Transforming Deering Library Into a Page of Poetry

EVANSTON, Ill. --- World-renowned Italian artist Marco Nereo Rotelli -- best known for his stunning light installations at landmarks across Europe and at the Beijing Olympics -- will transform Northwestern University’s Deering Library into a page of luminous poetry by eight Chicago poets Tuesday, March 12.

Between the hours of 6 and 10 p.m. on March 12 only, the historic library on the Evanston campus will project the work of award-winning poets Ana Castillo, Reginald Gibbons, Arica Hilton, Parneshia Jones, Elise Paschen, Ed Roberson, Jennifer Scapettone and Rachel Webster.

Programming around the light installation includes two March 12 events. Both are free and open to the public.

• From 5 to 5:45 p.m.: Visitors are invited to a reception and multi-media presentation in artist Rotelli’s studio in Room 1-410 of Kresge Centennial Hall, 1880 Campus Drive, Evanston. A multimedia overview of Rotelli’s work includes highlights from his “Videolanguage” series; “Diary,” a pictorial account dedicated to the light off Lake Michigan; and “Enigma,” the blueprints for Rotelli’s upcoming light installation at Chicago’s Field Museum.

• From 6 to 7 p.m.: Inside Deering Library, 1935 Sheridan Road, Chicago poets Ana Castillo, Reginald Gibbons, Arica Hilton, Parneshia Jones, Elise Paschen, Ed Roberson, Jennifer Scapettone and Rachel Webster read from their work illuminated on the facade. Visitors are invited to inscribe their own poems and thoughts on a long scroll that will be rolled out at the event. 

The March 12 events mark the culmination of Rotelli’s artist-in-residence at Northwestern’s Kaplan Institute for the Humanities. The Kaplan Institute was established to organize and promote the kind of expansive, interdisciplinary discussion and debate that characterizes leading-edge humanities scholarship today.

Rotelli's residence is co-sponsored by the Global Languages Initiative, Residential Colleges and the Northwestern University Library.