WORCESTER, MA – The City of Worcester’s Cultural Development Division and Worcester Public Library will host an inauguration ceremony for new Worcester Poet Laureate Oliver de la Paz. The ceremony will take place from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 7, 2023 on the first floor of the Worcester Public Library at 3 Salem St.

“Worcester’s Poet Laureate programs are a key part of our Creative City foundation. I am excited that the public will have this opportunity to recognize and witness Oliver’s gift of giving the community a voice through his words, and to celebrate our Poets Laureate and unique cultural scene more broadly,” said City Manager Eric D. Batista.

During the inaugural event, Mayor Joseph M. Petty will award de la Paz with a ceremonial medal crafted by local metalsmith Pam Farren, commemorating the start of the new Poet Laureate’s three-year term. The public is welcome to meet Worcester’s Poets Laureate, and the ceremony will include readings by de la Paz, former Worcester Poet Laureate Juan Matos (2020-2022), former Youth Poet Laureate Amina Mohammed (2020-2021), and current Youth Poet Laureate Adael Mejia (2022-2023).

“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to honor the incredible literary history of this city,” de la Paz said. “I look forward to sharing my passion for poetry with the community.”

“While I am sad to see Juan’s tenure end, I am excited to begin a new partnership with Oliver. I’m excited to be able to learn from and collaborate with such a big name in the poetry community,” said Mejia.

The ceremony will also include remarks by Jason Homer, Executive Director of Worcester Public Library. The Worcester Public Library will further celebrate the occasion with a specially curated poetry display.

“Worcester is a city with a storied history of literary talent. We are thrilled for the opportunity to host such exceptionally talented poets, and de la Paz is a fantastic contribution to that tradition,” Homer said.

Before his appointment as Poet Laureate, de la Paz authored several collections, including Names Above Houses (2001), Requiem for the Orchard (2010), and The Boy in the Labyrinth (2019). In addition to his published work, de la Paz has dedicated his career to promoting literary excellence, community engagement, and education.

Among his many experiences, de la Paz co-chairs Kundiman, a nonprofit organization that uplifts Asian-American voices in poetry, and he is an Associate Professor in the Department of English at the College of the Holy Cross.

“We cannot wait to see to see what Oliver has in store,” said Yaffa Fain of the City’s Cultural Development Division. “It is deeply exciting to recognize such a talented and dedicated poet in our city, and we are eager to begin working with him.”

“I am grateful to have had the opportunity to share the beauty and power of self-expression with the community through poetry, especially during such unusual times,” said Matos. “Oliver is an extraordinarily talented poet and educator, and I know he will do a fantastic job as Poet Laureate.”

Learn more at the links below:

• Worcester Poet Laureate Program: worcesterma.gov/cultural-development/poet
• Worcester Poet Laureate Appearance Requests and Scheduling: forms.gle/VJmYjFhcPLRk8SMh9
• Worcester Poet Laureate Facebook Page: facebook.com/WorcesterPoet
• Worcester Youth Poet Laureate Page: facebook.com/WorcesterYouthPoet

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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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WORCESTER, MA — City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr. today announced that Cultural Development Officer Erin Williams will step aside from her duties in June after serving the city for 18 years.

Williams concurrently served as the executive director of the Worcester Cultural Coalition (WCC), a public private partnership that advocates for the creative community throughout the region. Under her leadership, the Coalition has grown to include 89 cultural organizations, including museums, festivals, performance venues, artist collectives, and educational institutions.

In 2018, Williams and the WCC founded the Worcester PopUp, a mixed-use creative space. The second phase of creating accessible community space, construction of the Worcester BrickBox Theater behind the PopUp, was completed in 2019 thanks to a $2 million donation from the late Jean McDonough, a long-time supporter of local arts. In McDonough’s honor, the PopUp and the BrickBox function as the Jean McDonough Arts Center (JMAC), which has hosted over 400 events.

“Erin has been a tireless advocate for the arts and cultural community,” said Augustus. “It’s no coincidence that Worcester’s rise in cultural prominence has occurred during Erin’s tenure. In addition to lifting up diverse artists and championing creative campaigns, she has established the arts as an essential component of the economic engine that powers our thriving city. We can’t thank Erin enough for all she has done for Worcester and the cultural renaissance of Central Massachusetts.”

Through her work with individuals and institutions across the city and the region, Williams has been instrumental in embedding art into everyday life and a variety of sectors. Some of her additional accomplishments include the City’s first Cultural Plan – the first cultural plan to be included in its city’s masterplan nation-wide, the Poets Laureate program – including the first Youth Poet Laureate in the Commonwealth, the I Am Worcester campaign, substantial growth of the Worcester Arts Council, a voting awareness and advocacy initiative, the Culture LEAP program with Worcester Public Schools, the #MakeArtEverywhere campaign, and a city-wide wayfinding system. In the early days of the pandemic, she began hosting the Cultural Task Force to help the arts community navigate the many challenges COVID-19 presented, and she shepherded the Give Me a Sign campaign, which featured billboards and street signs with uplifting messages by a wide variety of artists.

“It’s time to pass the baton and make space in leadership for others,” said Williams. “It’s been a privilege working on behalf of the creative community. Together we have accomplished so much and put talented artists, and the big and small c cultural organizations, in a position to thrive in the years to come. I’m excited to see what comes next for artists and cultural organizations in Greater Worcester.”

Prior to her role for the city, Williams’ roles included working as a field representative for the Mass Cultural Council and service as the founding executive director for 1794 Meetinghouse Inc., a nonprofit cultural center dedicated to cultural programming serving north-central and western Massachusetts.

“Worcester is a better place to live, work, and create because of Erin and all she has achieved with the City,” said Eric Butler, board chair of Worcester Cultural Coalition. “Erin’s vision has taken Worcester arts to the next level and our sector is now positioned with an unrivaled cultural plan to continue to thrive in the years ahead.”

In the coming months, the cultural development officer position will be posted and the search for Williams’ successor will begin.

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Written by Sarah Lolya, Intern with the City of Worcester’s Cultural Development Division, winter 2022

On October 26, 2021, The Worcester Historical Museum opened PRETTY POWERFUL – an exploration and celebration of the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote, as seen through fashion. As an intern with the City of Worcester’s Cultural Development Division, I was given the opportunity to experience a behind-the-scenes look at the exhibition with the media and creative staff. Immediately upon receiving an invitation, I was excited for this opportunity to learn more about the history of women in Worcester – the city I call home – through a lens of fashion. I majored in Art History at Clark University, so naturally my favorite way to learn about history is through art, fashion, and culture.

Upon my arrival at the museum, I was greeted by six members of the POWERFUL team. While not all represented, I learned that the entire team consisted of experts in diverse fields – artists, clothes makers, women’s historians, Worcester natives and more. Over the past 39 months, each member has contributed their expertise, time, and efforts to bring this exhibition to life. For this exciting insider look of the exhibition, I was joined by local news channels, blog writers, and journalists. The sneak-peek began with an overview of PRETTY POWERFUL and its goal to showcase the evolving roles of women in the century following the approval of the 19th amendment – which prohibited denying someone the right to vote on the basis of sex. My interest began to grow even more as each member of the team explained their personal experiences and goals of the exhibition.

The guest curator of the exhibition, Dr. Charlotte Haller, is a History professor at Worcester State University who specializes in American and Women’s Studies. Her talk provided an in-depth historical background of PRETTY POWERFUL and women’s voting rights. She provided us with an important reminder, which is reflected in the exhibition, that not all women gained the right to vote in 1920. Voter suppression tactics and inequality robbed minority women from accessing the right to vote – a right which was gained only after marginalized groups fought for their own enfranchisement throughout the 20th century. Especially after the important voting year that this country has just experienced, I was glad to see that the exhibition brings up vital conversations on inequality and voter suppression that remain relevant today.

Executive Director of the Worcester Historical Museum, Bill Wallace, also described how PRETTY POWERFUL aligns with the museum’s commitment to be stewards of Worcester’s collective history and his ambition that every person in Worcester who walks into the exhibition gallery feels that their story is represented and included.

Finally, exhibition co-chair Marlene Persky explained her hopes that the exhibition may help us connect and honor the women who come before us. Her speech reminded me that much of what I am able to do today is possible because of the women before me who fought to pave the way for modern women’s success. It is a reminder to celebrate every single woman who worked hard so that we may continue to break barriers and shatter glass ceilings. Even before seeing the exhibition, I sat amongst inspirational Worcester women of all generations, women who have worked hard to get to where they are, women who made me feel pretty powerful.

On the surface, this exhibition celebrates the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote. However, as I walked through the gallery and heard the backstory of each of the 35 showcased outfits, I quickly realized how much more there was to the display. Every mannequin had been meticulously dressed in an outfit that shared a little bit about its owner – their personality, life, and the time they occupied. I was taken aback by the effect. Here I stood amongst beautiful art deco ball gowns, handmade 1950s cocktail dresses, work clothes worn by women on the frontline of World War II, a suit worn by first female Vice President, Kamala Harris, and much more.

As you enter the room, the outfits loosely flow in chronological order – creating a visually impactful timeline of changing roles through adaptations in styles, fabrics, hemlines, and inspirations. Walking through the gallery, I felt as if I just had the pleasure to meet many incredible Worcester women and catch a glimpse into the beautiful and meaningful lives they led. Not only did I feel connected to the women who have come before me, but I also felt more connected to Worcester, a city which has been the breeding grounds of change and innovation over the past three hundred years.

Perhaps most striking was the skillful way the exhibition presented the evolving story – each outfit so different from the next, each outfit so intricately intertwined with the time period in which it was created, and yet each lends a unique perspective to the collective tapestry that reveals the history of women in Worcester. The exhibition leads you to a final photo mural of Morgan Johnson, a young woman and modern change-maker who represents the next generation of women who continue to challenge convention and make the world a better place. This exhibit became so much more than an exploration of fashion or the history of voting – for me it was one of the most breathtaking and unique opportunities to remember and honor some of the women who have enabled me to be where I am today and to reach further than they could tomorrow.

Whether it is because the story resonated with them or because they found inspiration for their own wardrobe, I believe every visitor will leave with one or two outfits that they cannot stop thinking about. I sat down to write this with the intention of sharing one outfit that spoke to me the most, thinking it would be an easy task. While reflecting on the experience, flipping through my notes, and scrolling through photos, I proved myself wrong. Every single object in that gallery deserves to be highlighted in a moment of recognition and I know I could spend hours delving into the rich histories that each one shares.

However, if I am to highlight just one, it would have to be this stunning sequined gold minidress that tells the story of two survivors, and a family bond that flourished in Worcester. This 1960s dress was made in Worcester by Fela Hermann for her cousin, Marcia Weissman. Both women were German natives born into Jewish families. As Nazis began to occupy the country, Weissman escaped from Germany through Sweden in 1939, came to America and eventually settled in Worcester. Hermann, on the other hand, assumed a false identity to avoid being identified as Jewish and worked as a servant for Nazi officers. After surviving the war, Hermann studied fashion design at the Ort School of Design in Munich, worked in the fashion industries of Austria, England, Italy, and France, and eventually moved to Worcester in the early 1960s to reconnect with her cousin, Marcia Weissman. With hopes of introducing European fashion to Worcester, the cousins opened Fela Boutique on Pleasant Street in 1961. The sequined minidress was made soon after the boutique opening for Marcia Weissman to wear to a social event.

To me, this dress is a symbol of the two cousins’ collaboration and a celebration of their lives and accomplishments in Worcester, as well as the hardships and dangers that these two overcame before settling in Massachusetts. Its presence in the show is a reminder of the many backgrounds of Worcester residents, of the diverse cultural history present in the city, of the incredible obstacles people have overcome – and the beauty, peace, love, and power that can be contained within something as seemingly-simple as a cocktail dress.

I left the Worcester Historical Museum with a new perspective and found myself thinking a little bit more about how I express myself through my clothes as I got dressed each day. This exhibition helped me step outside the busyness of my life to take a moment of gratitude for all those who have come before me. This is a gratitude that I carry with me every day as I navigate the opportunities that the PRETTY POWERFUL women helped me achieve.

PRETTY POWERFUL is open now at the Worcester Historical Museum through March 31, 2022. Click here to learn more at WorcesterHistory.org.

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The popular series returns to the Worcester Common Oval for a shortened season in 2021

The City of Worcester, in partnership with the Worcester Cultural Coalition, have announced the return of the Out to Lunch Festival and Farmers’ Market on the Worcester Common Oval, to be held Thursday, August 12 and Thursday, August 19^th, with a rain date of Thursday, August 26, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

‘Out to Lunch’ will host musical performances, area restaurants, farmers, organizations, and artisans who will sell their goods to the public, as well as local organizations and nonprofits. Applications for vendors and organizations will be open until July 19 and can be found on the City website: worcesterma.gov/worcester-common-oval/out-to-lunch. Vendors and organizations will be accepted on a rolling basis and notifications will be sent by July 21, 2021.

In its 11^th year, the Out to Lunch Festival and Farmers’ Market invites the public to shop with local vendors and food trucks, learn about community organizations, and enjoy live performances featuring Worcester-based talent.  On August 12^th, the series will feature Crocodile River Music and Niki Luparelli will perform on August 19^th. In addition to mainstage acts, the series will showcase entertainment from the community during intermissions.

As the City of Worcester is returning to public programming after the pandemic, the series will be abbreviated to two concerts. “After a temporary hiatus last season, we are thrilled to reunite the community again on the Worcester Common for one of our favorite summer events,” said Yaffa Fain, Program Coordinator for the City of Worcester’s Cultural Development Division.

“Out to Lunch has been a mainstay in Downtown for the last decade, bringing a diverse audience to the Worcester Common to revel in a shared experience that celebrates our City’s ethnic and cultural diversity, creative community and small businesses,” said City Manager Edward M. Augustus, Jr. “We have been relentless in our efforts to vaccinate the community, allowing for in-person events like this to return.”

In order to achieve a comfortable community event for everyone, the series will be ‘mask friendly.’ Cultural Development Officer Erin Williams noted that, “We are so excited to begin bringing in-person programs back this summer, but recognize that everyone has their own level of comfort with returning to crowds. For this reason Out to Lunch will be ‘mask friendly,’ meaning people are welcomed to wear masks if they choose. In following state guidelines, those who are not vaccinated must continue to wear masks, however.”

Fain explained that the decision to shorten the traditional 10-week Out to Lunch series to 2 weeks was based on supporting the community while keeping pandemic safety in mind: “Like event producers around the world, we’ve been carefully tracking the progress of the pandemic, and waiting for the health risk to our community to be minimized. In addition to considering public health, we recognize that these events represent an investment of time and money for vendors and performers. For them to have good experiences, the community need to feel comfortable enough to attend a public gathering. The way things are going, we are confident that we’ll meet both of these goals by August.”

The 11^th Out to Lunch Summer Concert Series is supported in part by the City of Worcester, Worcester Cultural Coalition, 90.5 WICN Public Radio, Bay State Savings Bank, and Radio Worcester.

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The City of Worcester’s Cultural Development Division and Division of Youth Opportunities are collaborating to form the first “Create 508 – Youth Creatives and Entrepreneurs” program. The mission of the program is to support youth to drive Worcester’s culture and community while learning the business of art.

Youth Leaders will meet regularly with the program’s Artist Mentors and Program Coordinator to engage in trainings, workshops, and dialogues, learn from guest speakers and panels. The program will run from April through August 2021, during which time participants will organize and host a public event to showcase youth artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs from the Worcester area.

Anyone interested in applying for a Youth Leader or Artist Mentor position is encouraged to apply through the City of Worcester’s website as soon as possible, as participants will be selected on a rolling basis. Job listings for each position will be removed once filled.

A cohort of 10-15 Youth Leaders will have the opportunity to develop leadership and workforce skills, skills related to cultural organizing, event planning, art curation, community engagement, marketing and branding, and other skills pertaining to the fields of arts and culture. They will practice these skills by planning, organizing, hosting, and evaluating their final event, which will build community and contribute to Worcester’s landscape of creative and cultural community spaces.

Working closely with the Program Coordinator, 2 Artist Mentors will facilitate the program sessions, mentoring Youth Leaders, and supporting the management of program logistics. Artist Mentors will work directly with a cohort of young participants, supporting them to advance their skills, and assist the Youth Leaders in the organization and hosting of the final community art event.

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