The Guggenheim New York has announced The Water Listeners, a series of public programs developed by 2026 Poet-in-Residence Patrick Rosal. The residency, which runs from July through December, presents poetry as a communal practice through various readings, participatory installations, and public ceremonies.
The series is structured as a contemporary poetic liturgy exploring themes of water, memory, ancestry, heritage, and cultural exchange. Through these programs, the museum aims to present poetry as both an artistic practice and a form of social architecture, inviting visitors to engage in shared reflection and conversation.
The programming begins July 28 with a public reading of the poem Brooklyn Antediluvian by Rosal, followed by a conversation with poet Ross Gay. The event will explore how poetry preserves spaces of stewardship across different histories and communities.
On Sept. 15, the museum will host a reading with poet aracelis girmay. The program, titled blessing the boats, will reflect on the legacy of Lucille Clifton and the capacity of language to guide people through the unknown.
As part of the ongoing residency, Café Rebay will host a participatory installation. This project will use various prompts and activities to encourage interpersonal connection, transforming visitor contributions into a living archive of poetry and memory.
The residency will conclude on Dec. 8 with a ceremony for water. This final event is designed to bring together the offerings and gestures gathered during the year-long project in a communal act of remembrance and renewal.
Rosal, a professor of English at Rutgers University–Camden, was appointed as the fifth annual Poet-in-Residence in April 2026. He has received numerous honors, including the Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize and the William Carlos Williams Award. The Guggenheim Poet-in-Residence program is supported by Van Cleef & Arpels.
