On December 23, Arlingtonians are invited to view Visual Verse on display at the Shirlington branch of Arlington Public Library. The Nation’s 23rd Poet Laureate Joy Harjo joins Arlington Poet Laureate Holly Karapetkova and two other regional poets laureate whose poems will be projected onto large, highly-visible edifices as part of Visual Verse. Their work will be brought to life by noted artist Robin Bell.

Using the latest projection technology, Visual Verse brings a diverse array of poets literally into the public square. Poetry is an art form found in all cultures, languages and countries. As part of our ongoing response to COVID-19, Arlington Arts strives to foster community connection to arts and culture using delivery models that are safe in a time when traditional gatherings are not possible. “We are excited to bring poetry directly to the Arlington community during this unprecedented time,” notes Arlington Poet Laureate Holly Karapetkova. “2020 has been a challenging year in so many ways, and we hope that Visual Verse can provide words of beauty, hope and solace for the people in our community and beyond.” Drivers and pedestrians will be inspired by the towering words of four poets: United States Poet Laureate Joy Harjo; Virginia’s Poet Laureate Luisa A. Igloria; 2020 DC Youth Poet Laureate, Marjan Naderi; and Arlington County’s Poet Laureate Holly Karapetkova. Allowing the public to partake of a shared literary experience in a safe, socially distanced manner, each Wednesday evening in December (6-9pm), the projections will occur at four different outdoor locations in Arlington:

December 2: Crystal City – 2011 Crystal Drive
December 9: Penrose Square – 2597 Columbia Pike
December 16: Lyon Village Shopping Center – 3133 Lee Highway
December 23: Shirlington Library – 4200 Campbell Avenue

This program is in partnership with Arlington Arts.

• Location campus Shirlington Library
• Audience:
• Categories:
  • Local History
  • Writing