GR Poetry… is LIT!
Join the Grand River Poetry Collective for a vibrant day celebrating poetry, storytelling, and community connections. This all-day event features workshops, performances, and interactive experiences for all ages, including a Juneteenth Breakfast storytelling reception, oral history recordings at the Family Tree booth, creative chapbook and zine-making stations, and open-mic sessions highlighting local poets of all sorts. The day concludes with a dynamic panel discussion on community publishing initiatives and a special screening of The Negro Artist, a documentary spotlighting poet Caleb Rainey and exploring the transformative power of Black artistry.
June 20th, 2025, 10am-10pm
Wealthy Theatre Annex
1110 Wealthy St SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49506
Full Schedule
June 20, 2025
Activities
10:00am - 6:00pm
10:00am - 12:00pm
Breaking Bread, Building Bridges
Juneteenth Breakfast + Storytelling Reception
Kick off the day with good food, powerful conversation, and multigenerational wisdom. This reception features opening remarks on storytelling traditions, oral history as resistance, and how communities can build bridges across time through shared stories. Families are encouraged to join us in celebrating history and reimagining a future where stories untold are turned into gold! After the reception, feel free to step into our Family Tree, Family Truths recording booth and any of the other workshops and stations throughout the day!
12:00pm - 4:00pm
Family Tree, Family Truths
Oral History Recording Booth
Facilitators: Shandra Martinez and Shayna Marie
Each of our roots run deep, and beneath the surface, our stories are what keep us all connected. Families are invited to answer guided discussion prompts and leave with a professionally recorded 10–15 minute story. Each recording will be published and digitally archived, with a copy provided to the family as a keepsake.
Learn more about Legacina Family Storytelling
11:30am - 6:00pm
The Paper Playground
Open Zine + Chapbook Station
Stop by any time for free access to materials for zine-making, chapbook design, and revolutionary crafting. This is a space for playful experimentation and low-pressure creativity.
Workshops
11:15am - 4:00pm
11:15am - 12:00pm
Lyrical Questions
Found Poetry Workshop
Facilitator: Camille Newsom
"Lyrical Questions" engages participants in connecting with one another and their innate creativity. Participants will first be invited to brainstorm lyrical questions-- questions about their own lives that are poetic, songlike, non-literal, and go beyond typical paired expectations of questions and answers. Then, participants will work with the questions in small groups on a hands-on activity involving elements of collage, found poetry, and reciprocity. The exercise behind this workshop was originally designed by Indiana poet Ross Gay and will be facilitated by Camille Newsom.
Learn more about Camille Newsom
12:00pm - 2:00pm
Make Your Mark
Zine Workshop
Facilitator: Rosie Accola
Explore the overlapping textures of collage and poetry in this interactive workshop. Participants will make their own eight page zine which they can fill with poems, collages, drawings and more! We'll have writing exercises and scraps galore, come see what you can piece together! This workshop is family friendly and appropriate for kids and teens.
2:00pm - 4:00pm
When Art Talks Back
Ekphrastic Art & Poetry Workshop
Facilitator: Linda Nemec Foster
Write in response to revolutionary visual art created by local artists. This interactive, sensory-rich session invites participants to reflect on liberation, memory, and imagination through color and metaphor.
Learn more about Linda Nemec Foster
The People’s Mic
12:00pm - 6:00pm
Join us for curated performances and open mic opportunities! This is an electric, drop-in session of freestyle expression, spontaneous collabs, and mic liberation. Share a poem, a song, a story — or just vibe with the community.
12:00pm - 2:00pm
poetry and spoken word performances
Curated by Grand River Poetry Collective
Sign up sheet coming soon!
Learn more about Grand River Poetry Collective
2:00pm - 4:00pm
PRIDE Takeover
Hosted by Rosie Accola
Hear from LGBTQ+ poets
4:00pm - 6:00pm
House of Words Takeover
Hosted by the H.O.W. Open Mic team!
This segment will allow poets, and other performing artists to express open-mic style. But, there’s a twist: performers with top audience ratings will have a chance to have a full set, professionally recorded!
Learn more about House of Words
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Publishing Our People
Panel discussion and poetry reading
Join members of the Grand River Poetry Collective for a discussion about their goal to publish at least 100 local poets — and how multicultural collaboration, cooperative publishing models, and collectivist cultural values are reshaping Grand Rapids' literary future. You will also hear from our evening’s film feature and published poet, Caleb “The Negro Artist” Rainey as well as ArtPrize award-winning artist and producer, Scoob the Artist.
Film
Start time: 8:15pm
Film Screening
The Negro Artist
Close the night with a powerful documentary screening of The Negro Artist, featuring poet Caleb Rainey. This film explores Black artistry, identity, and the role of poetry in personal and political transformation. When he is not writing and performing he is actively curating a community of spoken word poets in Iowa City through his high school program, IC Speaks, and producing events like the Mic Check Poetry Fest.