City of Minneapolis honors First Poet Laureate in final public reading
Photo featuring G.E. Patterson, Arleta Little, Heid E. Erdrich, CM Andrea Jenkins, CM Jamal Osman, Deputy City Operations Officer Brette Hjelle, and Arts and Culture Department Director Ben Johnson. Image credit Jade Patrick
December 05, 2024 (MINNEAPOLIS) - On Thursday, The City of Minneapolis celebrated its inaugural Poet Laureate, Heid E. Erdrich, as she prepares to conclude her two-year term on December 31st. In one of her last acts as the City’s first Poet Laureate, Erdrich led a reading of the City’s first official poem at the Minneapolis American Indian Center.
“We’re extraordinarily honored to have inaugurated our Poet Laureate program with the amazing artistry of Heid E. Erdrich,” said Mayor Jacob Frey. “Heid’s work showcases transformative power of the literature to unite and inspire our community, and she’s set an extremely high bar for all future poet laureates. We are deeply grateful to Heid for sharing her talent and vision with the people of Minneapolis.”
Throughout her 2024 term, Heid E. Erdrich has elevated poetry and the literary arts across Minneapolis and beyond, creating new opportunities for engagement and expression. A nationally recognized poet, author, and advocate, Erdrich brought her wealth of experience and passion to the role, inspiring a new appreciation for poetry in public life. Her year-long tenure included workshops, readings, and gatherings in diverse locations throughout the city, from the Eloise Butler Garden to Bde Maka Ska and Owámniyomni.
The Minneapolis Poet Laureate is an official ambassador of Minneapolis’ literary culture, connecting our community through the art of poetry. As an advocate for poetry and the literary arts in Minneapolis, the Poet Laureate engages the community in meaningful, impactful, and innovative projects. The goal is to share the transformative art of poetry through community and educational opportunities. These efforts underscored the City of Minneapolis’s commitment to nurturing creativity and amplifying the cultural contributions of its citizens. "Minneapolis is a city of poetry, from top national publishers, to thriving literary venues,” Erdrich said. “Serving as poet laureate allowed me the privilege of asking wonderful Minneapolis poets to write about their relationship to the waters and gathering grounds of these lands known to Dakota as Bde Óta Othúŋwe.”
Erdrich’s term as Poet Laureate may be ending, but her work is far from over. In August, Edrich was awarded a $50,000 grant by the Academy of American Poets with support from the Mellon Foundation, one of just twenty-two poets selected nationwide. Her next project, Poetry Service Announcement (PoeSA), will connect Minneapolis/Bde Óta Othúŋwe communities by commissioning poems from youth and established poets, with a focus on Native American, BIPOC, and underrepresented voices. PoeSA will culminate in a public reading and an online platform, elevating the voice of those impacted by the housing crisis, justice system, and other challenges. This program represents a dynamic partnership between the Department of Arts and Cultural Affairs and the Loft Literary Center, a cornerstone of Minneapolis' literary heritage for over fifty years.
"Heid's work as Minneapolis Poet Laureate has placed poetry at the heart of civic life, amplifying the voices of our community in dialogue with civic leaders, with one another, and with our cherished Earth,” said Arleta Little, Executive Director of The Loft Literary Center.
The next Minneapolis Poet Laureate will be announced in January 2025. Selected through a collaboration between the Department of Arts & Cultural Affairs and The Loft Literary Center. This two-year appointment will recognize a poet who exemplifies excellence in the literary arts and reflects Minneapolis’s commitment to celebrating diverse artistic voices and contributions.
“Poetry, and the arts, are foundational to Minneapolis, and we celebrate and thank Heid for her contributions to our beautiful city and for her impressive artistic achievements this past year,” said Ben Johnson, Director of the City’s Arts and Cultural Affairs department. “Her official ‘Poem for the City of Minneapolis’ will live on in perpetuity digitally in our website as well as in print in the newly renovated City Hall, allowing generations to be inspired by her artistry.” For more information about Heid E. Erdrich, PoeSA, and the Poet Laureate program, visit https://mplsartsandculture.org/poet-laureate and The Academy of American Poets Awards $1.1 Million to Twenty-Two Poets Laureate | Academy of American Poets