MetroLines is a regional poetry competition presented through Arts in Transit, Inc. Since 2001, AIT has sponsored a variety of poetry and literary programs as a way to bring this form of expression to a broad and diverse audience, while creating a more pleasant and attractive atmosphere in the neighborhoods and communities served by the Metro Transit system.

Fifteen outstanding poems are selected by a panel of literary and poetry professionals and reproduced as posters that include visual imagery relating to the written work. Winning poems are displayed in MetroBus vehicles and MetroLink trains for up to one year.

This year’s competition saw a record number of submissions – 309 poems from 103 area poets. The 2019 winners and the titles of their works are:

• Maria Balogh, Farewell
• Julie Barnes, El Beso
• Keith Byler, Self Talk
• Eugene Budnitsky, Things You Can Finally Do After You Are Dead
• Marie Chewe-Elliott, Seasons
• Cate Curtis, Not Stone
• Gail Eisenhart, Portrait in Sepia
• Gemma Fish, How the World Revolves
• Pamela Garvey, Notes on Absence
• Riley Gibbons, The Future
• Abigail Green, Love Song for Falling
• Andrea Jackson, The Path
• John Randall, So Much Fun
• Andy Smart, Seven to Nine
• Paul Stroble, Cassettes

Major funding for MetroLines 2019 is generously provided by the Regional Arts Commission and Missouri Arts Council.

Learn More:

Blog: MetroLines Winners Selected From Record Number of Entries

Video: Meet the 2019 MetroLines Artists poets

Slideshow: 2019 MetroLines Poetry Reading and Reception

2019 Winners

click to view

Previous Winners

See the “Opportunities” section for more information about current “Call to Artist” requests.