- Salt Lake City seeks its first poet laureate to write civic poems and develop a community project.
- The poet laureate serve a three-year term for the city.
- Applications are open until May 17; selection by mid-July.
SALT LAKE CITY — Do you love Utah's capital city, writing and want to show it? There's good news: Salt Lake City is searching for its first official poet.
More specifically, Salt Lake City is searching for its first-ever poet laureate through a new program created by the Salt Lake City Arts Council and the city mayor's office.
Once selected later this year, the city's poet laureate will serve as a "cultural ambassador" for the city during a three-year term, tasked with providing original civic poems and participating in city events and public readings. The poet laureate will also be asked to develop a "signature community project" during their term, all of which aim to use poetry to unify residents, city leaders explained on Monday.
"Salt Lake City has a long history of stewarding public art, and this program builds on that legacy in a meaningful way," Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said in a statement. "I look forward to seeing our first poet laureate create those moments across our city, inviting Salt Lakers to connect with one another in new ways."
The job comes with a $ 5,000-per-year honorarium. The city's first poet laureate will be tasked with a few other responsibilities as an ambassador. These include overseeing neighborhood readings, workshops, collaborations with community organizations and other types of programming that reflect "the diversity of voices and experiences" across the city, city officials said.
They must be at least 18, a city resident and have a "demonstrated record of artistic practice and community engagement in poetry." These include a published poetry collection and a "strong record" of artistic practice in poetry.
Salt Lake City will accept applications through the end of May 17, then select someone by July. A public announcement of the first Salt Lake poet laureate is expected to be made by mid-July.
The hope is to find someone that utilize poetry's ability to "translate complex experiences into language that is both accessible and meaningful," said Felicia Baca, director of the Salt Lake City Arts Council.
"By holding multiple perspectives and creating connections across differences, this program positions poetry as a powerful tool for civic dialogue and community engagement," she said. "This practice strengthens the social fabric by encouraging individuals to move toward more expansive ways of seeing one another."
