'Poetry for All' continues through April

For the 2015 O, Miami Poetry Festival South Florida, residents submitted ideas that attempted to deliver a poem to all 2.6 million plus Miami-Dade County residents. The goal is to reach everyone with at least one poem, there are 40 events in 30 days. It includes workshops, too.

“O, Miami tests the limits of what’s possible when circulating poems among a community,” says Executive Director Scott Cunningham. “Miamians should watch out for poems on buildings, on fences, in the mail, even in the bathroom.” O, Miami started on April 1 and ends April 30.

The Festival produced 30 events and 23 projects in the course of 30 days, spreading poetry all the way to the edges of our county. And we’re hoping you encountered one…via a Poetry Popsicle, a boat trip up the Miami River, on a dog wearing a poetry bandana, walking around Kendall, or maybe in a fashion magazine.

 Courtesy of Ana Maria Caballero, she tucked poems inside fashion and beauty magazines in salons around town. In Coconut Grove, look for them at Johari, Maurizio Distefano, Manolo Grove, Ugo di Roma and La Fenice; on Key Biscayne at Glamour, D'luna, Prestige, Nino's, D'lun, Maria's Salon, Ceci's Hair Salon, Velisa Salon, KB Unisex and Martha's Unisex.

"Poetry is a living, breathing force that can light up the city. O, Miami is its platform. With poems on popsicles, lamp posts and other unexpected places, and coming alive on the radio, stage and in the streets, the festival helps this artform become part of people’s everyday lives,” said Victoria Rogers, the incoming vice president/arts of Knight Foundation, whose mission to make art general in South Florida inspired the festival.