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October 18, 2005 Contact: Vicki Poppen, (503) 986-0085, Vicki.poppen@state.or.us The Oregon Arts Commission, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Poetry Foundation, announces “Poetry Out Loud”, a national initiative that will involve students in the study and public recitation of classic poetry. Recitation contests will occur at participating high schools across Oregon this fall and winter. Winners from each Oregon high school will participate in a statewide competition in Salem in Spring, 2006. The winner of Oregon’s statewide competition will receive $200 and an all-expense paid trip to Washington, DC for the National Finals. The state winner’s school will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books for the school library. A runner-up in each state will receive $100, with $200 for his or her school library. The National Endowment for the Arts will award a total of $50,000 in scholarships and school stipends at the National Finals, with at least a $20,000 college scholarship for the Poetry Out Loud Champion. “Poetry Out Loud” builds on the resurgence of poetry as an oral art form, demonstrated by the slam poetry movement and the immense popularity of rap music among American youth. The program encourages Oregon’s young people to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance, which help students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and internalize our rich literary heritage. “The National Poetry Recitation Contest brings new energy to an ancient art by returning it to the classrooms of America”, said John Barr, President of The Poetry Foundation, a co-sponsor of Poetry Out Loud. “The public recitation of great poetry is a way to honor the speaker, the poem, and the audience all at once. Hearing a poem spoken aloud, we discover that a poem is before anything else an event of the ear. In the hands of the poet our everyday speech becomes a musical instrument. The meaning of the poem, we find, lies as much in the sound of its words as in their sense.” Approximately 20 high schools in Oregon will be selected to participate in the “Poetry Out Loud” program by submitting a brief application to the Oregon Arts Commission. Applications may be downloaded from the Oregon Arts Commission website: www.oregonartscommission.org Completed applications must be received by 5:00 p.m., November 30, 2005. For additional information, contact Vicki Poppen at the Oregon Arts Commission, vicki.poppen@state.or.us The Oregon Arts Commission believes that the arts and culture are touchstones of community and civic life and that it is essential to preserve, stabilize and develop their central role in Oregon. The Commission provides leadership, funding and arts programs through its grants, special initiatives and services. Nine Commissioners, appointed by the Governor, determine arts needs and establish policies for public support of the arts. The Arts Commission became part of the Economic and Community Development Department in 1993 in recognition of the expanding role the arts play in the broader social, economic and educational arenas of Oregon communities. In 2003, the Oregon Legislature moved the operations of the Oregon Cultural Trust to the Arts Commission, streamlining operations and making use of the Commission’s expertise in grantmaking, arts and cultural information and community cultural development. More information about the Oregon Arts Commission is available at www.oregonartscommission.org The Arts Commission is supported with General Funds appropriated by the Oregon Legislature, federal funds from the National Endowment for the Arts and funds from the Oregon Cultural Trust
Dated for freshness! Page last updated May 02, 2008 |
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