Richmond Poetry Fest hosted by the Visual Arts Center of Richmond is an event co-created by VisArts staff and a group of former and current writers-in-residence! A celebration of poetry and community, Richmond Poetry Fest will include readings, workshops, activities for poets and artists of all ages, and vendors. Richmond Poetry Fest is a free community event supported by the Carole Weinstein Endowment for Creative Writing.

This weekend of programming is free and open to the public!

Friday, April 11 | 7 – 11pm

The Basement’s Wild at Heart Series

Hosted at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond. Poetry and prose by Joanna Lee, Rieka Speaks, Luisa Black Ellis, Skylar Colby, Qing Blaze. Music by Meg McDermott. Burlesque by Kayy Lovely. A conversation with Eric “ESH” Hornsby and Rosa Castellano. Poetry karaoke followed by classic karaoke. Free! Ages 18+.

Saturday, April 12 | All-day

Activities

All-ages art-making — Screenprinting, clay, letterpress, and more!
Inter//Section ekphrastic exhibition
Richmond Young Writers Field Day — Poetry activities for youth of all ages! (2 – 5pm)

Saturday, April 12 | 11am

Community Poetry Readings
RVA Student Anthology Reading

Middle school and high school students featured in the inaugural Youth Voices of RVA poetry anthology will share selections from the publication.  

Drag Poetry Story Hour with Michelle Livigne

Saturday, April 12 | 12:30pm

Music + Poetry by JJJJJerome Ellis

JJJJJerome Ellis (any pronoun) is a disabled Grenadian-Jamaican-American artist, surfer, and person who stutters. The artist works across music, performance, writing, video, and photography and they will be reading poems and performing music from their debut collection, Aster of Ceremonies, in which “he creates a world that blooms backward, reimagining what it means for Black and disabled people to have taken, and to continue to take, their freedom.” jjjjjerome.com / @jjjjjeromeellis

Saturday, April 12 | 2pm

River City Poets Readings

River City Poets is a community here in Richmond, Virginia whose aims are to give every poet the confidence and the opportunity to share their voice and to bring poetry into greater prominence in the central Virginia region. Through bi-weekly critiques and monthly workshops, we encourage poets to become more deeply involved in their craft. Our regular monthly reading events and open mics highlight poetry both within and beyond Richmond, allowing every participant a chance to have their say in a safe, supportive environment. We believe poetry can bridge worlds and worldviews and is therefore ever more necessary in contemporary society. rivercitypoets.com / @rivercitypoets 

Saturday, April 12 | 3pm

Community Poetry Readings

Saturday, April 12 | 6 – 8pm

1-2-3 Slam! Hosted by Roscoe Burnems

The Writer’s Den and the Visual Arts Center of Richmond present a fast-paced poetry slam with 1-minute, 2-minute, and 3-minute rounds.   

About the Writing Program at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond: The VisArts Writing Program offers classes as diverse and vibrant as our student population with coursework for writers at all stages, from beginner to advanced. Classes cover a range of creative writing topics from poetry to fiction to memoir to screenwriting and are offered in flexible formats from short weekend workshops to 8-week classes. Thanks to VisArts diverse programming and studios, we have the unique ability to combine visual arts and writing to offer classes that can be welcoming to both writers and visual artists, like Sewetry, Embroidered poems—a class combining poetry and embroidery.  We’re proud of the long history of writing classes at VisArts and that we’ve grown to be a hub for writers wishing to learn and practice their craft.