Patti Smith will become Selby Gardens’ inaugural Artist in Residence. Selby Gardens made this  historic announcement last evening during An Encore with Patti Smith, a special performance by Patti at our Downtown Sarasota campus in celebration of our 2022 Goldstein Exhibition, Robert Mapplethorpe and Patti Smith: Flowers, Poetry, and Light. The visit followed her first trip to our bayfront sanctuary, back in February, to tour the exhibition and perform a selection of songs and readings to complement it. I want to thank our Board Chair Marianne McComb and her husband Bill for making both of Patti Smith's visits to Selby Gardens possible.

Patti's artistic residency will include two return visits to Selby Gardens—one in 2023 and one in 2024. When she's here, she will combine public activities such as readings and performances with private time drawing creative inspiration from our two campuses and our world-renowned collections.

Patti Smith has produced a body of work whose influence branches out through generations, across disciplines, and around the world. She is recognized globally for her revolutionary mergence of artistic forms -- especially poetry and rock music. We are so grateful for her incredible collaboration and excited for the resonance her visionary approach will have with our organization as The Living Museum®.