For April, The Conway Public Poetry Project is asking for poetry submissions from Conway residents ages five and up. 

In celebration of National Poetry Month, the Blackbird Arts Collective partnered with the Conway Public Art Committee and the Creative Institute of Central Arkansas for the poetry project. 

The founder and board member of the Blackbird Arts Collective, Jennie Strange, began thinking of the project a year ago after witnessing poetry in large cities that she traveled through. It left a lasting impression on her. 

“I believe that poetry has the power to create positive change, whether by simply causing someone to smile or by inviting readers to see the world differently. I also believe that giving people a voice in their community is important,” Strange said. 

As part of the Conway Public Art Committee, she brainstormed ways to involve more art forms in the city’s public art installations. 

“I brought it to my fellow board members at the Blackbird Arts Collective, and we decided to give it a try. The Conway Public Art Committee then agreed to allocate $5,000 towards the project,” Strange said. 

The Conway Public Poetry Project is partly inspired by other projects like Poetry in Motion. Poetry in Motion was launched through MTA New York City Transit and the Poetry Society of America in 1992. With it, poetry is displayed in transit systems of cities all over the country, so that it may be viewed by thousands of people each day. It mainly focused on the work of famous poets. Conway’s Poetry Project aims to focus on the original works of locals. 

“The Conway Public Poetry Project is an effort to tie public art, poetry and citizens together in an impactful way,” Strange said. 

So far, there have been at least 10 submissions, and the sponsors hope for many more. Submissions can be uploaded on ​​https://blackbirdartscollective.org/poetry from April 1-30. 

All submissions must be made by Conway residents. Each person is allowed to submit a maximum of three poems with a 50-word maximum each. Submissions will be broken up into categories for ages 5-17 and 18+. The content must be suitable for all ages to be considered. Collaborative submissions are welcomed as long as all authors are credited and agree to all of the submission guidelines listed. 

After the submission period is over, a committee made up of representatives from Blackbird Arts Collective, the Conway Public Art Committee, the Conway City Planning department, the Hendrix English Department and the Creative Institute of Central Arkansas will review the poetry and decide which ones to feature in installations around the city. Some of the installations will be temporary, while others will remain semi-permanent or permanent. 

This is the first year for the Conway Public Poetry Project, and depending on the results, it may become an annual project each April.