Poetry and Community Come Together at the Fourth Annual Chicago Poetry Block Party
CHICAGO, June 25, 2019 – The Chicago Poetry Block Party, a free, all-ages celebration of poetry, music, and creativity, returns to the National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen on Saturday, July 27, 3:00–8:00 PM. Presented by the Poetry Foundation and Crescendo Literary, the Chicago Poetry Block Party features live music from Lester Rey, avery r. young, DÉCIMA, and the CPBP House Band, led by Ayanna Woods, and also readings from award-winning poets from across the country, engaging writing workshops, an open mic, and more.
Incubating Creativity within Communities
The Chicago Poetry Block Party engages the imagination and innovation happening within communities by inviting neighborhood artists, community organizations, and inhabitants to come together. Local poets and musicians will perform alongside those from 12 states, recognizing Chicago as a cultural destination.
“Poetry happens everywhere,” said Ydalmi Noriega, Poetry Foundation community and foundation relations director. “The Chicago Poetry Block Party is about highlighting and celebrating the art that folks are making in the places where they are from. CPBP was founded in a desire to serve and celebrate communities, and we are proud to bring the celebration back to Pilsen.”
The party is the culmination of the three-day Poetry Incubator, held at the Poetry Foundation in collaboration with Crescendo Literary. The Incubator brings together community-minded poets from around the United States for workshops on writing and organizing. Faculty poets Parneshia Jones and Ken Chen share their expertise with the artists, teaching Incubator Fellows how to enhance their community work and strengthen their poetry. At the end of the Incubator, Fellows put the skills they’ve honed to use in running the Chicago Poetry Block Party.
Incubator Fellows can also submit community project proposals to be considered for Poetry Incubator Seed Grants. Victor Jackson, one of two 2018 grant recipients, founded OURchive, a digital archive in Philadelphia, focused on art, literature, and journalism. Ashley Mack-Jackson, the Indianapolis-based 2018 recipient, is extending the Word As Bond program into a paid internship for young writers this summer.
Through the Incubator and Seed Grants, the spirit of the Chicago Poetry Block Party reaches beyond the city, fostering engagement and creation in communities across the country.
Museum as a Meeting Place
The celebration traveled to different neighborhoods for its first three years—Bronzeville in 2016, Pilsen in 2017, and Austin in 2018—and returns to Pilsen for its fourth iteration.
"The National Museum of Mexican Art is one of our favorite places to gather, and has been a central meeting place for people from across Chicago and the world for years now," said Eve L. Ewing, codirector and cofounder of Crescendo Literary. "It's such a joy to collaborate with them because they share our values of community, beauty, and collective voices."
The Chicago Poetry Block Party festivities are not contained to what happens onstage, as party-goers are encouraged to get involved with writing workshops happening throughout the afternoon, and activities with local organizations who will have booths around the museum.
Chicago Poetry Block Party places practical supports alongside festival activities to serve the neighborhood and attendees, such as family planning education by Stroger Hospital and civic engagement resources by the Immigrant Workers’ Project. Plus, Open Books and Working Bikes will offer children’s books and bikes to community members.
For more information and detailed schedule visit poetryfoundation.org/CPBP
Fourth Annual Chicago Poetry Block Party
Saturday, July 27, 2019
3:00–8:00 PM
National Museum of Mexican Art
1852 West 19th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60608
VISUALS: Performers’ and programming images available upon request.
About the Poetry Foundation
The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine, is an independent literary organization committed to a vigorous presence for poetry in American culture. It exists to discover and celebrate the best poetry and to place it before the largest possible audience. The Poetry Foundation seeks to be a leader in shaping a receptive climate for poetry by developing new audiences, creating new avenues for delivery, and encouraging new kinds of poetry through innovative literary prizes and programs.
Follow the Poetry Foundation and Poetry on Facebook at facebook.com/poetryfoundation, Twitter @PoetryFound and Instagram @PoetryFoundation.
About Crescendo Literary
A collaboration between poets Eve L. Ewing and Nate Marshall, Crescendo Literary creates and curates events, works of art, and educational resources grounded in the belief that 1) artists can, should, and must be accountable to the communities from which they emerge, and 2) communities, in turn, are strengthened by the meaningful presence of excellent art.
For more information, please visit crescendoliterary.com.
About the National Museum of Mexican Art
The National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago showcases 3,000 years of creativity from both sides of the Mexican border, connecting visitors to the diversity of Mexican art and culture. Works from the museum’s 10,000-piece permanent collection are exhibited in four welcoming bilingual galleries, and the museum’s location in the vibrant Pilsen neighborhood allows for a total immersion in the richness of Mexico’s culture. Admission is always free at the National Museum of Mexican Art, the first nationally accredited Latino museum in the US.
For more information, please visit NationalMuseumofMexicanArt.org.
Media Contacts:
Sarah Whitcher, Marketing and Media Director, [email protected], 312.799.8016
Liz O’Connell-Thompson, Media Associate, [email protected], 312.799.8065