Poetry contest winners announced, Cultural Arts Commission places poetry throughout City

The Morganton Cultural Arts Commission, in partnership with Adventure Bound Books and Redhawk Publication, is pleased to announce the winners of the second annual Poetry Contest. The Poetry Contest winners are announced each year in April, to coincide with National Poetry Month. This year’s theme was Community, and saw 38 entries pour into the contest from all over the western North Carolina region. Contest entrants had their poems submitted to two different divisions: adult or youth.  Cash Prizes were awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd in each division, with the top winner this year in the adult division given the opportunity to publish their poetry in a chapbook courtesy of Redhawk Publications.  Adventure Bound Books will carry the poet’s chapbook beyond the complimentary copies provided to the winner. A list of winners in each division is below:

ADULT

• Kyra Freeman - 1st Place Adult, Morganton, North Carolina 
• Kristen Richardson - 2nd Place Adult Morganton, North Carolina
• Adam Scott - 3rd Place Adult, Morganton, North Carolina
• Kristen Lopez -; honorable mention

YOUTH

• Samantha Wienbrock- 1st Place Youth, Lenoir, North Carolina 
• K. Brooks - 2nd Place Youth, Morganton, North Carolina 
• P. Nelson - 3rd Place Youth, Morganton, North Carolina 
• Abigail L., honorable mention

The winning poems will be placed on colorful posters throughout the City of Morganton by April 22. 

But the National Poetry Month celebration isn’t ending with the annual poetry contest. The Cultural Arts Commission is celebrating National Poetry Month in other fun and unique ways, helping Morganton come alive with poetry for the month of April.

Volunteers placed rain poetry on multiple sidewalk locations throughout the City this week. When it rains, you will be able to see various poems at Wal-Mart, Belk, Carolinas Health Care Blue Ridge, Morganton City Hall, Food Matters Market & Cafe, Fonta Flora Brewery, Sidetracked Brewery, Hamilton Williams Gallery and Studio, Benjamin’s, and Adventure Bound Books!

Poems have also been placed on the Greenway Public Transportation buses for riders to enjoy, and on coffee sleeves at several coffee shops in the City. Customers getting their morning Cup of Joe at The Grind Café, Little Guatemala and Hot Shots Coffee will be able to enjoy reading poetry on their coffee sleeves while they sip their choice of morning java. Additionally, Black Out Poetry stations have been placed in Big Foot Climbing Gym, Adventure Bound Books, Fonta Flora, the lobby of Fairfield Inn and Suites, Sidetracked Brewery, and The Olive of Morganton.  This allows folks the chance to try their hand at poetry themselves, by taking a page from a book and blacking out all the words except those that create their unique poem. There will be one more surprise location near the end of April — stay tuned for more information. If you create your own Black Out poetry, take a picture and tag Downtown Morganton on Instagram @downtown_motown and Facebook @downtownmorganton.nc.

The Cultural Arts Commission and Adventure Bound Books are very appreciative of all the businesses and people that worked with us to get poems out in the community. We want to offer an opportunity for people to be exposed to poetry and the literary arts in a variety of ways that intersect with their everyday life.

We look forward to making an even bigger splash in 2022! 

For more information about National Poetry Month and the various activities taking place to celebrate in Morganton, contact Department of Cultural and Creative Development Director Sharon Jablonski at 828-443-0886.