TO: Members of the City Council
FROM: Mayor Angela Birney
DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR CONTACT(S):
Parks
Loreen Hamilton
425-556-2336
DEPARTMENT STAFF:
Parks
Chris Weber
Cultural Arts Supervisor
TITLE:
title
Poet Laureate Approval
OVERVIEW STATEMENT:
recommendation
Established in 2008 by Ordinance 2444, The Poet Laureate program builds a more literate and understanding community through poetry and the literary arts by broadening the awareness of poetry and expressing the spirit of Redmond culture. The selection process for Redmond's 8th Poet Laureate is underway with the Arts & Culture Commission recommending Ching-In Chen to be interviewed by the Mayor and City Council later this month, for potential appointment at the November 6 City Council Meeting.
Ching-In Chen is a lifelong educator, community organizer, poet, and the author of The Heart's Traffic (Arktoi/Red Hen Press, 2009) and recombinant (Kelsey Street Press, 2017). They are an Assistant Professor teaching creative writing and performance classes at the University of Washington Bothell and the current Poet-in-Residence at Hugo House. They are also a community organizer, specifically in Asian American communities in coalition with other communities of color and LGBTQIA* communities.
body
? Additional Background Information/Description of Proposal Attached
REQUESTED ACTION:
? Receive Information ? Provide Direction ? Approve
REQUEST RATIONALE:
* Relevant Plans/Policies:
2015 PARCC Plan, 2017 Public Art Plan
* Required:
Ordinance #2444 - Establishing a Poet Laureate
* Council Request:
N/A
* Other Key Facts:
N/A
OUTCOMES:
The goal of the Redmond Poet Laureate program is to make a significant contribution to the cultural life of the city and reveal new ways of understanding throughout our diverse community. This may take place through participation in municipal events, public poetry readings, reading at city council meetings, workshops, classes, lectures, text based visual art, composing, an...
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