Longwood Gardens Announces Joy Harjo as the Inaugural André Harvey Creative Fellow

Press Release

KENNETT SQUARE, PA-Longwood Gardens today announced Joy Harjo, the 23rd United States Poet Laureate and renowned member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, as the inaugural recipient of the André Harvey Creative Fellowship. This distinguished honor celebrates the legacy of Brandywine Valley artist André Harvey by fostering creativity, passion, and a deep appreciation for the natural world.

"We are thrilled to welcome Joy Harjo to Longwood as the first recipient of the André Harvey Creative Fellowship," said Paul B. Redman, President and CEO of Longwood Gardens. "Her extraordinary collection of work embodies the spirit of creativity, inspiration, and connection to nature that Longwood Gardens and this Fellowship seek to inspire."

Harjo’s remarkable contributions to poetry, music, and storytelling exemplify the multidimensional spirit of the André Harvey Creative Fellowship. The Fellowship reflects and represents the many diverse facets of the creative realm, while advancing Longwood’s bold vision of beauty being accessible to all and enriching society through learning.  

"I am honored to accept this inaugural André Harvey Fellowship to write and create among the beautiful biodiversity and artworks of Longwood Gardens and to continue the vital work of environmental conservation and education through the arts," Harjo said.

As the first André Harvey Fellow, Harjo will embark on a residency at Longwood from October 12-25, immersing herself in the Brandywine’s iconic landscapes while exploring the connections between art, nature, and creativity. As part of her residency, she will give a public reading on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Monday, October 13, sharing passages from her recent books.

Harjo is the author of ten books of poetry, including her most recent, Weaving Sundown in a Scarlet Light: Fifty Poems for Fifty Years (2022), and has also published three award-winning children’s books. In addition, she has collaborated with photographer/astronomer Stephen Strom on Secrets From The Center of The World and has authored several screenplays and plays. Harjo’s awards and recognitions are numerous, including the 2024 Frost Medal from the Poetry Society of America, Yale’s 2023 Bollingen Prize for American Poetry, a Class of 2022 National Humanities Medal, a Lifetime Achievement Award from Americans for the Arts, a Ruth Lily Prize for Lifetime Achievement from the Poetry Foundation, the Academy of American Poets Wallace Stevens Award, a PEN USA Literary Award, the Poets & Writers Jackson Poetry Prize, two NEA fellowships, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and a National Book Critics Circle Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award, among others. In addition to her writing, Harjo is a talented musician, performing throughout the US and internationally and has produced seven award-winning albums.

Renowned Brandywine Valley artist André Harvey (1941–2018) made the world a better—and more beautiful—place. Through his trademark talent for creating breathtakingly realistic works, he pointed to the importance of our natural world and climate change through such work as Rain Before Morning (1985); the plight of such endangered species as manatees in The Survivor (1982) and green sea turtles in The Pilgrimage (1980); and so much more. The Andre Harvey Creative Fellowship was established and generously funded by his spouse, Bobbie Harvey, to honor André’s legacy of spreading joy and appreciation through art by giving creative people the opportunity to immerse themselves in acres of beauty and to explore the themes of the natural world. 

"The André Harvey Creative Fellowship honors André’s respect and dedication to the natural world by empowering exceptional artists like Joy Harjo," said Bobbie Harvey. "I could not be more delighted to see the Fellowship begin with the selection of such a stellar talent."

About Joy Harjo

A trailblazer in poetry and storytelling, Joy Harjo is the first Native American to serve as U.S. Poet Laureate and has published 10 books of poetry, including An American Sunrise. Her accolades include Yale’s Bollingen Prize, the Ruth Lily Poetry Prize, and the National Humanities Medal. Also, a celebrated musician, Harjo has released seven award-winning albums and is the inaugural Artist-in-Residence for the Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she lives.

About the André Harvey Creative Fellowship

Established to continue André Harvey’s artistic legacy of and appreciation for life, the André Harvey Creative Fellowship offers a biennial two- to four-week residency at Longwood to creative professionals who, like André, celebrate the joy of nature, inspire empathy and love for the natural world through boundless curiosity, humor, a sense of wonder, and a spirit of endless innovation. André Harvey Fellows will engage deeply with nature, fostering new creative works that enrich and inspire audiences. The Fellowship, generously funded by a gift from Bobbie Harvey, underscores Longwood’s commitment to accessibility, beauty, and learning.

The selection process is guided by a committee of seven distinguished members. Creative professionals from all genres are encouraged to apply, from studio artists to writers to musicians. Those interested in applying or learning more should visit https://longwoodgardens.org/education/artistic-fellowships/harvey-fellowship 

About André Harvey

Known for his realistic sculptures and intricate works of art, André Harvey (1941–2018) captured the essence of the natural world. Self-taught and influenced by his conservationist father, Harvey’s works such as The Pilgrimage and The Survivor continue to inspire awe and appreciation for nature. Longwood Gardens is home to Harvey’s iconic Chloe and Lucinda, a life-sized bronze sculpture of two Neubian goats, which has graced the Idea Garden since 2020. 

About Longwood Gardens

In 1906, industrialist Pierre S. du Pont (1870-1954) purchased a small farm near Kennett Square, PA, to save a collection of historic trees from being sold for lumber. Today, Longwood Gardens is one of the world’s great horticultural displays, welcoming 1.6 million guests annually and encompassing 1,100 acres of dazzling gardens, woodlands, meadows, fountains, a 10,010-pipe Aeolian organ, and grand conservatory. Expanding on its commitment to conservation, in 2024 Longwood Gardens acquired the 505-acre Longwood at Granogue, a cultural landscape in nearby Wilmington, Delaware. Longwood Gardens is the living legacy of Pierre S. du Pont, bringing joy and inspiration to everyone through the beauty of nature, conservation, and learning. Open daily, Longwood is one of more than 30 gardens in the Philadelphia region known as America’s Garden Capital. For more information, visit longwoodgardens.org.