The Poetry Gumball Machine Project Celebration

The Poetry Gumball Machine Celebration | Sat, April 27, 2024 | 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm ET | In-person at the Museum for Art in Wood

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You’re invited to the unveiling celebration of the Museum for Art in Wood’s Poetry Gumball Machine. The Poetry Gumball Machine Project is the brainchild of acclaimed poet and multiform artist LindoYes and is a community-wide program in varied locations in Philadelphia and New Jersey. The project supports free access to the arts and poetry in a fun and familiar experience using traditional gumball machines. The Museum’s wooden Poetry Gumball Machine was specially crafted by local artist Jesse Rinyu, who was selected through a jury process to create the one-of-a-kind mechanized sculpture, which houses the unique walnut shell capsules created by artist Jennifer Eckenrode that, when opened, reveals a slip of paper with an original poem composed by LindoYes and information for free local social services and, crisis hotline numbers. The unveiling will be commemorated with music and spoken word by local talent with light refreshments provided byPhilly’s own Harper’s Garden.

The Museum’s doors will open at 6:00 pm and the event and performances begin at 6:30 pm

The Poetry Gumball Machine Project team:

LindoYes – Lead Artist
Jesse Rinyu – Wood Artist
Jennifer Eckenrode – Craft Artist
Savannah Cooper-Ramsey – Writing Support
Katie Sorenson – Project Managment

Performances by:

LindoYes (he/hm), is a dyslexic spoken word poet born, raised and living in Philadelphia. He has been featured in the Philly Weekly, Philadelphia Inquirer, Button Poetry, and Def Poetry Jam to name a few. Lindo’s poetry has expanded to short animations, gumball machines, and plays where he has centered black existence, mental health, and fantasy/sci-fi. He was the recipient of the 2023 Jackie Robinson award by Color of Change and the 2023 “Change Maker” award by Uptown Standards. LindoYes will be releasing in December 2024 a graphic novel called “Pawnshop,” which is a sci-fi/fantasy anthology on Mental Health based in Philly.

Dani & Joe
Philadelphia-based Dani & Joe are songwriting sweethearts who, after years as supporting members in other prominent Philly bands, hit the scene under their own names in 2020 with the release of ‘All for You.’ Their beginnings grew out of small, intimate shows, and the music carries that tradition compositionally. Joni-style folk collage storytelling meets experimental R&B with a Black Keys makeup.

Matthew Edwards
Matte is an up and coming Soul-Pop and RnB singer-songwriter from Willingboro, New Jersey. He is a self-taught vocalist that found his voice when he was 9 years old.With a voice like honey dripping on vinyl, his music carries the echoes of gospel-soaked Sundays and smoky jazz bars, weaving stories of resilience and joy into modern R&B grooves. Already captivating audiences with his raw vocals and electrifying live shows. His warm yet timeless soul stirring voice has privileged him to perform and tour on stages in front of thousands of supporters. With Cosigns from major entertainers such as Jim Beanz, Avery Wilson, Tamar Braxton, Stevie Mackey, Jeremy Passion, Jessie J, Tisha Campbell Martin, Common, Jennifer Hudson, and Jazmine Sullivan,  Matte is a force to be reckoned with, and soon to be a household name.

Marshall James Kavanaugh
Marshall James Kavanaugh is a Philadelphia-based dream laborer and performance poet. He has performed his poetry at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia Contemporary, and the Philadelphia International Airport. As Dream Poet For Hire, Marshall creates stream-of-subconscious inspired poetry on demand for the general public. Equipped with a Smith-Corona Skyriter, he sets up in public spaces around Philadelphia and tailors on-the-spot poems on any theme.

Josh Smith
Josh Smith is a dynamic poet, speaker, and mental health advocate from Delaware County, PA. He was first exposed to poetry in the fifth grade while learning about the Harlem Renaissance and fell in love with the works of Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Claude McKay. The latter’s sonnet, If We Must Die, inspired Josh to begin his own writing. Blending social commentary, personal experiences, vulnerability, and clever wordplay, Josh Smith impacts his audience in a way that sparks, inspires, and provokes change and healing. Josh Smith’s second poetry collection, How to Grieve, is available for purchase.

This event is free to the public. The Museum for Art in Wood interprets, nurtures, and champions creative engagement and expansion of art, craft, and design in wood to enhance the public’s understanding and appreciation of it. A suggested donation of $5 per person enables us to provide programs and exhibitions throughout the year.

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Questions? Please contact Katie Sorenson, Director of Outreach and Communications at katie@museumforartinwood.org.

The Gumball Machine Project is supported in part by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.

The Gumball Machine Event is partially supported by Harper’s Garden.