April is National Poetry Month. Throughout the month, with Maggie Benshaw, Annapolis Poet Laureate, Annapolis will celebrate the beauty that is poetry.
National Poetry Month was launched in April of 1996 by the Academy of American Poets as a public reminder that poets play an integral role in our culture and lives. Poetry matters!
Below are a list of events taking place in the City of Annapolis in celebration of National Poetry Month:
- Hidden Poetry – Poems will be hidden around downtown Annapolis and throughout Eastport on Sunday, April 4th. Included with the hidden poems are directions that encourage seekers to interact with the poems via social media. A QR code is also included that is linked to the Instagram page @poetlaureateannapolis with further information for participants;
- Poetic Musings – An adult poetry and open mic night at ArtFarm Studios at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 22. The evening will feature readings from two local poets, Stewart Moss and Olivia Braley. Following their recitations, the floor will be open for guests to share original poetry. Attendees may sign up to read a poem using the Google Form linked on the Poet Laureate Instagram page: @poetlaureateannapolis;
- In partnership with ArtFarm: an April 28th unveiling of Maryland Hall presents Women in the Arts: A Dialogue Between Nature & Environment featuring the work of First Lady Yumi Hogan & Mina Papatheodorou-Valyraki
- Pavement Poetry – A project where visual art and poetry collide! For this Pavement Poetry installation, lines of poetry will be painted/sprayed on sidewalks and other locations throughout the city of Annapolis to promote poetry and literacy. The lines of poetry that have been selected and approved center around the following themes: One Annapolis, community, overcoming obstacles, acceptance, love, equality, and hope; in addition to history, heritage, and representation to depict the City of Annapolis.
Look for these moving lines of poetry later in the month, with an installation date set for April 28th. In partnership with the Michael E. Busch Annapolis Library.
