‘Below the Waterline,’ experiential art with Pierro Gallery

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Capping the “Pleasure & Terror en Plein Air” fine art exhibition at the Baird Center’s Pierro Gallery will be a unique, one-night, free open-air show on the South Orange Duck Pond on Saturday, Oct. 6, from 6 to 8 p.m. The debut of a water-born and waterborne series of visual and spoken poetry, the performance will take those gathered around the shore on an illuminated journey “Below the Waterline.”

Composed around fresh and salty bodies of water — from oceans and bays to ponds, streams, rivers and marshes spanning different coasts, continents, seasons and emotive places — “Below the Waterline” will be performed live by “The Floating Poet,” Colin Goedecke, a one-time native of South Orange who will himself be afloat under the Autumn night sky and stars. This experiential plein air event involves music, voice and projection of imagery over the pond, immersing viewers in the deeper beauty and poetry of nature flowing under everyone’s “surfaceseeing,” and opening senses to the presence and luminosity of the natural world.

A companion series of limited edition giclee prints on archival watercolor paper will be on display, and available to collect at the Skate House, along with some of the series’ poems. “Below the Waterline” is designed to travel around the country to other poetic settings and inviting watersides, where the Floating Poet will continue rippling out his colorful form of plein air magic.

On Oct. 6, guests are invited to bring their own blankets and chairs for sitting on the grass. In case of rain, the show will take place Saturday, Oct. 13, from 6 to 8 p.m. For more information about the Pierro Gallery, visit www.southorange.org/266/Pierro-Gallery.