Cleveland’s annual celebration of National Poetry Month will go beyond literature this year, fusing influences across various art forms. By Julia Lombardo
Celebrating the likes of Ohio-born authors, such as Langston Hughes and Mary Oliver, the third annual Cleveland Poetry Festival will bring together more than a dozen local artists to commemorate the notables of Northeast Ohio’s art scene. Hosted by Literary Cleveland from April 12-14, a weekend of panels, workshops and readings will share the work of new and established authors through the lens of both written and visual arts.
Coining this year’s theme as “Intersections of Art and Text,” the festival will honor the work of poets and visual artists together, exploring the parallels between different mediums of art and examining how they can work in conversation with each other. Mediums to be showcased include photography, ekphrastic poetry and comics, all presented by their respective creators.
In addition to the extensive lineup of Northeast Ohio’s own artists, four visiting authors are also slated to join the festivities. Among these includes Joyelle McSweeney, a Guggenheim fellow and owner of Action Books Press, who opens up the weekend with an inaugural reading alongside Cleveland’s own Zach Savich, an eight-time published author and Associate Professor at the Cleveland Institute of Art.
With the festival’s effort to create a platform for its emerging authors, the Cleveland Museum of Art Community Arts Center will also be hosting a book and art fair in between sessions. Offerings at the fair include merchandise from Mac’s Backs-Books in Coventry, prints from Zygote Press, and other written and visual art from local publishers. Search the work of your new favorite authors and beyond, all while supporting the creative endeavors of the next generation of Ohio’s trailblazers in the arts.
Writers and artists of all skill levels are welcome to join, encouraging creativity and accessibility of the arts for anyone interested in discovering their craft. Registration is now open online, and tickets are available to purchase for the readings, panels, and workshops. Tickets $15-$100, www.litcleveland.org
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