City Council Meeting Date: September 20, 2016
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: Teresa Jensen, Director of Library & IT Services
Title
Consider Grant Application process for 2017 SEMAC Grant by the Northfield Public Library
Body
Action Requested:
Staff recommends a motion authorizing staff of 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:
Northfield demonstrates an ongoing interest in poetry, evidenced in writing groups, the Sidewalk Poetry initiative, the Poem in Your Pocket event in Poetry Month, and ongoing poetry programming sponsored by the colleges. However, there is no public coordination of literary arts in the community, e.g., via a literary arts calendar, and no leader/representative of poetry events, and as a result poets are barely visible in Northfield, compared with other arts such as theater and music.
The Public Library and Arts and Culture Commission (ACC) consulted with Emilio DeGrazia, poet laureate of Winona, regarding how a poet laureate might provide a focus for and leadership for poetry and literary arts in a community, especially in helping to publicize poetry and poetry resources and in developing new audiences. As the City endeavors to advance the goal of Northfield as an "arts town," a primary aim is to make better use of existing resources and interests. Current events on the college's campuses, for example, are not perceived as open to the general public, and poetry readings and competitions are generally perceived as being for only a particular group of practicing poets. The Laureate will thus be part of an overall effort to improve access and to advance the quality and appreciation of poetic arts, whether in schools, among practicing poets, or among new audiences. While the proje...
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