Adams County Honorary Poet Laureate Residency 

Project Number: 2023.005

Budget: $40,000
The total compensation for the two-year Poet Laureate Residency is $40,000, payable in four (4) installments over 24 months. Budget covers time for writing, administration, artist fees, event costs, materials, travel, insurance conforming to Adams County standards for the contract period and other project-related costs for planning and executing poetry performances at events, and a community conversation programming series held in urban, suburban, and rural areas of the county.

Project Description
The cultural diversity of the people who call Adams County home is as distinct as the landscapes within its borders. What makes this vast land so unique is not only the geography of the County - urban to suburban to urban fringe to rural - but the cultures and lifestyles that thrive within these environments. Adams County continues to grow and to draw people from all over the globe to lay down their roots. As we look to the future, celebrating the history, people and places of Adams County is paramount to our civic pride, and who we, as a county, want to be.  

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 and idea ambassador for a two-year residency. The Poet Laureate Residency provides a local recognized poet an opportunity to advance their art, advocate and promote their literature and work, and to serve as a public face for Adams County.

The Adams County Poet Laureate Residency will make poetry accessible to all in our community. The selected poet will engage directly with Adams County residents of all ages and backgrounds, and create original works inspired by their experience. They will spark and fuel civic dialogue, amplify voices, break down barriers between our community and poetry as an art form, and continue to enrich the lives of Adams County residents through access to arts and culture.

The Poet Laureate will serve a two-year term and will receive a stipend to develop and execute this inaugural residency in communities across the county. The program will have three main components: a public programming series, commissioned poetry and original works, and public readings. 
 

I. Community Conversations: The Poet Laureate Residency is a conversation between an artist and a place. To facilitate this conversation and make meaningful connections with the people of Adams County, the selected poet, with input from Anythink and Adams County staff, will develop a public programming series to bring poetry - writing, creating, performing, reading, listening, discussing - into Anythink Libraries and gathering spaces across the county. During this programming series, the Poet Laureate will use their art to spark conversations about civic issues and make poetry accessible to all.

Anythink Libraries have 7 branches across Adams County - Brighton, Wright Farms, Perl Mack, Bennett, Commerce City, York St., and Huron St., and a traveling Bookmobile. Click here for Anythink branch hours and locations.

II. Creation of Original Poems: As the selected artist gets to know the people and places of Adams County, they will create original works of poetry that respond to and reflect local communities. Commissioned poems will address the beauty, challenges, and opportunities of Adams County. 

A goal of this residency will be for Adams County and Anythink Libraries to document the works by the Poet Laureate and by the people of Adams County into a bound collection (the design and publication of a bound collection is not included in this scope).

III. Performances/Readings: The selected poet will give readings at County and community functions throughout the Residency. Examples may include ribbon cuttings and proclamations, and community events such as Adams County Pride and the Anythink Backyard Concert series. Poems read at events can be original or content-appropriate established works. 

Application Requirements

Selection & Eligibility
The competitive selection process includes an open Call for Entry and is open to eligible Colorado-based poets with a connection to Adams County. 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. 

Artist selection will be driven by the vision statement, "Through thoughtful partnership between Adams County and Anythink Libraries, the Adams County Poet Laureate Residency aims to make poetry accessible to all in our community. By engaging directly with Adams County residents of all ages and backgrounds, and by creating works inspired by this experience, an Adams County Poet Laureate will spark and fuel civic dialogue, amplify voices we often do not hear, break down barriers between our community and poetry as an art form, and continue to enrich the lives of Adams County residents through access to arts and culture.” 

 Applicants must

• Be connected to Adams County (residence, roots, or workplace in Adams County, Colorado)
• Have experience writing, publicly reading or performing, and be willing and available to create and read works for a variety of county and community events
• Have experience leading workshops on poetry and the literary arts, and be willing and available to programmatically plan and facilitate community sessions with Adams County residents of all ages
• Be willing and able to travel to locations across Adams County; click here for a map of Adams County

Submission Requirements

1. A letter of interest for this residency, and statement about your connection to Adams County
2. A statement about your connection to Adams County
3. A statement about your approach to community engagement
4. A resume of professional accomplishments and community outreach activities
5. Portfolio of poems and  writing samples
   • 3-4 pieces total
   • Each piece is no more than one page in length.
6. Performance samples
   • URL web links to video of 2-4 performances.
   • Video with captions or transcripts preferred
   • Video of in-person or online performances accepted
   • Personal recordings accepted

Applications that do not provide the required information will not be considered. All materials must be submitted via the CaFÉ online application system. There is no application fee to apply. Adams County reserves the right to request any additional information from the individual artist. Adams County will not accept late entries. 

Eligibility Criteria

Selection Panel and Process
The Jury Selection Committee is comprised of members of the Adams County Arts & Culture Commission, and representatives from the Adams County Parks, Open Space & Cultural Arts Department and Anythink Libraries. The jury will vote and interview selected finalists to determine recommendation for award, with final approval from the Adams County Parks, Open Space & Cultural Arts Department and Board of County Commissioners.  

Evaluation Criteria
The Selection Panel will individually rate each applicant on the following criteria: 

1. The connection between the project and the artist's creative practice
2. Demonstrated ability to create poetry that sparks ideas and discourse, and engages a wide audience
3. Ability and willingness to collaboratively develop and facilitate various workshops that encourage meaningful dialogue, elevate voices, and create shared experiences
4. Ability to create original pieces that respond to the people and experiences unique to Adams County

Finalist Honorariums for Proposals and Interviews
Finalists (3-4) will each receive a $750 honorarium to prepare a detailed project proposal to present at in-person interview. Finalist proposals will include a detailed outline of ideas for community conversation series, proposed number of original works created during the residency, and proposed number of public readings/performances, and a quote for insurance coverage that meets Adams County standards. A virtual info session for finalists will give more information and include an opportunity for questions.

The select poet is expected to have other employment/artistic projects during the residency period. Finalists should outline their general availability for meetings, reading, and programming during office hours, evenings, and weekends in their project-specific proposal. 

Poet Selection and Project Launch Timeline (subject to change)

Sunday, May 14, 11:59 PM: Call-For-Entry application deadline. Applications must be submitted through callforentry.org.

Tuesday, May 23: Finalists notified. Finalists will receive an honorarium to create detailed proposals outlining their planned approach to the residency.

Wednesday, May 24, 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm, Virtual Info session for finalists.

Sunday, June 11, 11:59 PM: Project proposals due. 

Tuesday, June 13 & Wednesday, June 14, 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm: Finalist interviews. In-person, evening, held at an Anythink Branch.

Friday, June 16: Selected poet notified. Contracting begins.

July 2023 - July 2025: Residency Period