The Arts Commission - Toledo Poetry Sidewalks Public Art
The Arts Commission announces Toledo Poetry Sidewalks public art project call for submissions
Open Call for Submissions to all Toledo-area literary artists
Submission deadline is Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Submission application and detailed project information is available online at www.TheArtsCommission.org.
The Arts Commission is seeking submissions of poetry from local writers to be stamped into new sidewalks around the City of Toledo. This new public art project, funded by the City of Toledo’s 1% for Art Program, seeks short poems and literary works that will engage pedestrians in a thoughtful conversation with their city and provide the public with an enjoyable, inspirational outdoor reading experience. Writers of all ages are encouraged to submit.
Toledo Poetry Sidewalks is a project of the City of Toledo’s 1% for Art Program, administered by The Arts Commission with partnership from The University of Toledo Department of Art
Background:
The Poetry Sidewalks project aims to provide increased opportunities for local literary artists while invigorating streetscapes and promoting walkability in site-specific pedestrian areas.
In 2011, The Arts Commission received funding from the Toledo Community Foundation to increase opportunities for performing and literary artists through The Arts Commission’s programming. The Poetry Sidewalks project takes inspiration from a program founded in St. Paul, MN and Toledo’s own Artist-Designed Bike Racks project, funded by the City of Toledo’s 1% for Art program, administered by The Arts Commission’s Art in Public Places Committee, to offer increased visibility and opportunity for local literary artists.
The Poetry Sidewalks project will offer a high-visibility opportunity for Toledo-area writers and poets by stamping poems into concrete sidewalks in high-traffic areas. In turn, the public will benefit from an increased visual and intellectual aesthetic along everyday public thoroughfares. As The Arts Commission aims to “Inspire a Vibrant Toledo,” the Poetry Sidewalks project offers pedestrians a thoughtful interaction with their city and raises awareness of local literary arts, educating the general public about poetry and the impact it can have on daily life.
The Arts Commission is collaborating with The University of Toledo in the design and fabrication of the stamps.
Theme:
The first round of selected poems will be installed on the grounds of the National Great Lakes Museum located in the Marina District in the East Side of Toledo. Due to the significance of the site, we are seeking poems that address Great Lakes' themes. Poems could discuss maritime history, the ecological significance of the lakes or the impact of the lakes on our region. All variations and interpretations of the Great Lakes theme will be considered.
Guidelines for Submission:
• Writers may submit up to two poems each.
• Writer must submit full name, address, phone number, email and title(s) of submission(s) on a cover sheet only. All other pages should have no identifying information.
• Poem(s) may have up to ten lines maximum with 40 characters per line.
• The poems may be previously published. Writer is responsible for any copyright issues. All submissions should be properly credited.
• Poems may be excerpts from larger works as long as the excerpt stands on its own.
• Writers of all ages are welcome to submit poems.
• Poems must be emailed, and may be submitted in the following formats: (1) as PDF attachment, (2) as a Microsoft Word Document, or (3) in a text format (.rft or .txt). Please email submissions to: [email protected].
• The competition is open to all writers working in the following counties: Allen, Defiance, Fulton, Hancock, Henry, Lucas, Ottawa, Paulding, Putnam, Sandusky, Seneca, Van Wert, Williams, Wood, and Wyandot counties in Ohio, and Lenawee and Monroe counties in Michigan, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, military status, sexual orientation, marital status, or physical or mental disability.
• Text and subject matter must be appropriate for the general public.
• Up to five poems will be selected. Each selected poem will receive a $150 honorarium and will be installed in city sidewalks.
TIMELINE
Call for Entries Issued: March 13, 2013
Submission Deadline: April 10, 2013
Competition Winners Notified: End of April 2013
Installation: May, 2013
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Founded in 1959, The Arts Commission is the longest-standing arts organization of its kind in the state of Ohio and has managed the City of Toledo’s 1% for Art program since 1977.
The Arts Commission is proudly supported by the Ohio Arts Council.
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Press Release Contact Name: Nathan Mattimoe
Press Release Contact Email: [email protected]
Press Release Contact Phone: 419-254-2787
Organization Name: The Arts Commission
Website or Link: www.theartscommission.org
Organization Address: 1838 Parkwood Ave. #120, Toledo, OH, 43604