“The Gratitude Project”: Paintings and Poetry of the Poets Laureate by Hilda Demsky

Hilda Demsky has been a Larchmont artist for 50 years. She is a member of Mamaroneck Artists Guild, have given workshops and is very involved in the Larchmont community. On Thanksgiving 2020, The New York Times invited poets’ laureate of the United States to submit, in 100 words or less, “what the people in their States would be thankful for” after the difficult year of COVID 19. More than thirty State poets laureate responded. After reading the submitted verses, Hilda felt deeply grateful to each of the poet’s laureate for their beautiful words. Demsky was inspired to create a series of paintings interpreting each State poet’s submission to capture visually the spirit of the poetry.  Her oil paintings are on 20” X 16” on canvas and contain geographic elements, symbolic use of color, and a subliminal outline of the State within it. Hilda’s proposed art exhibit, entitled “The Gratitude Project”, highlights The New York Times articles, the responding poet’s laureate poems, and the paintings they have inspired.