CALLING ALL POETS: The City of Rockford, in partnership with the Rockford Public Library and the Rockford Area Arts Council recently opened NOMINATIONS for City of Rockford Poet Laureate, 2023-2024, and City of Rockford Youth Poet for 2023.
A City Poet Laureate is an honorary position; Poets Laureate promote literacy and literature among residents of all ages. The Arts Council and the Rockford Public Library develop programming, and complimentary resources, to provide the recipient with opportunities to promote their personal work, host workshops for residents, and appear at important City events. The official honor of Poet Laureate is awarded for a period of two years and is partially funded by the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois. Christine Swanberg is the current, and inaugural, City of Rockford Poet Laureate, and Giulyana Gamero is the City of Rockford’s second Youth Poet.
Poet Laureate requirements are the following: the poet must be a resident of the City of Rockford area for no less than one year. Poet must be 18 years of age for the Poet Laureate award and between 13-17 for the Youth Poet award. Poets must have demonstrated a previous commitment to poetry and have significant publication history. The Poet Laureate Committee is established with representatives from the Arts Council, City of Rockford, Rockford Public Library, Rockford University, Rock Valley College, and members of the City’s arts and literary community.
Rockford Area Arts Council Executive Director, Mary McNamara Bernsten, says “Poetry is a unique art form: it can speak to love, loss, growth, and struggle. As an art form, it is accessible to everyone in a variety of forms—spoken word, slam, rap, songwriting, and traditional formats. The Arts Council is delighted to continue its work with the Library and the City in the development of this celebrated role.”
Lynn Stainbrook, Director of the Rockford Public Library, shares—“My faith in the world of art is not irrational and it’s not naïve. Art invites us to take the journey from data to information to knowledge to wisdom. Artists make language, images, and sounds to bear witness, shape beauty, and comprehend. My faith in their work exceeds my admiration for any other discourse. Such a conversation with the public and among various genres of art and scholarship, this conversation is vital to our understanding of what it means to be human.” -Toni Morrison, 2006
“I have been very pleased with the success of our Poet Laureate and Youth Poet programs, and I’m excited that we will be continuing both,” states City of Rockford Mayor McNamara. “I’d love to see the diversity of nominations reflect the diversity of our community. If you have an interest in sharing your love of poetry with our residents, please consider applying and sharing your talent with our community.”
To nominate yourself or someone else, visit https://rockfordil.gov/nominations/.
Original source can be found here.
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