with additional researched art object in itself. Best of all, of course, is how this information from museum curators.book serves as testimony to the purpose of art, which the making of a museumThis collaboration would not have been pos- is to exhilarate, provoke, challenge, inspire and widen sible without the expertise and collaborative spiritones world.17'