City Council Meeting Date: September 19, 2017
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: Teresa Jensen, Library & IT Director
Title
Consider Grant Application process for 2018 SEMAC Grant by the Northfield Public Library for the Northfield Poet Laureate
Body
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council authorizes the Northfield Public Library, in partnership with the Arts and Culture Commission, to develop and submit a grant application to the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council for the funding for programming related to City of Northfield Poet Laureate initiative.
Summary Report:
Rob Hardy, named Northfield Poet Laureate in the fall of 2016, continues in his second year of his three-year appointment. Rob has initiated many poetry-related events in Northfield in 2016-2017, including:
• Regular poetry readings and events at the Northfield Public Library and at Content Books.
• Served as a judge for the Arcadia Charter School Poetry Out Loud competition
• Participated in numerous literary events at the Northfield Arts Guild.
• Taught poetry workshops for Northfield Public School students
• Brought nationally known poets to Northfield for poetry events
• Wrote and presented original poetry for numerous civic events, including the opening 2017 City Council meeting
• Promoted poetry though the Poet Laureate website and the Poet Laureate Facebook page
• Played a prominent role in the organization and promotion of the 2017 Sidewalk Poetry competition
• Promoted the 2017 Poem in Your Pocket Day
• Promoted/championed local poets and poetry in Northfield
• Created a series of Writers Night events featuring local poets and their writings at the Northfield Public Library
• Started the Poetry Club at Greenvale School
• Presented a poetry workshop and discussion for Prairie Creek Community School staff
• Created a youth advisory group with Northfield High School students to help plan events and opportunities for young poets in Northfield
• Taught poetry at the Poetry Camp for seven-year-olds at the Northfield Arts Guild
• Created original poetry for the library atrium, to be installed fall 2017
• Organized the Northfield Poetry Festival 2017, on September 30; an all-day event taking place in locations around Northfield, serving as the capstone event for the 2017 SEMAC grant.
Creating, organizing and staging these events has elevated the visibility of poetry in Northfield over the past year, which in turn has met the needs of teachers and arts organizations to cultivate the making and appreciation of poetry.
For 2018, Rob will continue to concentrate on youth and diversity, as well as developing partnerships with the colleges that will facilitate bringing visiting poets to Northfield for poetry events and educational opportunities for Northfield students. Rob will also continue to develop and stage community events promoting poetry and the literary arts, and will continue to create original poetry for civic occasions.
Alternative Options:
Financial Impacts:
|
FUNDING |
AMOUNT (IN DOLLARS $) |
|
SEMAC Grant Request |
9,000 |
|
In-Kind City/Library Staff |
900 |
|
Library Programming Funds |
900 |
|
Total Project Funding |
10,800 |
|
|
|
Tentative Timelines:
The Poet Laureate position is a three-year assignment, begun in September 2016. The SEMAC grant application is due October 1, 2017, and if successful, will fund a period of January-December 2018. The Capstone event for the Poet Laureate is scheduled for September 2018.