2024 Cleveland Poetry Festival - Intersections of Art + Text
Join us for a weekend poetry festival designed to help you draft new writing, advance your craft, and connect with the creative community.
This year’s festival celebrates visual poetry, the play between image and text, the use of type in art, and the ways poetry and visual art inspire each other.
The festival opens Friday, April 12 with a FREE evening reading by Joyelle McSweeney and Zach Savich at Cleveland Institute of Art, presented as part of CSU Poetry Center's Lighthouse Reading Series.
On Saturday, April 13, attend a full day of generative writing workshops and panel discussions at the Cleveland Museum of Art Community Art Center (2937 W 25th St). Workshops show you how to combine poetry and photography, write ekphrastic work based on visual art, and experiment with poetry and comics. Panel discussions dive into the relation of image and text, the interplay between writers and artists, and the creative act of looking. Plus, browse the Book + Art Marketplace in the lobby and find journals, presses, and letterpress art, prints to purchase from local artists, art making with Zygote Press, and a curated selection to shop from Mac's Backs Books.
Saturday evening's closing reading at Maelstrom Collaborative Arts (5403 Detroit Ave) features conference presenters Carrie George, Philip Metres, Lauren Haldeman, Diana Khoi Nguyen, and Cindy Juyoung Ok, hosted by GRVLND's Kevin Latimer with an open mic for participants.
Finally, attend a special Con Tú - Poetry Edition with writer-in-residence Stephanie Ginese at ATNSC (11808 Cromwell Ave) on Sunday, April 14 to discuss the interplay of poetry and art in the community. Con Tú Variety Show is a monthly comedy, poetry, and music event hosted by Ginese and TJ Maclin on Cleveland's westside.
Main program presenters include an all star lineup of Cleveland-based poets and artists, including Mansa L. Bey, Ali Black, Donald Black Jr., Danny Caine, Danielle N. Dixon, Siaara Freeman, Carrie George, "Barrio Boy" J.P. Hernandez, Kevin Latimer, Michael Loderstedt, Philip Metres, Alyssa Perry, and Zach Savich. Plus, we have incredible visiting presenters: Carrie George, Lauren Haldeman, Joyelle McSweeney, Diana Khoi Nguyen, and Cindy Juyoung Ok.
This festival is sponsored by CWRU Writers House & Department of English and Mac's Backs Books. Partners include ATNSC, Cleveland Museum of Art Community Arts Center, Cleveland State University Poetry Center, Grieveland, Maelstrom Collaborative Arts, Rescue Press, and Zygote Press.
Tickets
Attendees can register for the entire festival, including all April 12-14 events, or you can register to attend the Opening Reading and/or Closeout Reading & Open Mic. You cannot register for individual breakout sessions.
Schedule Overview
Fri. Apr. 12
FREE Kickoff Lighthouse Reading - 7:00 pm @ Cleveland Institute of Art
- Featuring Joyelle McSweeney & Zach Savich
Sat. Apr. 13
Books & Art Marketplace - 11:00-4:00 @ CMA Community Arts Center
Session 1 - 11:00-12:30 @ CMA Community Arts Center
- Panel: IMAGE & TEXT - Phil Metres, Danny Caine, Kevin Latimer, & mod. Carrie George
- Workshop: POETRY & PHOTOGRAPHY - Ali Black & Donald Black
Lunch Break 12:30-1:30
Session 2 - 1:30-3:00 @ CMA Community Arts Center
- Panel: POETS & ARTISTS - Mansa Bey, Danielle Nicole Dixon, & Michael Loderstedt
- Workshop: EKPHRASTIC POETRY - Siaara Freeman
Session 3 - 3:15-4:45 @ CMA Community Arts Center
- Panel: ON LOOKING - Joyelle McSweeney, Zach Savich, Diana Khoi Nguyen, Cindy Juyoung Ok, J.P. Hernandez, & mod. Alyssa Perry
- Workshop: POETRY & COMICS - Lauren Haldeman
Closing Reading - 7:00pm @ Maelstrom Collective
- Featuring Carrie George, Phil Metres, Lauren Haldeman, Diana Khoi Nguyen, Cindy Juyoung Ok, & Kevin Latimer
Sun. Apr. 14
Con Tú - Poetry Edition @ ATNSC
See the detailed schedule at Literary Cleveland's website.
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Scholarships: A limited number scholarship spots are available for this class for writers in Northeast Ohio. Email info@litcleveland.org to request a scholarship.
Cancellations & Refunds: Cancel at least 48 hours in advance of the first class meeting to receive a full refund. Email info@litcleveland.org.
