Poetry Out Loud

The National Endowment for the Arts and The Poetry Foundation have partnered with state arts agencies to support the expansion of Poetry Out Loud, a program that encourages the nation’s youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation.

This event is free and open to the public. Hosted by the New Mexico Museum of Art and New Mexico Arts. In the St. Francis Auditorium at the New Mexico Museum of Art

Participating High Schools:

Arrowhead Park Early College HS, Las Cruces

Arrowhead Park Medical Academy, Las Cruces

Bosque School, ABQ

Clayton Schools, Clayton

La Cueva HS, ABQ

Native American Community Academy, ABQ

New Mexico School for the Arts, Santa Fe

Public Academy for the Performing Arts, ABQ 

Rio Grande Preparatory Institute, Las Cruces

Taos HS, Taos

Participating Staff:

Event Coordinator and Mistress of Ceremonies/femcee – Jessica Helen Lopez, poet, educator, and former ABQ Poet Laureate 

Judges – Valerie Martinez, NHCC Director of History and Literary Arts, former Santa Fe Poet Laureate

Hakim Bellamy – City of Albuquerque Deputy Director of Cultural Services and inaugural ABQ Poet Laureate

Karen Petersen – former combat photojournalist, poet, and five-time Pushcart Prize nominee

Prompter – Gene Case, Artist and writer

Phyllis Kennedy, NMPOL Coordinator