Written by Anna-Li St. Martin, Intern with the City of Worcester’s Cultural Development Division, spring 2023

As an intern for the City’s Cultural Development Division, I had the amazing opportunity to attend the reopening of the “Open Door Gallery” at the Worcester Art Museum (ODG@WAM).

On Monday, March 20^th, 2023, I attended the reopening of the ODG@WAM featuring the work of artist Megan Bent. Having exhibited over 100 artists with disabilities, the ODG@WAM returns from a hiatus due to the pandemic. One of the only spaces of its kind located in a world-renowned art museum, the ODG@WAM is a working studio and gallery that creates professional opportunities and representation for artists with disabilities to share their stories and culture.

Before heading into the ODG@WAM, several people involved in this effort spoke about the project’s origins, their goals, and their experiences. During this speaking portion, I learned that three organizations collaborated to support each other’s missions, creating a unique space that none of them could have achieved alone. The Seven Hills Foundation strives to promote and encourage the empowerment of people with significant challenges so that individuals may pursue their highest possible degree of personal well-being and independence. Open Door Arts has spent the last 42 years working to increase access, participation, and representation in the arts for people with disabilities. As for the Worcester Art Museum’s goals, Managing Director of Open Door Arts Nicole Agois shared that the Gallery works in tangent with WAM’s mission to connect people, communities, and culture through the experience of art, while representing people with disabilities.

In closing her speech to the assemblage, Agois shared the following quote by James Baldwin: “The role of the artist is exactly the same as the role of the lover. If I love you, I have to make you conscious of the things you don’t see.” This quote resonated with me because artists tend to bring up topics, subjects, and themes that are often underdiscussed publicly.  Artists can help bring down societal barriers through their art and transport viewers into their point of view.

Now that we have covered the history of these amazing organizations, let’s move on and talk about the actual art and artist featured!  

Currently on view at ODG@WAM is Bent’s project, I Don’t Want to Paint A Silver Lining Around It. Megan Bent is a lens-based artist who primarily uses photography and its malleability to reimagine the traditional use of a camera. Bent’s interest in art began after the diagnosis of a progressive chronic illness, which informed her image-making process and helped her embrace her experiences with a disability. This project is a personal reflection of her experience on being a high-risk individual during the pandemic. It features chlorophyll prints, an alternative photographic process where imagery is directly printed onto natural leaves using photosynthesis. One print may take anywhere from 8-72 hours to develop, depending on the UV light exposure. According to Bent, “[this] cooperative relationship with the organic materials and the environment is a process that celebrates care, interdependence, slowness, and adaptability – values of belonging I find in the disability community.”

What I loved most about this exhibit was the physical interaction visitors experience when viewing the chlorophyll prints on leaves alongside enlarged photographs of the leaves. The physical chlorophyll prints are in a shadow box covered by a protective cloth, which visitors can lift to reveal the leaves. Seeing the actual chlorophyll prints in person was astounding. I could not believe that a photograph was actually printed onto a tiny leaf. The enlarged prints hanging beside the shadow boxes allow visitors to examine the details of the chlorophyll prints.

The second to last photo showcases Bent’s piece titled Quarantine Day 580 (Booster Shot), which is an oval-shaped Hosta leaf printed with a self-portrait of Bent captured after receiving her COVID-19 booster shot. The photo prints are so incredibly clear, creating the illusion that they are traditional photopaper prints. The last picture is the physical leaf in a shadow box with a cloth lifted to reveal the leaf.

Seeing the chlorophyll print amazed me. It is intriguing to see a natural element, a leaf, so seamlessly integrated with art. The duality of natural plant life and the manipulation of that natural aspect shines through this medium. Bent has stated, “the fact that chlorophyll prints are impermanent, and will continue to decay over time, underscores the interdependence and bodily impermanence we all share.” 

I found this partnership between the WAM, Open Door Arts, and the Seven Hills Foundation inspiring. As an avid art and history museum goer, I have rarely seen a permanent gallery like this in an art museum as distinguished as the WAM. Located in the Higgins Education Wing of the WAM, the Gallery’s permanency further acknowledges and supports underrepresented artists. I look forward to seeing which artist is featured next in the ODG@WAM!

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Written by Mallory Trainor, Intern with the City of Worcester’s Cultural Development Division, spring 2023

On March 30^th, 2023, the Worcester Art Museum’s (WAM) newest exhibition, Frontiers of Impressionism, opened for a press preview. As an intern with the City of Worcester’s Cultural Development Division, I was graciously invited to explore the exhibit along with my colleagues a few days before its official open on April 1^st.

Featuring over 30 impressionist artists, Frontiers of Impressionism traces the evolution of the artistic movement from its initial conception in Paris through its expansion across Europe and North America. The exhibit contains some of the most well-known artists of the impressionist era, including Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Camille Pissarro. Additional notable artists highlighted in the gallery include Fransisco Oller y Cestero, whose work is shown for the first time outside his homeland of Puerto Rico.

The impressionist movement was considered incredibly radical at its time as it dramatically departed from established artistic standards. Impressionist artists rejected the strict expectations imposed by the Académie des Beaux-Arts, the premier art institution of France in the mid-19^th century. While the Académie favored formal, realistic, and often Biblically-inspired art, early impressionists enjoyed pastel colors, visible brush strokes, and loose interpretations of scenery. If you, like many, associate the impressionist movement with iconic pieces like Monet’s Water Lilies, you certainly won’t be disappointed. However, what I feel makes this exhibition truly unique is the focus on pieces that stray from the archetypal pastel pastures, with a diverse curation displaying how broad the impressionist genre could be. Frontiers of Impressionism, as the title of the exhibition nods to, is a celebration of the wide range of influences and artists that contributed to the genre, from North Africa to East Asia.  

Before attending this exhibition, I thought I was knowledgeable about impressionist movement, yet my surprise upon seeing Pool in the Woods (George Inness, 1892) showed me just how limited my knowledge was. Inspired by the Hudson River School of Art and the tonalist movement, Inness uses impressionist techniques to produce a notably darker work than many of his contemporaries in the impressionist scene. I mean “darker” in the most literal sense of the word – the painting is steeped in shadows, with the distant moon serving as the only source of light. The result is gloomy, yet peaceful. Initially I thought it was too dark, too realistic for the impressionist movement, yet as I continued to move throughout the gallery, I realized just how incorrect my assumption was. For all its shadow, Pool in the Woods helped illuminate just how wide-reaching and stylistically-diverse the impressionist genre is.

Frontiers of Impressionism was curated to display the social, cultural, and historical backdrop of this influential art movement, providing context and clarity as to how impressionism evolved. One common theme I noticed is the significant role that the development of comprehensive railroad systems had on allowing impressionism to flourish. It may seem surprising to the 21^st century viewer, as we now take for granted the ability to drive hundreds of miles in a day, but railroads allowed city dwellers to easily venture into the countryside for the first time in history. This newfound mobility was massively influential in expanding the purview of impressionist painters, as once remote villages became increasingly accessible as sources of inspiration. The desire to depict idyllic and peaceful landscapes was especially strong in the wake of industrialization, as cities were becoming increasingly crowded and polluted. Another way in which the exhibition was grounded in history was through the inclusion of paintings that were explicitly political, reflecting the wide variety of topics and themes that existed in the impressionist movement. While impressionism is often mischaracterized as an apolitical genre, the incorporation of Afro-Canadian painter Edward Mitchell Bannister’s 1890 painting Hay Gatherers displays how incorrect that assumption can be. Hay Gatherers, which depicts Black agricultural workers in a post-Reconstruction South, speaks to the ways in which this artistic approach was utilized in reflections on equity and injustice in a rapidly changing world.

Another theme of Frontiers of Impressionism, as implied by the title of the exhibition itself, is just how widespread the reach of the movement was. Often the popular understanding of the impressionist movement is deeply tied to France – both Paris, where many early impressionists originated, and rural villages such as Barbizon, where the Barbizon School of Painters emerged. However, impressionists took inspiration from countries as far away as Japan – many impressionist painters were noted as avid collectors of Japanese woodblock prints, and artist James McNeill Whistler was known for incorporating Japanese influences into his work. The WAM also pointed to the pitfalls of the newfound globalism of impressionists, in discussing the influences of orientalism and colonial legacy within the impressionist movement. The placards for many paintings did more than just describe the art on display – many worked in conversation with the piece to provide a nuanced understanding of the historical context that influenced impressionist paintings.

Frontiers of Impressionism also highlights Worcester’s long-standing connection to the movement. The exhibit features a portrait by John Singer Sargent that was painted in Worcester, back in 1890. Other hometown connections include the impressionist Edith Loring Getchell, who opened a studio in Worcester during the late 19^th century. Her work was first featured in the WAM in 1908. The Worcester Art Museum was also the first American art museum to purchase a Monet painting when it acquired Water-Lilies in 1910. The inclusion of both impressionists around the globe and familiar Massachusetts landscapes displays the extensive reach and diversity of the impressionist movement, while grounding it through its local history. 

Frontiers of Impressionism certainly deserves a visit. The exhibition includes a fun and creative interactive element that allows visitors to create their own impressionist works while surrounded by some of the most famous pieces of the movement. The gallery will be on display at the Worcester Art Museum from April 1^st to June 25^th, 2023.

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The Worcester Cultural Coalition will expand equitable use of the Jean McDonough Arts Center. 

WORCESTER, MA – April 12, 2023 Thanks to funding support from the Barr Foundation, the Worcester Cultural Coalition (WCC) is pleased to announce the award of 8 grants totaling $85,000 for programs at the Jean McDonough Arts Center (JMAC) in 2023.

With a goal of ensuring continued equitable use of the JMAC, the JMAC Access Grant Committee reviewed 26 applications for funding. Applications were evaluated and scored on a variety of criteria, including whether the presenter had leadership from and/or programming that uplifts historically marginalized or underrepresented groups, such as the BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities. Applicants could apply for a maximum of $10,000 in venue and rental costs and $15,000 in discretionary funds. Based on the funding requested and how the application scored, selected applicants received between $3,500 and $22,500 in total support.

“We received proposals for many excellent and intriguing programs. Some were from familiar names and some were brand-new to us!” noted Doménica Dillon, Associate Managing Director of the JMAC. “It’s gratifying to see that the events we host are resonating with the community, and that awareness of our space is growing.”

“Having served on many awarding bodies, I can say the JMAC Access Grant Committee conducted its process with rigor, integrity, care, and joy,” said Cailin Manson, Associate Professor of Practice and Director of Music Performance at Clark University, who served on the JMAC Access Grant Committee. “The awardees represent an exciting cross-section of presenters who will elevate programming at the JMAC while also serving its mission of being a home for all ilk of creatives and creations.”

The 2023 JMAC Access Grant Awardees and projects, in alphabetical order, are:

• Crocodile River Music: Mali in Massachusetts
• The Hanover Theatre Repertory (THT Rep): Experimental Staged Reading of Judith, a New Play by Katie Bender Directed by Brendon Fox
• Inner Voices Outer Change: IVOC Summer Jumpoff
• Nathan D. Manna: The Acrobatics of the Divine: An Exhibition and Symposium Responding to the Work of John O’Reilly
• studioXpresents: Let Them Eat Cake!
• Voices 21C: Bridging and Breaking: Incarceration, Community, and Empowerment
• Kristin Wagner / Bodies Moving: Fairy Tales and Folklore: Dreaming with the Body
• Worcester Writers Collective: Spring Intensive

“The Barr Foundation’s funding of JMAC’s Access Grants has made real the slogan: Our House, Your Home,” says Zach Combs, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Crocodile River Music. “Now, our organization can create in this amazing space, bringing a unique African art, music, and dance experience to our community. Thank you Barr, WCC and JMAC for this wonderful Project Sponsorship opportunity!”

The JMAC Access Grant Committee is: 

• Ellen Dunlap, Treasurer of the Worcester Cultural Coalition
• JMAC Staff:
  • Livy Scanlon, Managing Director
  • Doménica Dillon, Associate Managing Director
  • Sarah MacIntyre, Production + Operations Manager
  • Elijah Lidonde, Administrative Manager
• Cailin Manson, Associate Professor of Practice and Director of Music Performance at Clark University

The $85,000 awarded in the JMAC Access Grants is part of a $175,000 investment from the Barr Foundation. The remaining funds will also be used to continue equitable access to the JMAC, primarily by underwriting rental of the BrickBox Theater through June 2023. More information about the Project Sponsorships and a calendar of events is available at www.jmacworcester.org.

About the Worcester Cultural Coalition: The Worcester Cultural Coalition (WCC) is a public-private partnership established in 1999 between the City of Worcester and 12 cultural organizations. In 2022, membership exceeded 80 organizations, which host over 2.7 million visitors annually, from Worcester and beyond. Its mission is to draw on Worcester’s rich and diverse cultural assets to foster economic revitalization, support active and creative engagement for all, and to promote a strong cultural identity for Greater Worcester. The WCC supports and encourages action that meets the creative goals of the Worcester Cultural Plan: promoting cultural equity and creative community engagement for all. Learn more at WorcesterCulture.org.

About the Jean McDonough Arts Center: Comprising the ever-changing PopUp and the intimate BrickBox Theater, the Jean McDonough Arts Center (JMAC) is an initiative of the Worcester Cultural Coalition, operated in partnership with The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts. The JMAC is home to myriad creative events and cultural initiatives. Individuals and groups can present or develop a wide range of work at the JMAC, including but not limited to work in theater, dance, film, music, performance art, visual art, fashion design and video game design. Completion of the JMAC was made possible with the generosity of the late Jean McDonough and the McDonough family. Funding for presenters is currently available through the Barr Foundation.  Learn more at JMACWorcester.org.

About the Barr Foundation: The Barr Foundation’s mission is to invest in human, natural, and creative potential, serving as thoughtful stewards and catalysts. Based in Boston, Barr focuses regionally, and selectively engages nationally, working in partnership with nonprofits, foundations, the public sector, and civic and business leaders to elevate the arts, advance solutions for climate change, and connect all students to success in high school and beyond. Founded in 1997, Barr now has assets close to $3 billion and has contributed more than $1 billion to charitable causes. For more information, visit barrfoundation.org and @BarrFdn on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

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WORCESTER, MA February 7, 2023 – The Worcester Arts Council and the City of Worcester are proud to announce the award of 66 grants totaling $277,773 for arts and cultural programs in Worcester in 2023.

The Worcester Arts Council (WAC) is part of a network of 329 Local Cultural Councils (LCC) under the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC). These LCCs serve all 351 cities and towns across the Commonwealth. Statewide, $5.5 million will be distributed by LCCs in 2023.

This year, WAC received $226,600 in funding from the MCC – a 20.7% increase over 2022.

WAC received a record 157 applications for its 2023 grants. Between October and December 2022, WAC evaluated all applications on criteria including public benefit, creative/artistic merit, capacity, budget, impact, and innovation. The Council also took into account how well applications reflected its annual Funding Priorities, which are established based on community input.

“The Worcester Arts Council is thrilled to be able to fund 8 artist fellowships and 58 projects that will take place in Worcester in 2023,” said Worcester Arts Council Chair Jen Riley. “We were able to distribute more grant funding into the community than ever before and are looking forward to the variety of projects planned for this year. It’s an honor to support so many projects and people who inspire us, challenge us, and connect us through their creativity and imagination.”

WAC’s 2023 project grant winners reflect a wide range of Worcester-based programs and organizations, including the Worcester Caribbean American Carnival from the Worcester Caribbean American Carnival Association, Catch Basin Mural Project from Sharinna S. Travieso, Organ Concert Series at First Unitarian Worcester, and Mr. Twister – an interactive opera performance and puppetry workshop from Latasha Hughes.

WAC also awarded fellowships to 8 Worcester artists, including $5,000 fellowships to musician Giuliano D’Orazio, visual artist William L. Thompson, musician and producer Eric L’Esperance, and visual artist Laura Marotta. An additional four $3,000 fellowships were awarded to fashion designer Ernie Jubin, dancer/choreographer John A. Semidei, visual artist John Vo, and journalist William Shaner.

The current Worcester Arts Council members are Jennifer Riley (Chair), Brandon Lewis (Secretary), Christopher Rich (Treasurer), Sean Brennan, David Filar, Avae Thomas-Quartey, Shantelle Campbell, and Nikki Erskine (Staff Liaison).

The 2023 Worcester Arts Council Grant Recipients are:

About the Worcester Arts Council:

The Worcester Arts Council (WAC) is a municipal body consisting of nine members appointed by the City Manager. The Council is charged with promoting the cultural affairs of the city of Worcester and allocating funds received by the Council for cultural projects and programs. The mission of the Worcester Arts Council is to promote excellence, access, education and diversity in the arts, humanities and interpretative sciences to improve the quality of life for Worcester residents and contribute to the economic vitality of our city. The Worcester Arts Council is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. For more information visit: www.worcesterma.gov/wac

About the Massachusetts Cultural Council:

The Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) is a state agency that promotes excellence, access, education, and diversity in the arts, humanities, and interpretive sciences to improve the quality of life for all Massachusetts residents and contribute to the economic vitality of our communities. The Council pursues this mission through a combination of grant programs, partnerships, and services for nonprofit cultural organizations, schools, communities, and artists. For more information visit: www.massculturalcouncil.org

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The Worcester Cultural Coalition will receive an additional $175,000 in 2023 to further expand equitable use of the Jean McDonough Arts Center.

WORCESTER, MA – January 11, 2023 Thanks to a successful 2022 partnership, the Barr Foundation will continue to support the Worcester Cultural Coalition’s goal of equitable use of the Jean McDonough Arts Center (JMAC) in 2023.

“The JMAC strives to ensure that every cultural organization, large and small, can have a home in downtown Worcester,” said Eric Butler, Board President of the Worcester Cultural Coalition. “By providing creatives the resources needed to share their stories and programs with Central Massachusetts audiences, funding from the Barr Foundation has enabled the JMAC to turn its aspirational goals into reality. We are delighted that a diverse pool of presenters will continue to find a home at the JMAC through the Barr Foundation’s renewed support.””

SueEllen Kroll, Senior Program Officer for Arts & Creativity at the Barr Foundation, noted that, “artists are essential building blocks of our neighborhoods. They catalyze creativity, wonder, connection, and community. As the performing arts field rebuilds from the pandemic, we at Barr are pleased to partner with the Worcester Cultural Council to support artists in getting back to work. The JMAC has proven to be a critical cultural home and community space – especially for Worcester’s BIPOC and underserved artists – by helping artists create new work, generate income, and positively impact their community.”

The 2023 Barr donation of $175,000 will ensure the JMAC can continue to expand its equitable use efforts, which it plans to do through two initiatives:

• Rental subsidy of the BrickBox Theater: Qualifying organizations and individuals will receive subsidized venue rental costs on a first-come-first-served basis through June 30th, 2023 or until available funds are exhausted. Staffing and other direct costs still apply. 

• Project sponsorships: By way of a two-step application process, presenters will be selected to receive comprehensive support for a proposed project, including:
  • up to $10,000 in venue space rental and staffing cost subsidy, or
  • ​up to $15,000 in discretionary funds to pay creatives, invest in marketing, and cover other direct costs related to the event

Details and applications for 2023 Barr funding are available through JMACWorcester.org/AccessGrants. Priority will be given to individuals and groups which identify as led by, or focused on, historically marginalized or underrepresented groups, such as the BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities, and to members of the Worcester Cultural Coalition.

A free informational session will be held at the JMAC on Thursday, January 19th from 6pm-7pm.  Registration is available at https://JMACAccessGrantsInformationSession.eventbrite.com.

Organizations and individuals awarded Barr funding in 2022 include:

• Jennifer Gaskin and Giselle Rivera Flores Don’t Touch My Podcast
• Flamenco Worcester FLAMENCO! Tradition, Art & Passion and Villancicos Flamencos
• Jewish Theatre Company of Central Massachusetts My Son The Waiter
• Broadway in Worcester Free Student Masterclass with Tony Award Winner Laura Benanti
• Darren Cole and Missy Whiteman Coyote Way X: Expanded Cinema
• studioXpresents Deity
• Queer the Scene Club Kiki
• Jean-Sebastien Duvilaire and JSDDance I am Hayti!
• Casita Cultura Latina Dia de los Muertos Festival
• Michael Skrzek and Jackson Jirard Woo on Tap

About the Worcester Cultural Coalition: The Worcester Cultural Coalition (WCC) is a public-private partnership established in 1999 between the City of Worcester and 12 cultural organizations. In 2022, membership exceeded 80 organizations, which host over 2.7 million visitors annually, from Worcester and beyond. Its mission is to draw on Worcester’s rich and diverse cultural assets to foster economic revitalization, support active and creative engagement for all, and to promote a strong cultural identity for Greater Worcester. The WCC supports and encourages action that meets the creative goals of the Worcester Cultural Plan: promoting cultural equity and creative community engagement for all. Learn more at WorcesterCulture.org.

About the Jean McDonough Arts Center: Comprising the ever-changing “permanent” PopUp and the intimate BrickBox Theater, the Jean McDonough Arts Center (JMAC) is an initiative of the Worcester Cultural Coalition, operated in partnership with The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts. The JMAC is home to myriad creative events and cultural initiatives. Individuals and groups can present or develop a wide range of work at the JMAC, including but not limited to work in theater, dance, film, music, performance art, visual art, fashion design and video game design. Completion of the JMAC was made possible with the generosity of the late Jean McDonough and the McDonough family. Learn more at JMACWorcester.org.

About the Barr Foundation: The Barr Foundation’s mission is to invest in human, natural, and creative potential, serving as thoughtful stewards and catalysts. Based in Boston, Barr focuses regionally, and selectively engages nationally, working in partnership with nonprofits, foundations, the public sector, and civic and business leaders to elevate the arts, advance solutions for climate change, and connect all students to success in high school and beyond. Founded in 1997, Barr now has assets close to $3 billion, and has contributed more than $1 billion to charitable causes. For more information, visit barrfoundation.org and @BarrFdn on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. 

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WORCESTER, MA – City Manager Eric D. Batista, Mayor Joseph M. Petty, the Worcester City Council, and the City’s Cultural Development Division have announced the appointment of Oliver de la Paz as the City of Worcester’s next Poet Laureate.

The award-winning poet and literary educator will serve from January 2023 to December 2025. De la Paz is the author of several published works, including The Boy in the Labyrinth (2019), Post Subject: A Fable (2014), Requiem for the Orchard (2010), Furious Lullaby (2007), and Names Above Houses (2001).

De la Paz’s first official appearance as Worcester’s Poet Laureate will be at City Manager Eric D. Batista’s Swearing-In Ceremony on Friday, Jan. 6 in the Levi Lincoln Chamber at City Hall beginning at 4 p.m. A formal event to recognize de la Paz will be announced at a later date, where he will be presented with a ceremonial medal created by local metal artist Pam Farren.

“I am thrilled to begin my term as City Manager alongside such a talented and distinguished poet. I look forward to Oliver’s tenure as the Worcester Poet Laureate and cannot wait to see what literary impact he has in store for our community,” said City Manager Eric D. Batista.

In his application to the Poet Laureate program, de la Paz noted that his work tells stories of his own family’s immigration. He hopes that these existing works will help him to “serve as a literary model for up-and-coming wordsmiths through writing workshops in conjunction with library programming for people who may not have had the opportunity to share their truths.”

Education has long been a focus for de la Paz. He earned degrees in Biology and English Literature from Loyola Marymount University and received his Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Arizona State University, where he was a University Graduate Scholar Fellowship Awardee. De la Paz has since taught at several universities and is currently an Associate Professor at the College of the Holy Cross.

As Poet Laureate, de la Paz looks forward to using his experiences as a poet, as an educator, and in the wider literary community to expand access to the arts in Worcester. He was a founding member of Kundiman, a nonprofit organization dedicated to uplifting Asian-American writing. He served two terms on the Association of Writers & Writing Programs Board of Trustees. Other recognitions de la Paz has been awarded includes grants from the New York Foundation for the Arts, an Artist Trust GAP Grant, and a fellowship from the National Endowment of the Arts.

“I am a citizen of this community who is a lover of books and reading,” de la Paz wrote in his application. “Worcester has a storied history of having great poets live within the community, from Stanley Kunitz to Elizabeth Bishop to Chris Gilbert. I wish to teach the community about these poets whose works were profoundly influenced by this landscape.”

In addition to sharing their poetry and creating new works during their term, the Worcester Poet Laureate also serves as a mentor to the Worcester Youth Poet Laureate. Local poet and community activist Adael Mejia will continue to serve as Youth Poet Laureate until his two-year term ends in December 2023. De la Paz succeeds outgoing Poet Laureate Juan Matos, who served in the position from January 2020 to December 2022.

Reflecting on Matos’ tenure as Poet Laureate, Yaffa Fain of the City’s Cultural Development Division said he did “tremendous work,” having participated in “countless community readings, workshops in Worcester Public Schools and with the community, from the Worcester Senior Center to the Worcester Public Library to hours on Zoom. Juan is a poetic powerhouse and has served with compassion, resilience, and incredible dedication.”

“This transition is bittersweet. We’ll miss working with Juan regularly but wish him well in his next verse, which will include continuing to work with young poets in Worcester. We are looking forward to helping Oliver develop plans for his term as Poet Laureate, and to what he and Adael will accomplish together,” added Nikki Erskine, also of the City’s Cultural Development Division.

The Worcester Poet Laureate and Youth Poet Laureate programs are initiatives of the City’s Cultural Development Division. Both Poets Laureate serve as official ambassadors to Worcester’s historic and vibrant cultures of poetry and literary arts, using their positions to share the transformative qualities of poetry and the written word, to celebrate and amplify the City’s great writers, and to help shape the next generation of literary enthusiasts.

The objectives of the City of Worcester’s Poet Laureate Programs are to:

• Enhance the presence and appreciation of poetry and literary arts in Greater Worcester;
• Celebrate the spirit of the people and special qualities of Worcester, the Creative City;
• Raise awareness of the power of literature, poetry, and the spoken word;
• Provide a forum for collaborative art forms;
• Engage and support an emerging generation of poets and spoken word artists;
• Provide access to poetry and literary arts to all sectors of the community; and
• Encourage the reading and writing of both poetry and the written word.

A four-person committee reviewed dozens of applications to the Poet Laureate program:

• Jason Homer: Worcester Public Library Executive Director, participant in American Library Association Leadership Institute, Master’s Degree in Library Science from Simmons University, Bachelor of Arts in English from Stonehill College.
• John Hodgen: Winner of multiple awards in poetry, author of Grace, In My Father’s House, and Bread Without Sorrow, visiting Assistant Professor of English at Assumption College.
• Mandy Gutmann-Gonzalez: Award winning poet, recipient of multiple fellowships, author of La Pava and Edge Beast, Associate Professor of Practice in Creative Writing at Clark University, where they founded and run the Clark Poets and Writers Reading Series.
• Therese Gleason Carr: Board member of the Worcester County Poetry Association, author of poetry chapbooks Libation and Matrilineal, featured poet in multiple publications, multiple-award nominee, Master of Fine Arts in Poetry from Pacific University.

For information about the Worcester Poet Laureate Program: www.worcesterma.gov/cultural-development/poet

For Worcester Poet Laureate appearance requests and scheduling: forms.gle/VJmYjFhcPLRk8SMh9

Worcester Poet Laureate Facebook page: www.facebook.com/WorcesterPoet

Worcester Youth Poet Laureate page: www.facebook.com/WorcesterYouthPoet

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