Toledo Museum of Art (TMA) Annual Poetry Contest Connects Creativity and Artistic Inspiration

“Discover, Inspire, Create: TMA Poetry Prize” accepts entries, Jan. 22-March 22.

Starting this week, the Toledo Museum of Art (TMA) will accept entries for its annual poetry contest that invites youth and adults to draw inspiration from 12 objects in the museum’s rich collection of artworks. The contest closes on March 22.

“‘Discover, Inspire, Create: TMA Poetry Prize’ aims to foster a connection between visual art and the written word, encouraging participants to explore their creativity and express emotions through poetry,” said Doreen Cutway, senior public relations manager, Toledo Museum of Art.

Middle and high school teachers can request docent-guided tours that include a poetry writing activity for their classes and encourage their students to submit their resulting poems to the contest. Adults can register for a writing workshop with Lucas County Poet Laureate Jonie McIntire on Feb. 3 or March 16.

Contest Categories

*   Youth: 11-17 years old.
*   Adults: 18 years and older.

Awards
Winners in the youth and adult categories will receive:

*   First prize: $200 and one-year Toledo Museum of Art membership.
*   Second prize: $100.
*   Third prize: $75.
*   Honorable mention: $25

Judging
A panel of three poets will review and rank each entry based on originality, form, language, grammatical skill and the creative interpretation or reflection of the writing. Judges include:

*   Ryan Bunch.
*   Hedyeh Elahinia.
*   Dustin Pearson.

Important Dates

*   Jan. 22: Contest opens.
*   March 22: Contest closes.
*   April 17: Winners notified.
*   April 27: Awards ceremony and reception.

For complete details about contest requirements, submission guidelines, list of eligible artworks and adult workshops with Poet Laureate McIntire, please visit: toledomuseum.org/learn/poetry-competition<https://toledomuseum.org/learn/poetry-competition>.