MEDIA ADVISORY
Crowd-Sourced Poem To Be Created @ Columbus Arts Festival 2023
OPAWL + Ohio Immigrant Alliance Are Back With “Everything Is (Cells & Bodies),” Latest Volume of Ohio Migration Anthology
Columbus – Writers and artists from various migration paths, and with various migration stories, will share their work and create with the crowd at the Word Is Art & Acoustic Lounge inside the Columbus Arts Festival 2023. This is the second year the Ohio Immigrant Alliance and OPAWL: Building AAPI Feminist Leadership are bringing artists to this stage. The performance takes place on Sunday, June 11, at 12pm.
This year’s theme is “We Are All Art, Cells & Bodies,” referencing the fact that every human being is the same on the inside, made up of just cells and organic matter. And every human is also “art,” beautiful in our own ways. The theme is a play on the title of the latest volume of the Ohio Migration Anthology, “(Everything Is) Cells & Bodies,” and a poem in that collection.
Poet and storyteller Sara Abou Rashed will lead the crowd in the live creation of a poem during the event, continuing with the theme that we are all art when we make art together!
WHO: Sara Abou Rashed (poet); Tika Adhikari (organizer, OPAWL); Varsha Prabu (artist); and Lynn Tramonte (director, Ohio Immigrant Alliance)
WHAT: Readings and crowd-sourced poem creation
WHEN: Sunday, June 11, at 12pm
WHERE: Columbus Arts Festival, Word of Art & Acoustic Lounge
“Far From Their Eyes: Ohio Migration Anthology, Volume 1” will be available for purchase at the event. “(Everything Is) Cells & Bodies: Ohio Migration Anthology, Volume 2” is due out in August. Participants are available for advance interviews.
Audio/Visuals: Reporters can capture live audio and video of the crowd creating a poem live, as well as performances and visual art by Sara Abou Rashed, Tika Adhikari, Varsha Prabu, and more!
Directions, Parking, and Festival Info: The Word of Art stage is located in the courtyard of the Cultural Arts Center at 139 W. Main St. in downtown Columbus. We recommend parking in the Columbus Commons Garage (55 E. Rich St.) or on the street. For downtown street parking, use the ParkColumbus app to submit payment. Download the festival app.
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