Feb. 3rd, 2012, Napa, Calif.— While most teens are keen to keep their melodic speaking talents within the confines of their cars and bedrooms, six brave students from New Technology High and American Canyon High have no qualms about presenting their skills in front of a countywide audience.
On February 15th, these high-schoolers will be making their love for rhymes and rhythms public, taking on poetic, generation-bridging greats like Edgar Allan Poe, William Blake, Charlotte Bronte, Margaret Atwood and Maya Angelou, to name a few, thanks to Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest −an annual event locally hosted by Arts Council Napa Valley. Made possible by the support of the California Arts Council, Poetry Out Loud is an exciting national scholarship program that encourages U.S. high school students to showcase their love of poetry and spoken word. Built on the recent resurgence of poetry as an oral art form through the popularity of lyrical music, Poetry Out Loud encourages students, though the study of poetry, to master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and internalize our rich literary heritage.
"Poetry Out Loud is an event dear to our hearts at ACNV," said ACNV's Executive Director Kristina Young. "Great poetry has the power to start a fire in a person's life."
This year's performance, held on February 15th from 6:15 - 7:30PM at Napa City-County Library's Teen Center on 580 Coombs St., marks Napa's third year of participation in the program. The winner of Napa's performance competition will move on to compete for the statewide title on March 25th; from there, qualifying poets move on to an all-expense paid trip to Washington D.C., to battle it out (with words, of course) for over $25,000 worth of prizes and scholarship awards.
In order to qualify for the countywide competition, students had to first complete in a school-wide poetry contest, with the top three performers advancing, explains Young.
This year's contestants include American Canyon High School's Brandon Lew, Chielsea Cenal, and Paolo Paelmo; New Technology High School is represented by Lili Peet, Emily Mourraille, and Anika Iftekharuddin.
The winner and first runner-up from Napa's event, chosen by an esteemed panel of judges including Napa County's Poet Laureate Michael Waterson and Shakespeare Napa Valley's Jennifer King, will receive prizes and accolades from Arts Council Napa Valley. Community members are encouraged to attend and show their support for some of Napa's best wordsmiths.
The event is free and open to all ages.
About Arts Council Napa Valley: Arts Council Napa Valley is a non-profit arts organization that supports and connects the local creative community in Napa County. Since it was founded in 1980, ACNV has grown into an important stakeholder and industry partner in Napa Valley. For more information and to become a member, please visit http://www.artscouncilnapavalley.org.
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Contact: Kristina Young
Executive Director
Arts Council Napa Valley
(707) 257-2117
Contact: Christy Bors, Programs Assistant
Arts Council Napa Valley
(707) 257-2117 x 1
Christy[at]artscouncilnv[dot]org
