Andrew Romanelli, Solid Truth, Paul Stoddard, SamRay. Illustration by Chloe Bernardo.
Sep. 21, 2023
Poetry Promise Workshops, Fall 2023
Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art
October 7, 14, 21, and 28
11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Let our art inspire your poetry. Spend time discussing our exhibitions with a professional local poet before using the art to generate literary creations of your own.
Developed in partnership with Poetry Promise, Inc., a nonprofit organization that advocates for poetry and literature throughout the Las Vegas Valley, each workshop in this one-month series will run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday from October 7 through to October 28, 2023. Participants will consider artworks from one of the following exhibitions: The Emotional Show, Tailings, and Lined and Torn: Paper Works from the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art Collection. The artworks vary from giant inflatable sculptures to painting, drawing, video, photography, and more. The discussions will cover a range of stimulating topics, including the importance of emotional honesty and questions of identity and personal narrative.
These workshops are designed for students and families, but everyone is welcome to attend.
Join us on one or all of these dates to meet the following poets:
Oct. 7: Andrew Romanelli
Oct. 14: Paul Stoddard
Oct. 21: Solid Truth
Oct. 28: SamRay
About Andrew Romanelli
Andrew Romanelli is a community activist and a member of the Industrial Workers of the World. He has peeled potatoes, bussed tables, collected debts, hustled on wide boulevards, hawked shoes, cigarettes, delivered hair products, and provided customer service for inmates across the country. In facing the worst within us, he surrenders daily to the best-possible of us. He is a boy who cannot be pulled away from the beauty inherent in the discarded. Previously the assistant poetry editor of Helen: A Literary Magazine, he received Poetry Promise's John Oliver Simon Award in 2018. In 2022 he published his first poetry collection, ROTGUT, through Zeitgeist Press.
About Paul Stoddard
Paul Stoddard loves to create the space to collaborate and grow with other poets in whatever form they come: young, old, animal, plant, or the voices in the wind. He works as a teacher in the Las Vegas Valley where he attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, graduating with his MS in Literacy in 2020. He’s taught and learned with students since 2013.
About Solid Truth
Solid Truth (Ida Marie Collins) is an award-winning poet with 17 years of experience curating, producing, and hosting hundreds of spoken word poetry events, webinars, and workshops. She has also appeared in numerous stage plays. As the founder of SOLID TRUTH LLC and Solid Truth Entertainment LLC, she enjoys being a Teaching Artist and is an advocate for the prevention of domestic violence and sexual abuse. Her ultimate goal is to travel internationally as a motivational speaker and empowerment coach. Solid Truth is a complex and constantly evolving combination of spiritual energy and cerebral optimism who unapologetically shares her truth, using the power of spoken word poetry to enlighten, motivate, and empower.
About SamRay
SamRay is a fresh face to poetry, but growing up with the Strip as her backyard it's no wonder this poet knows how to captivate a crowd. The multi-talented 26-year-old has featured at places like Cork and Thorn and the Utah Arts Festival. Her poetry is truthful and raw, and she doesn’t shy away from heavy topics Whether it be acting, singing, or poetry, Sam is sure to tug at your heartstrings.
The workshops will take place at the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art at UNLV on October 7, 14, 21, and 28, 2023. Participation is free and parking on the UNLV campus is free of charge on weekends. Masks are recommended. All of the Museum’s current exhibitions will be on view until March 16, 2024. This project is supported in part by the State of Nevada’s Nevada Fiscal Recovery Grant.
About Poetry Promise, Inc.
Poetry Promise, Inc. was incorporated in Las Vegas, NV in 2016. It was inspired and founded by Clark County’s first Poet Laureate, Bruce Isaacson. The second Poet Laureate of Clark County, Vogue Robinson, was its Executive Director. The organization is an advocate for the arts and provides a support system for poetry in the Las Vegas Valley. Poetry Promise’s mission is to advance the knowledge and practice of poetry and the literary arts in Clark County, the State of Nevada, and beyond. It provides educational programs, public readings, poetry awards, poetry contests, book publishing, writing workshops, and other related programs and services that advance the cause of literature, poetry, and the arts.
About the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art
The Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art believes everyone deserves access to art that challenges our understanding of the present and inspires us to create a future that holds space for us all. Located on the campus of one of the most racially diverse universities in the U.S., we strive to create a nourishing environment for those who continue to be neglected by contemporary art museums. As the only art museum in the city of Las Vegas, we commit ourselves to leveling barriers that limit access to the arts. Our collection of artworks offers an opportunity for everyone to develop a deeper knowledge of contemporary art in Southern Nevada. The Barrick Museum is part of the College of Fine Arts at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.
Find Us
The Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art is located in the heart of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus. The museum is easily accessed from the west side of campus at the intersection of Harmon Avenue and University Center Drive. Drive east on East Harmon Ave until the road enters the campus and terminates in a parking lot. The Museum will be on your right, next to a desert landscape garden. Directions here.
Parking
Visitors may park in metered, staff, and student spots free of charge after 7 pm on weekdays, 1 pm on Fridays, and all day Saturday.
Daily, weekly, or monthly permits can be purchased from Parking and Transportation Services.
Metered parking spaces for visitors can be found in the parking lot outside the Barrick’s entrance, along East Harmon Ave, and in the lot behind the Lied Library. Other metered green zones are available in the Cottage Grove Avenue Parking Garage and parking areas throughout campus. Download the “PayByPhone Parking” app from Google Play or the iTunes app store.
Contact
702-895-3381