Author Archives: Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center

Amanda Gorman Future Voices Poetry Prize Open for Applications

VENICE, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Beyond Baroque, one of the nation's leading literary arts centers, has announced that the Amanda Gorman Future Voices Poetry Prize is now actively accepting applications. The prize, created in honor of Beyond Baroque alumna and U.S. Presidential Inaugural Poet Amanda Gorman, will accept applications until May 1, 2022.

"We're very excited to start receiving submissions from young poets of color, and for the opportunity to foster their growth as artists," said the nonprofit's executive director, Quentin Ring.

"The Amanda Gorman Poetry Prize is an important opportunity for young poets of color to be recognized for their poetic talent," added Shonda Buchanan, President of Beyond Baroque's Board of Trustees. "We hope it will inspire them to follow Amanda's lead in creating a legacy in which poetry and social justice work combine to infuse America with a richer human agency."

The Amanda Gorman Future Voices Poetry Prize will award scholarships to college-bound student poets of color. As a special feature of the debut of the fund, there is a poetry contest for 9th, 10th and 11th graders, the same age at which Gorman began her development as a poet in the Beyond Baroque Student Poets' program. All told, $10,000 in scholarship and contest money will be awarded in 2022.

The prize continues Beyond Baroque's long history of nurturing some of Los Angeles' most prominent poets, including Wanda Coleman, Amy Gerstler, and Amanda Gorman herself. Gorman describes Beyond Baroque as the place "where a young poet found the love of her life" and shared more about her history with Beyond Baroque on the recent ABC 20/20 Special Amanda Gorman: Brave Enough with Robin Roberts.

The Future Voices Poetry Scholarship is open for all poets currently enrolled in grades 9-12 in California, and who self-identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color. College-bound students in 12th grade can apply for a scholarship award, and 9th, 10th and 11th grade can submit to the poetry contest. Prize winners will be announced by July 1, 2022.

For more information and to apply, please visit https://www.beyondbaroque.org/.

ABOUT BEYOND BAROQUE

Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center is one of the nation's most successful and influential grassroots incubators of the literary arts. Founded in 1968, and housed in the original Venice City Hall building in Venice, California, it is a nonprofit public space dedicated to cultivating new writing and expanding the public's knowledge of poetry, literature, and art through cultural events and community interaction. The Center offers a diverse variety of literary and arts programming, including readings, workshops, art exhibits, and education. Across five decades, Beyond Baroque has provided crucial support to a series of seminal writers, artists, and musicians that include Wanda Coleman, Dennis Cooper, Amy Gerstler, Exene Cervenka, John Doe, Mike Kelley, Viggo Morternsen, Will Alexander, and Amanda Gorman. Today the Center continues to provide a vital cultural forum through its free workshops, reading series, and general programming.

ABOUT AMANDA GORMAN

Amanda Gorman is the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history, as well as an award-winning writer and cum laude graduate of Harvard University, where she studied sociology. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she is the author of the "The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country" (Viking Books for Young Readers, March 2021), the poetry collection "Call Us What We Carry" (Viking, December 2021) and "The One for Whom Food Is Not Enough" (Penmanship Books, 2015). In 2017, Gorman was named the first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate of the United States after previously serving as the first-ever youth poet laureate of Los Angeles. She is the founder and executive director of One Pen One Page, an organization providing free creative writing programs for underserved youth, and serves the Write Change program in her role as International Changemaker for Estee Lauder.

Beyond Baroque, one of the nation's leading literary arts centers, has announced that the Amanda Gorman Future Voices Poetry Prize is now actively accepting applications. The prize, created in honor of Beyond Baroque alumna and U.S. Presidential Inaugural Poet Amanda Gorman, will accept applications until May 1, 2022.

Related link: https://www.beyondbaroque.org/

Beyond Baroque Announces Amanda Gorman Future Voices Poetry Fund

VENICE, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Beyond Baroque, one of the nation's leading independent Literary Arts Centers, has announced the Amanda Gorman Future Voices Poetry Fund. The fund, named in honor of Beyond Baroque alumna and U.S. Presidential Inaugural Poet Amanda Gorman, will provide $10,000 to young poets of color.

"It's been wonderful witnessing Amanda's growth from her start in our Student Poets' Program to the Inaugural Poet we see today, and we hope to continue uplifting fellow promising youth poets of color through this fund," said the nonprofit's executive director, Quentin Ring.

"We're looking forward to ushering in new word warriors who can speak for not only themselves but also their respective communities and maybe one day, like Ms. Gorman, the world," added Shonda Buchanan, Vice President of Beyond Baroque's Board of Trustees.

The Amanda Gorman Future Voices Poetry Fund includes a poetry contest and a scholarship for college-bound student poets of color. A total of $10,000 will be awarded for the 2021-2022 school year. The fund continues Beyond Baroque's long history of nurturing some of Los Angeles' most prominent poets, including Wanda Coleman, Amy Gerstler, and Amanda Gorman herself. As a teenager, Gorman began her development as a poet in the Beyond Baroque Student Poets' Program, established by former Executive Director Richard Modiano. After completing the program, she was appointed the first Youth Poet Laureate of Los Angeles, and then of the United States in 2017, by Beyond Baroque partner Urban Word. She later named Beyond Baroque as the place "where a young poet found the love of her life."

The fund will begin accepting applications in November 2021, and more details will be announced in the following months.

To learn more about Beyond Baroque, or to make a contribution in support of the Amanda Gorman Future Voices Poetry Fund, please visit https://www.beyondbaroque.org/.

ABOUT BEYOND BAROQUE:

Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center is one of the nation's most successful and influential grassroots incubators of the literary arts. Founded in 1968, and housed in the original Venice City Hall building in Venice, California, it is a nonprofit public space dedicated to cultivating new writing and expanding the public's knowledge of poetry, literature, and art through cultural events and community interaction.

The Center offers a diverse variety of literary and arts programming, including readings, workshops, art exhibits, and education. Across five decades, Beyond Baroque has provided crucial support to a series of seminal writers, artists, and musicians that include Wanda Coleman, Dennis Cooper, Amy Gerstler, Exene Cervenka, John Doe, Mike Kelley, Viggo Mortensen, Will Alexander, and Amanda Gorman. Today the Center continues to provide a vital cultural forum through its free workshops, reading series, and general programming.

ABOUT AMANDA GORMAN:

Amanda Gorman is the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history, as well as an award-winning writer and cum laude graduate of Harvard University, where she studied sociology. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she is the author of the "The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country" (Viking Books for Young Readers, March 2021), the poetry collection "Call Us What We Carry" (Viking, December 2021) and "The One for Whom Food Is Not Enough" (Penmanship Books, 2015). In 2017, Gorman was named the first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate of the United States. She previously served as the youth poet laureate of Los Angeles, and she is the founder and executive director of One Pen One Page, an organization providing free creative writing programs for underserved youth.

Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center, 681 Venice Blvd, Venice, CA 90291.

Beyond Baroque, one of the nation's leading independent Literary Arts Centers, has announced the Amanda Gorman Future Voices Poetry Fund. The fund, named in honor of Beyond Baroque alumna and U.S. Presidential Inaugural Poet Amanda Gorman, will provide $10,000 to young poets of color.

Related link: http://beyondbaroque.org/

L.A. Artists and Performers to Salute Beyond Baroque’s 50th at Nov. 10 Gala

VENICE, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- A historic lineup of L.A.'s leading artists, performers, poets and authors will salute Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center ("Beyond Baroque"), the city's legendary literary center, at its 50th anniversary "Bohemian Bacchanal" on Saturday, November 10. The gala event, located in the Venice Arts Plaza, features a dinner and will be highlighted by presentations honoring actor/poet Viggo Mortensen, a long-time supporter of the non-profit organization, and award-winning poet Will Alexander. The evening also pays tribute to Beyond Baroque founder, George Drury Smith.

Among the performers slated to take the stage are John Doe and Exene Cervenka (who first met at Beyond Baroque and formed the iconic LA band X); John Densmore, founding member of The Doors; legendary jazz trumpeter Bobby Bradford; Chris D (Divine Horsemen; Flesh Eaters); Julie Christensen (Divine Horsemen; Leonard Cohen); and poet Kamau DaÃ¡ood, among others.

"We'll celebrate 50 years of Beyond Baroque with an evening of art, music, poetry, wine, and revelry," said Beyond Baroque director Richard Modiano, "and we invite the community to join us in honoring our dear friend, actor Viggo Mortensen for his selfless support, and our visionary poet-in-residence Will Alexander for his profound achievements in expanding the artistic possibilities of language."

The event includes a live and silent auction offering rare literary artifacts from Beyond Baroque's archive, and more than 30 works of art from some of the world's most notable artists, including Ed Ruscha, Gronk, Raymond Pettibon, Shepherd Fairey, and Francisco Toledo. Items donated by the Venice business community will also be auctioned.

Attendees are invited to tour the landmark arts complex surrounding the former Venice City Hall (now occupied by Beyond Baroque) including unique sustainable landscaping curated by Kiss The Ground and Safe Place for Youth, enjoy cocktails in the Poet's Garden and artwork in the Mike Kelly Gallery, and explore the unique collection of poetry and literature for sale in the bookstore.

-- EVENT DETAILS: --

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2018 at 5 P.M.
Beyond Baroque, Venice Arts Plaza and Gardens, 681 North Venice Boulevard, Venice, CA 90291 http://www.beyondbaroque.org
Tickets: https://beyondbaroque50gala.eventbrite.com

HONORING:

:: VIGGO MORTENSEN
Alexandra Garrett Award for Distinguished Service to Beyond Baroque

:: WILL ALEXANDER
Lifetime Achievement Award in Poetry

PERFORMERS:
* John Doe & Exene Cervenka (founding members, X)
* John Densmore, (founding member, The Doors)
* Bobby Bradford (Ornette Coleman Quartet)
* Chris D (Divine Horsemen; Flesh Eaters)
* Julie Christensen (Divine Horsemen; Leonard Cohen)
* World Stage Theater: Kamau DaÃ¡ood, founder/poet & Dwight Trible, director, singer/spoken word
* Froglab - Joe Baiza, Brian Christopherson & Mike Watt (also of the Minutemen)
* Jack Grapes, poet; 2018 honoree, Distinguished Service Award
* Lisa Finnie, Dylan Hour / 88.5
* Erika Duran, winner of Beyond Baroque's Carlos Segovia Scholarship Fund in partnership with Get Lit
* Emcee: Puma Perl

Beyond Baroque Days: A ten-day celebration:
The Beyond Gala forms the center of a ten-day period of festivities that begins with the November 8 premiere of Beyond Mr. Smith, Peter Fitzgerald Adams' new documentary about Beyond Baroque founder George Drury Smith. The celebration culminates with the City of Los Angeles' proclamation of Beyond Baroque Day on November 16, 2018, as the literary center welcomes the November 16-18 Southern California Poetry Festival, sponsored by the Poetry Foundation and headlined by world-renowned poet Anne Waldman. More information: http://www.scpoetryfest.com

Support Beyond Baroque's next 50 Years:
Opportunities to support Beyond Baroque include:
* Donations via website http://beyondbaroque.org
* Brand support via website, newsletter, social channels,
* Gala event branding, branding throughout Beyond Baroque Days and other year-round opportunities in Beyond Baroque programming.

Place an ad or tribute in the Beyond Gala Program Book:
http://beyondbaroque.org/2018gala-ads.html

Sponsor the Beyond Gala:
http://www.beyondbaroque.org/2018gala-sponsor.html

Beyond Baroque welcomes these sponsors:
City National Bank
Tito's Handmade Vodka
JSPR Public Relations, Writing & Marketing
Paradise Catering & Preserves
Beacon House Staffing
The Short Stop/Footsies

ABOUT BEYOND BAROQUE:
Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center is one of the nation's most successful and influential grassroots incubators of literary art. Founded in 1968, and housed in the original Venice City Hall building in Venice, California, it is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public space dedicated to cultivating new writing and expanding the public's knowledge of poetry, fiction, literature, and art through cultural events and community interaction.

The Center offers a diverse variety of literary and arts programming, including readings, workshops, art exhibits, and education. The Center also houses a bookstore with the largest collection of new poetry books on the west side of Los Angeles; the Mike Kelley Gallery, which specializes in text and language-focused visual art; and a 50,000 volume archive of small press and limited-edition publications that chronicles the history of poetry movements in Los Angeles and beyond.

Beyond Baroque's mission is to encourage the writing, reading, publication, dissemination, and preservation of contemporary literature through programming, education, archiving, and services in literature and the arts. Learn more: http://beyondbaroque.org/.

A historic lineup of L.A.'s leading artists, performers, poets and authors will salute Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center ("Beyond Baroque"), the city's legendary literary center, at its 50th anniversary "Bohemian Bacchanal" on Saturday, November 10. The gala event, located in the Venice Arts Plaza, features a dinner and will be highlighted by presentations honoring actor/poet Viggo Mortensen, a long-time supporter of the non-profit organization, and award-winning poet Will Alexander.

Related link: http://beyondbaroque.org/

Beyond Baroque to Mark 50th Anniversary in 2018

VENICE, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Beyond Baroque, one of the nation's leading independent Literary Arts Centers, is planning a year-long celebration of its 50th anniversary in 2018. Guided by the nonprofit's Executive Director, Richard Modiano, and council of prominent artist-curators, a program of activities commencing January 1, 2018, will take place at Beyond Baroque's Venice location and in venues throughout Los Angeles.

"Beyond Baroque has an incredible record of cultivating some of the most innovative and widely influential literature and art to come out of Los Angeles over the past 50 years," said Modiano. "We aim to nurture the next 50 years of cutting-edge Los Angeles poetry, literature, and art."

Special features of Beyond Baroque's 50th Anniversary will include:

• The commissioning of new works for performance and publication from major writers and rising stars in fiction, poetry, and non-fiction.
• A series of public dialogs between poets and prominent artists, performers, community leaders, and thinkers on the intersection of poetry and culture.
• The selection of diverse guest curators to organize a major festival of multidisciplinary artistic events and community gatherings at Beyond Baroque and in neighborhoods all over Los Angeles, spotlighting the many literary and artistic communities that make LA one of the world's richest cultural centers.
• Appearances and performances by prominent Beyond Baroque alumni and friends.

The Center's busy calendar of events will showcase Beyond Baroque's extensive roster of talent as well as exciting new voices drawn from Los Angeles' diverse literary communities. The celebrations will be highlighted by Beyond Baroque's 50th anniversary gala in November 2018, at which honors will be awarded recognizing the achievements of selected poets, writers and artists.

About Beyond Baroque:

Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center is one of the nation's most successful and influential grassroots incubators of literary art. Founded in 1968, and housed in the original Venice City Hall building in Venice, California, it is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public space dedicated to cultivating new writing and expanding the public's knowledge of poetry, fiction, literature, and art through cultural events and community interaction.

The Center offers a diverse variety of literary and arts programming, including readings, workshops, art exhibits, and education. The Center also houses a bookstore with the largest collection of new poetry books on the west side of Los Angeles; the Mike Kelley Gallery, which specializes in text and language-focused visual art; and a 50,000 volume archive of small press and limited-edition publications that chronicles the history of poetry movements in Los Angeles and beyond.

Few literary spaces have done more to cultivate innovative art from cultural outsiders, or to shape emerging artistic movements. Across five decades Beyond Baroque has nurtured the Venice Beats, cradled the Los Angeles punk scene, and provided crucial support to a series of seminal experimental writers and artists that include Dennis Cooper, Kate Braverman, Mike Kelley, and Will Alexander.

Its legendary free workshops have profoundly shaped Los Angeles literature by helping to launch a number of influential careers, including those of Wanda Coleman, Tom Waits, Leland Hickman, Bob Flanagan, Eloise Klein Healy, David Trinidad, Jim Krusoe, Exene Cervenkova, Amy Gerstler, Paul Vangelisti, Harry Northup, Brendan Constantine, Jenny Factor, and Sarah Maclay. It's reading and performance series have exposed L.A. audiences to some of the world's most notable writers and artists, often at early stages in their careers, including Allen Ginsberg, Amiri Baraka, Raymond Carver, X, Patti Smith, Viggo Mortensen, Michael Ondaatje, Chris Kraus, Eileen Myles, Luis J. Rodriguez, Dana Gioia, Hector Tobar, David St. John, Robin Coste Lewis, and Maggie Nelson.

Today the Center continues to provide a vital cultural forum through its free workshops, reading series, youth programming, and artistic gatherings. Learn more at: http://www.beyondbaroque.org/.

Beyond Baroque's Mission:

Beyond Baroque's mission is to encourage the writing, reading, publication, dissemination, and preservation of contemporary literature through programming, education, archiving, and services in literature and the arts.

Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center, 681 Venice Blvd, Venice, CA 90291. Phone: (310) 822-3006.

Beyond Baroque, one of the nation's leading independent Literary Arts Centers, is planning a year-long celebration of its 50th anniversary in 2018. Guided by the nonprofit's Executive Director, Richard Modiano, and council of prominent artist-curators, a program of activities commencing January 1, 2018, will take place at Beyond Baroque's Venice location and in venues throughout Los Angeles.