A lot of people think of poetry as something academic and distant, and not as a part of daily life. A display in Aurora, Illinois, aims to change that view.
"Celebrating Poetry in Public Spaces: Painting the Town Blue" features nine poems by Fox Valley residents are on display on kiosks and windows in downtown Aurora and at the city’s two train stations. Karen Christensen, a retired city worker, sits on the board of Cultural Creatives, which promotes local art projects. Christensen says the idea for the displays started with a writers’ group she founded two years ago called A-Town Poetics. Christensen says the group, which includes people who had never written a poem before, offers support and encouragement for anyone aspiring to do so.
“One of those people in that group said, there’s this cool project in London that’s called Poems on the Underground, do you think we could do something like that? And so, in April, for National Poetry Month, we said, yeah, let’s see if we can get some partners. We were able to get support from the business community, through Cultural Creatives and then the city. We put out a call, and were overwhelmed with the response.”
Christensen says they had so much fun doing it, they decided to do it again in June. And, since that was Blues Month in Aurora, ‘blues’ became the theme.
The city is solidly behind the project. Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner says past efforts of the arts community have definitely enhanced the downtown. He likes this display in particular.
“I think it’s a neat project. I fancy myself a poor man’s poet, so I enjoy this probably as much or more as any of the projects they’ve undertaken.”
Kim Granholm is president of Aurora Downtown’s board of directors and a business owner. She says the displays have elicited a number of comments – and been nothing but positive for everyone.
“You can feel the energy, even when you’re looking at the poem here at the poster and reading it. It just creates a spark in the community, and it’s exciting to be a part of.”
Granholm says she knows people who have been inspired to write poetry themselves because of the displays. She says she might even try it herself sometime.
Melissa Mercado is the president of Cultural Creatives and a graphic designer. She designed the posters that hold the poems on display. She says she’s glad the written word is getting its place in the sun along with the visual arts. She says the great thing about poetry is that you don’t have to buy expensive brushes or canvases to start.
“You don’t need a lot of supplies to write. You need a pencil and a piece of paper. Anybody and everybody can do it.”
Christensen says Granholm and Mercado make an important point. Because while she hopes the project has a positive impact on the city, at heart it’s about getting past poetry’s image as something elitist and often obscure.
“Poetry seems very intimidating to people. You know people hear poetry, and they feel you have to be sitting in some stuffy classroom somewhere.”
Christensen says many of the entrants on display don’t self-identify as poets, and are certainly not known as such. She hopes people will see that and, like her colleagues, be inspired themselves.
Because, Christensen says, experience has taught her that anyone can appreciate poetry. And, with a little encouragement, everyone can be a poet.
“We can’t all be athletes, we can’t all be scientists, we can’t all be engineers, but we can all write, we absolutely can all write.”
You just have to sit down and do it.
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The following poets have their work displayed in windows and kiosks in Aurora downtown and at the downtown and Route 59 train stations:
Walter Ellis III - Aurora; Amy Massaro - Aurora; Jeff Horn - North Aurora; Tricia Marcella Cimera - St. Charles; Leo Zarko - Aurora; Sondra Sula - Aurora; Paula Garrett - Geneva; Karen Fullett-Christensen - Aurora
For more information on the project, A-Town Poetics or to get information about submitting work for future poetry exhibitions contact Karen Christensen at kfc16@sbcglobal.net.