Does your written work need a bit of exposure? We can help.
Metro Arts in Transit wants to share your work with the tens of thousands of transit riders who travel the St. Louis region each day. The MetroLines Poetry Contest allows poets the chance to have their original works displayed on MetroBus vehicles and MetroLink trains for up to one year.
You must live within a 50-mile radius of the city of St. Louis. Up to 15 winning poems will be reproduced on posters and displayed on the Metro Transit system.
You’ll receive a copy of your poem and a $200 prize. Winners will also be invited to read their poetry at a special event held early next year.
All entries must be submitted online. You may submit up to three poems with each poem being 15 lines or less, and all work submitted for consideration must be suitable for public display. The deadline to enter 5 p.m. on September 30.
MetroLines is open to both published and non-published work by bi-state residents of all ages, however previously published work must be provided with permission to reproduce. A panel of literary professionals from the St. Louis region will judge the entries.
MetroLines is generously supported by the Missouri Arts Council and the Regional Arts Commission.
A new collection of poems is coming to a MetroLink train or MetroBus vehicle near you.
Winners of this year’s Metro Arts in Transit MetroLines Poetry Contest read their winning poems at a special reception on October 11 at the Regional Arts Commission in the Delmar Loop. The winning poems range from no more than a few words to up to 15 lines.
In addition to having the opportunity to read their poems in public, each winning poet received a $100 prize for their poems which will be displayed in the interiors of MetroBus vehicles and MetroLink trains for up to the next year. A panel of literary professionals from the St. Louis region judged selected the winning poems.
All of the poets live within a 50 miles radius of St. Louis. The winning artists and the titles of their works are as follows:
Dawn Dupler, Ballwin, MO, “Ben Franklin Experiences Jimi Hendrix Backstage at London’s Astoria”
Ben Moeller-Gaa, Louis, MO, haiku
Ellen Rohman, St. Louis, MO, “Dressing Wounds”
Steven D Schroeder, St. Louis, MO, “Some subjects are better / if we discuss in person”
Brigid Dolan, Chesterfield, MO, “Looking Glass”
John Savoie, Edwardsville, IL, “Autumnal”
Rachel Shields, St. Louis, MO, “After Dark”
Katelyn Delvaux, St. Louis, MO, “What My Father Should Have Said”
Markie Jo Crismon, St. Louis, MO, “The others will hear a drum”
Dena Molen, Kirkwood, MO, “The Road Trip We Never Took”
“Every year, I am amazed by the incredibly talented community of poets living in the bi-state region, and to hear them read their winning poems at the reception was very powerful,” said David Allen, Director of Metro Arts in Transit. “We hope their poems will further enhance the experience of the transit riding public as they commute on a MetroBus vehicle or a MetroLink train.”
Poet and author Jason Vasser-Elong was the featured speaker at the special reception. Vasser-Elong read several pieces from his recently published book shrimp, his debut poetry collection examining identity in a post-colonial context. Currently a Program Specialist for the Missouri Arts Council, Vasser-Elong has an MFA in creative writing and poetry from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
Arts in Transit is a non-profit subsidiary of Metro Transit founded in 1986 to facilitate public art programs and community engagement projects in the St. Louis mero area. Since 2001, Arts in Transit (AIT) has sponsored a variety poetry and literary programs. The program has evolved into MetroLines, which is supported by funding from the Missouri Arts Council.
Metro Arts in Transit has selected the work of 15 local poets for the 2018 MetroLines poetry contest. Each winning poet will receive a $100 prize and will have their original work reproduced on posters and displayed on MetroBus vehicles and MetroLink trains for up to one year.
The winning artists and the titles of their works are:
Dawn Dupler, “Ben Franklin Experiences Jimi Hendrix Backstage at London’s Astoria”
Ben Moeller-Gaa, haiku
Ellen Rohman, “Dressing Wounds”
Steven D Schroeder, “Some subjects are better / if we discuss in person”
Brigid Dolan, “Looking Glass”
John Savoie, “Autumnal”
Rachel Shields, “After Dark”
Katelyn Delvaux, “What My Father Should Have Said”
Markie Jo Crismon, “The others will hear a drum”
Dena Molen, “The Road Trip We Never Took”
Gaye Gambell-Peterson, “Intermission”
David Clewell, “Quality Control”
Dwight Bitikofer, “Candelabra”
Robert Lowes, “LIGHT HOUSE”
Rebecca Ellis, “Construction”
“A quiet ride on MetroBus or on a MetroLink train is a perfect setting to read, contemplate and appreciate wonderful poetry,” said David Allen, Director of Metro Arts in Transit. “I continue to be amazed by the incredibly talented community of poets living in the St. Louis area, and we are excited to have this opportunity to share their work with our transit riders.”
The MetroLines posters will be installed on MetroBus vehicles and MetroLink trains in October, but you can be one of the first to see them at the MetroLines Poetry Reading and Reception at 7 p.m. onOctober 11 at the Regional Arts Commission, located at 6128 Delmar Boulevard.
You will be able to meet the poets, hear their winning poems and also enjoy poetry reading by the reception’s featured reader, poet and author Jason Vasser-Elong. Vasser-Elong is the author of “Shrimp” published by 2 Leaf Press. Currently a Program Specialist for the Missouri Arts Council, Vasser-Elong has an MFA in creative writing and poetry from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
MetroLines is supported by funding from the Missouri Arts Council. To learn more about MetroLines, visit artsintransit.org.
Metro Arts in Transit is looking to find original poetry to share with the tens of thousands of transit riders who travel throughout the St. Louis region each day.
Entries are now being accepted to the 2018 MetroLines poetry contest, and local poets are invited to submit their works for the chance to have their poems displayed on MetroBus vehicles and MetroLink trains for up to one year. The deadline to enter MetroLines is 11:59 p.m. on July 6, 2018.
“MetroLines is a great opportunity for gifted, local poets to share their work with the public and have it reach a large, new audience,” said David Allen, Director of Metro Arts in Transit. “Poetry is a perfect fit for public transit. A quiet and stress-free commute on MetroLink or MetroBus is an ideal setting to enjoy and appreciate poetry.”
All poets interested in participating must live within a 50-mile radius of the city of St. Louis. Up to 15 winning poems will be reproduced on posters alongside imagery designed by Metro Arts in Transit, and then displayed on the Metro Transit system. Winning poets will receive a copy of the poster featuring their poem and a $100 prize. The selected poets will also be invited to read their poetry at a reception and ceremony later this year.
MetroLines is open to both published and non-published work by bi-state residents of all ages, however previously published work must be provided with permission to reproduce. A panel of literary professionals from the St. Louis region will judge the entries.
The deadline to enter MetroLines is 11:59 p.m. on June 19, 2017.
“Public transit is the perfect vehicle for a program like MetroLines,” said David Allen, Director of Metro Arts in Transit. “It allows gifted, local poets an opportunity to share their work, and transit riders an opportunity to contemplate, absorb and really appreciate good poetry.”
You must live within a 50-mile radius of the city of St. Louis. Fifteen poems will be selected to be reproduced on posters including visual imagery designed by Metro Arts in Transit and then put on display on the Metro transit system. Winning poets will receive a copy of the poster featuring their poem and a $100 prize. All of the selected poets will also be invited to read their poetry at a special reception and ceremony later this year.
Each poet may submit up to three poems. Poems cannot be longer than 15 lines, and all work submitted for consideration must be suitable for public display.
MetroLines is open to both published and non-published work by bi-state residents of all ages, however previously published work must be provided with permission to reproduce. A panel of literary professionals from the St. Louis region will judge the entries.
The MetroLines poetry contest is supported by funding from the Regional Arts Commission and the Missouri Arts Council.
