MassMu Hosts “Poetry Out Loud” Competition
The Massillon Museum is serving as the Northeast Ohio regional partner for Poetry Out Loud, a partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, Poetry Foundation, and state and jurisdictional arts agencies. The eighteen counties represented in the Northeast Ohio region include Ashland, Ashtabula, Columbiana, Cuyahoga, Erie, Geauga, Huron, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Richland, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, and Wayne.
On Saturday, February 18, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., student champions from area high schools will perform poetry in the regional semifinals in Gessner Hall at the Massillon Museum. The public is invited to register for free at MassMu.org/Tickets. This is an opportunity to support young talent in action.
Judges for the event are Duane Dodson, assistant professor of English at Stark State College; writer and poet Stephanie Ginese; Charlie Malone, program and outreach coordinator for the Wick Poetry Center at Kent State University; and Sherie Brown, director of the Massillon Public Library.
Winners of the regional semifinals will go on to compete at the state level in Columbus on March 10. The national competition will be held in Washington DC in May. Cash prizes are awarded to winners and their schools at the state and national levels.
Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition to high schools across the country. For details visit MassillonMuseum.org or PoetryOutLoud.org/FAQ.
The Massillon Museum is grateful for operating support from the Ohio Arts Council, ArtsinStark, and the citizens of Massillon, as well as marketing support from Visit Canton and the support of the National Endowment for the Arts.
Participants and attendees of the Poetry Out Loud competition can view a dozen art and history galleries during their time at the Museum on February 18. Regular MassMu hours are Tuesday through Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.
MassMu is located at 121 Lincoln Way East in downtown Massillon. A visit is always free and everyone is welcome. Free parking is available on adjacent streets and in nearby city lots. For more information, call 330-833-4061 or visit massillonmuseum.org.
Media Contacts:
Alexandra Nicholis Coon, Massillon Museum Executive Director • 330-833-4061 x111
Stephanie Toole, Massillon Museum Education and Outreach Manager • 330-833-4061 x104
Margy Vogt, Massillon Museum Public Relations Coordinator • 330-844-1525
