Days remaining to deadline: 38
Eligibility: Local
State: Colorado
Budget: $50,000
Project Number 2025.002
Budget
The total artist stipend is $50,000, paid in equal quarterly installments over the 24-month period, July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2027. (Program Planning – July 1 – December 2025; Public Programming - January 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027)
Budget covers all costs associated with executing this residency including, but not limited to, administration and planning, site visits and meetings with Anythink and Adams County staff as needed, writing of original works, advising and collaborating on poetry anthology, performances and poetry readings, the execution of community programs county-wide, consultants and subcontractors’ fees, travel, and insurance meeting Adams County standards for the duration of the residency.
Open to
Professional artists, based in Colorado
Project Description
Adams County Parks, Open Space & Cultural Arts (POSCA) in collaboration with Anythink Libraries seeks an experienced poet, performer, and artist to serve as the Adams County Poet Laureate and idea ambassador for a two-year residency. The Poet Laureate Residency is a highly visible role and provides a local, recognized poet an opportunity to advance their art practice, advocate and promote their work, and to serve as a public face for Adams County, Colorado.
The selected poet will engage directly with Adams County residents of all ages and backgrounds to mobilize communities through poetry, and create original works inspired by their experience. The Poet Laureate will serve a twenty-four (24) month term and will receive a stipend to develop and execute this residency in locations across the county. The program will have three main components: community programming, creation of original works, and performances.
Located in the Denver metro area, Adams County has a population of more than 527,000 residents and spans 72 miles east to west. 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 is a rapidly growing minority-majority county and draws people from all over the globe to lay down their roots. Sixty percent of residents are bilingual and we welcome poets who write and perform in multiple languages. 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.
Anythink is the library district that serves Adams County residents. The district has 7 locations: Bennett, Brighton, Commerce City, Huron St., Perl Mack, Wright Farms, and the Thornton Community Center. The library also offers outreach services through Anythink in Motion, the district’s bookmobile which visits neighborhoods and communities throughout the county. With a focus on innovation, Anythink strives to enhance our vibrant community and provide access to resources and experiences. CLICK HERE to learn more about the district's mission and values.
Adams County Poet Laureate Vision Statement
The Poet Laureate vision statement will serve as a touchstone for the selection of the Adams County Poet Laureate and guide that artist as they move through the residency.
“Through thoughtful collaboration 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.”
Residency Scope
Community Programming
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 will develop programming that brings poetry - writing, creating, performing, reading, listening, discussing - into Anythink Libraries, Adams County Facilities, and beyond.
The Adams County Poet Laureate will create opportunities for residents of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities to engage with poetry. This could happen in many different ways – workshops, events, community projects, interactive performances, slams, open-mics, collaborations with fellow artists, and more.
The selected poet will work in close collaboration with Anythink Staff and Adams County Cultural Arts throughout their residency to create opportunities to connect with residents. This will include National Poetry Month programming for 2026 and 2027, Winter Programming in 2027, and other opportunities for connection across Anythink Branches and countywide.
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 as well as the poet’s personal experience. Poems will address the beauty, challenges, and opportunities of Adams County.
Poetry written by the Adams County Poet Laureate will be shared with the public through the Artfully Adams Newsletter and other print and media outlets. These works will culminate in an anthology featuring works by the Poet Laureate alongside poems by Adams County residents. The anthology will reflect the residency and celebrate the unique relationship between the Poet Laureate and our communities.
Performances & Readings
The Poet Laureate will perform original works throughout the Residency. Poems performed can be newly created original works or content-appropriate established works. The selected poet will perform at up to 10 events for each year of the residency. Examples may include ribbon cuttings, proclamations, and events such as Adams County Pride and the Anythink Backyard Concert series.
Residency Timeline: July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2027
- July – December 2025: Program Planning & Development, including orientations with Adams County and Anythink Libraries and independent research and exploration across Adams County
- January 2026 – June 2027: Public Programming
Application Requirements
The competitive selection process 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, performance experience, and community engagement experience. We encourage bilingual poets to apply.
Applicants must
- Be passionate about building community through poetry and making this residency their own
- Be connected to Adams County, i.e. residence, roots, community, or workplace in Adams County, Colorado
- Have experience writing, publicly reading and performing, and be willing and available to create and read works for a variety of county and community events
- Have experience planning and leading poetry and literary arts programming
- Be willing and available to programmatically plan and facilitate community sessions with Adams County residents of all ages and abilities
- Be willing and able to travel to locations across Adams County and regularly meet with Adams County and Anythink Staff in-person
- Be willing to collaborate on marketing and communications to promote yourself, your work and the overall Residency. Click here for a map of Adams County
Submission Requirements
- Letter of interest for this residency
- Statement about your connection to Adams County
- Statement about your approach to community engagement and public programming
- Resume or portfolio of professional accomplishments as a writer, performer, and community connecter
- Portfolio of poems and writing samples
- 3-4 pieces total, each piece, no more than one page in length
- At least 2 pieces in English
- Performance Samples
- URL web links to video of 2-4 performances
- Self-recorded videos accepted. Samples will be evaluated based on the strength of the performance, not production quality.
- Videos with captions or transcripts preferred for accessibility.
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 Artist Selection Panel is comprised of members of the Adams County Arts & Culture Commission, a volunteer board appointed by the Adams County Board of County Commissioners, representatives from the Adams County Parks, Open Space & Cultural Arts Department and Anythink Libraries, and community members. The panel will score applications 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:
- The connection between the project and the artist's creative practice
- Quality and creativity of written works
- Quality and strength of performance samples
- Demonstrated ability to write poems and facilitate public programming that creatively engage varied audiences (ages, background, and relationship to poetry), encourage meaningful dialogue and artistic exchange, elevate voices, and build community through poetry
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. Finalists will learn more about the residency and can ask questions of Adams County and Anythink staff during a group virtual info session. Finalists will receive 1:1 feedback on the proposal before interviewing with the artist selection panel.
During interviews, finalists will share how they plan to approach the various components of this residency including project administration, creation of original works and anthology, community programming, and will perform 2 original works for the panel.
Poet Selection Timeline*
- March 9: Call-For-Entry Application Deadline
- March 18: Short-list Candidates Notified
- April 7: Finalists Notified
- April 10: Finalist Info Session with Adams County & Anythink Staff
- April 27: Finalist Proposals Due
- April 28: Finalists Announced to Public
- Week of May 5: Finalists meet 1:1 with Adams County & Anythink Staff
- May 20th & 21st: Finalist Interviews, in-person preferred
- May 30: Project Awarded
- June 2025: Contracting
Residency Timeline*
- July –December 2025: Program Planning & Development
- January 2026 – June 2027: Public Programming
*Timelines subject to change
Project Contact
Amy Smith, Public Art Project Manager
Adams County Parks, Open Space & Cultural Arts
9755 Henderson Road, Brighton, CO 80601