Seattle Culture
Seattle Launches Public Poetry Campaign
Short poems on sustainability will crop up across the city in April
By Rob Smith March 26, 2024
This article originally appeared in the July/August 2024 issue of Seattle magazine.
Poetry installations will appear across Seattle starting April 1 as part of the city’s Public Poetry campaign.
The campaign coincides with National Poetry Month, and centers around sustainability. It features Seattle poets Kathya Alexander, Bryna Antonia (Á Thanh) Cortes, Cindy Luong, Joe Nasta, and Bryan Wilson in locations across the city, including the Seattle Public Library (downtown and South Park); Wa Na Wari; Friends of Little Saigon; Seattle Municipal Tower; Slide Gallery (Belltown); and Bureau of Fearless Ideas.
Visual elements include postcards, posters, window clings, vinyl banners, cut-paper installations, and a map of the featured sites.
Poetry by Joe Nasta on the windows of Slide Gallery in Belltown
A banner featuring poetry by Cindy Luong at the Seattle Public Library downtown
Installation of Bryan Wilson’s poem at the Bureau of Fearless Ideas in Greenwood
The campaign was designed by Jayme Yen, a graphic designer and design teacher. The program is funded by the city of Seattle’s Office of Arts & Culture, the Academy of American Poets, a New York City-based organization that invests in poetry projects across the United States.
“I’m excited to bring poetry from fresh voices into the public eye through this series of partnerships with local poets and community partners,” Seattle Civic Poet Shin Yu Pai says.
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