Submissions sought for side-walk poetry contest

In collaboration with the Germantown Community Library, the Parks & Recreation department and the Public Works department, the Public Art Commission recently launched ‘Word Travels,’ an annual sidewalk poetry contest.
New, aspiring or professional writers of any age, living or working in Germantown, can submit a poem or song lyric of up to 150 words. Poems should be unique and must not use copyrighted materials.
The inaugural contest theme is Nature.
A selection committee made up of literary professionals, library staff and community representatives will select five finalists and three semifinalists.
Winners will receive a small monetary award and their poems will be installed on sidewalks in city parks and along trail systems starting this summer.
This project creates a unique opportunity for citizens of Germantown to participate in the city’s new public art program through a project that celebrates public spaces and the literary arts.
Submissions are due by Monday, May 31 and can be submitted online at www.gpacweb.com/gpac/word-travels.
The Word Travels – Mitch Major Memorial Fund was established in 2021 in memory of highly esteemed Germantown Performing Art Center (GPAC) board member and Germantown resident, Mitch Major whose fondness for literature shaped his entire life.
The Mitch Major Memorial Fund will be dedicated to sustaining Word Travels – an annual sidewalk poetry contest inspired by Mitch’s love for the literary arts, his passion for lifelong learning and the joy he took sharing his discoveries in the world of the written word.
If you wish to make a donation to the Mitch Major Memorial Fund, contact Parke Kennedy (GPAC Director of Development) at (901) 751-7505 or [email protected].