Adams County Honorary Poet Laureate Residency

Adams County Parks, Open Space & Cultural Arts (POSCA), in partnership with Anythink Libraries, seeks an experienced poet, performer and artist to serve as the inaugural Adams County Poet Laureate for a two-year residency. The selected poet will engage directly with Adams County residents of all ages and backgrounds, create original works inspired by their experience, and serve as a public face for Adams County.

The Poet Laureate will receive a total compensation of $40,000 payable in four installments over 24 months. The budget covers time for writing, administration, artist fees, event costs, materials, travel, insurance conforming to Adams County standards, and other project-related costs. The residency has three main components: a community conversation programming series held across urban, suburban, and rural areas of the county; creation of original poems that respond to and reflect local communities; and public readings at County and community functions.

Eligibility: Applicants must be Colorado-based poets with a connection to Adams County (residence, roots, or workplace). Artists must have an established body of work including published/self-published works, reading/spoken word, and performance experience, as well as community project planning experience. Applicants must have experience writing and publicly reading or performing, be willing to lead workshops on poetry and the literary arts, and be able to travel across Adams County. Submission requirements include a letter of interest and statement about connection to Adams County, a statement about approach to community engagement, a resume, a portfolio of 3-4 poems and writing samples (each no more than one page), and URL web links to video of 2-4 performances with captions or transcripts preferred. Finalists (3-4) will each receive a $750 honorarium to prepare a detailed project proposal and participate in an in-person interview. The selected poet will be notified June 16, 2023, with the residency period running July 2023 - July 2025.