Poems to the Sky
Poems to the Sky
A project for O, Miami Poetry Festival 2016
Created by Randy Burman
“Poems to the Sky” painted two poems on the rooftops of buildings near the flight paths of departing and arriving flights at Miami International Airport in Miami, FL. The project was created by artist Randy Burman as part of the 2016 O, Miami Poetry Festival. Both poems were written by students at Orchard Villa Elementary School in Liberty City: Nieema Marshall (3rd grade) and Tywon Williams (4th grade). Each day, approximately 650 planes pass over the poems. The students wrote the poems as part of O, Miami’s “Sunroom” poets-in-schools program. Collectively, the poems required 310 gallons of paint. The project was made possible through a grant from The Children’s Trust. Students at FIU’s Honors College petitioned to get Tywon’s poem on top of one of the school’s parking garages and then did much of the manual labor of painting the poem. MANA Wynwood generously donated their roof to the project and supported the production costs. Knight Foundation is the principal sponsor of O, Miami Poetry Festival.
Made possible through support from:
Knight Foundation
The Children’s Trust
MANA Wynwood
FIU Honors College
Directed/Edited by P. Scott Cunningham
Videography by Gesi Schilling
Drone Photography by Dronemeisters LLC, FIU Honors College, & Uneeq Productions
The Poetry Roller
A project for O, Miami Poetry Festival 2016
Created by Joint Studio
The Poetry Roller is an original invention that writes shorts poems into wet sand. The first iteration of the roller was created for O, Miami Poetry Festival 2016 by Juan Gelez and Delia Rivera of Joint Studio and used on South Beach during April 2016. The excerpt is from Miami-born poet Donald Justice's poem, "Self-Portrait as Still Life" and reads, "Mañana? Always Mañana." (You can find the poem in his Collected Poems, published by Knopf, and for more on Donald Justice, visit donaldjustice.org.)
Fabrication assistance was generously provided by Moonlighter Maker Space and Deft Union.
Funding for the project was provided by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The State of Florida's Culture Builds Florida Alliance, the City of Miami Beach, and Miami-Dade County.
Videography by Gesi Schilling
Titles and editing by P. Scott Cunningham
Haircut for a Poem
Haircut for a Poem
A project for O, Miami Poetry Festival 2016
Created by Sonya Clark
Supported by Knight Foundation, National YoungArts Foundation, State of Florida Culture Builds Florida, Miami Dade County
Artist Sonya Clark visited Miami barbershops in Miami during April 2016 with a simple proposal of exchange: recite a poem – get a free haircut. Patrons read Calvin Hernton’s “The Distant Drum” at two participating barbershops: Bless the Lord Barbershop in Little Haiti and Just Right Barbershop in Overtown.
The goal of O, Miami Poetry Festival is for every single person in Miami-Dade County to encounter a poem during the month of April.
Edited by P. Scott Cunningham
Videography by Gesi Schilling, Zain Aslam, and Christina Frigo
Animation by Topos Graphics
Poetry Today: A Daily Newspaper
Poetry Today
A project for O, Miami Poetry Festival 2016
Created by artist Sandra March, Poetry Today was a daily newspaper featuring poetry written by Miami residents about their neighborhoods. Each issue featured a different Miami neighborhood and was hand-distributed during the month of April 2016 primarily in the neighborhood of West Kendall and in downtown Miami. The paper delivery man was “Nicey Jones,” an old-time Brooklyn newsie invented by performance artist Randy Garcia. Nicey handed out over 12,000 copies of the paper, going door-to-door as well as encountering people on the street. Each issue of the paper was designed and illustrated by artist Sandra March, with some additional illustrations by Caroline Castro. Overall, 98 Miami poets contributed 104 total poems.
Videography by Gesi Schilling
Edited by P. Scott Cunningham
Poetry Fortune Cookies
A Project for O, Miami Poetry Festival 2016
Created by Benjy Caplan and Evan Marcus
Sponsored by Knight Foundation and Delivery Dudes Midtown
During April 2016, every food delivery made by Miami’s Delivery Dudes Midtown had a special treat inside: an original poetry fortune cookie. The poems in the cookies were adapted from Frank O’Hara’s poem, “Lines for the Fortune Cookies” into short poems with Miami themes. (For example, O’Hara’s line, “You may be a hit uptown, but downtown you're legendary!” became “You may be a hit in Wynwood, but in Hialeah you’re legendary!”)
The project was submitted to the festival by Benjy Caplan and executed by Evan Marcus from Delivery Dudes Midtown. Several thousand cookies were distributed. No word yet on how many fortunes came true.
GoPro Footage by Evan Marcus
Edited by Scott Cunningham
Song: Schoolgirl Hitchikers by Pierre Raph
O, Miami: A Poetry Festival for All
The goal of O, Miami is for every single person in Miami-Dade County to encounter a poem. Founded in 2011 with principal funding and creative support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, O, Miami is an annual festival that occurs in multiple locations for the duration of the month of April. This video features footage taken from the first four festivals.
Murinals: Poems on Urinals
Murinals: Poems on Urinals
A project for O, Miami Poetry Festival 2015
Created by Ian Thomas
Made possible by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Using traditional gold-leafing techniques, artist Ian Thomas paints excerpts of contemporary poems on urinals in Miami area men’s bathrooms as part of O, Miami Poetry Festival 2015. The excerpts are from poems by female and/or gay poets: Alejandra Pizarnik, Frank Bidart, Anne Carson, Elizabeth Bishop, Natasha Tretheway, Mary Oliver, and Patricia Lockwood. The murinals were installed at Versailles Miami, Magnum Lounge, The Wolfsonian-FIU, History Miami, The Bass Museum, The Vagabond Hotel, Finka Table and Tap, Miami Beach Golf Club, Olympia Theater at the Gusman Center, and Books & Books Independent Bookstore. For a guide to the murinals and their locations, visit omiami.org/murinal-guide/. The purpose of O, Miami is for every single person in Miami-Dade County to encounter a poem during the month of April.
Directed by P. Scott Cunningham
Videography by Jorge Gonzalez Graupera & Gesi Schilling
Edited by P. Scott Cunningham & Gesi Schilling
Titles by Topos Graphics
Secret Sonnets: Translating Poems into Braille
Secret Sonnets
A project for O, Miami Poetry Festival 2015
Created by Conner Grey and Emily Nostro
Made possible by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
In 2013, Connor Grey lost his eyesight to a gunshot wound. For O, Miami Poetry Festival 2015, he and his teacher Emily Nostro created “Secret Sonnets,” a project that collected poems from citizens in Miami-Dade County, translated them into Braille, and then mailed them back to the addresses provided by the poets, along with a “cheat sheet” guide to reading Braille. O, Miami helped Grey and Nostro solicit and collect the poems, and then the poems were transcribed by students at South Plantation High School under the guidance of Grey and Nostro.
Directed by P. Scott Cunningham
Videography by Jorge Gonzalez Graupera & Gesi Schilling
Edited by P. Scott Cunningham & Gesi Schilling
Titles by Topos Graphics
Additional thanks to South Plantation High School
Steve Powers at O, Miami
Powers to the People
A poetry mural by Stephen “ESPO” Powers
Created by Stephen Powers on The Betsy-South Beach Hotel for O, Miami Poetry Festival 2015
Made possible by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
O, Miami commissioned artist Stephen Powers to create a “poetry mural” on the side of the historic Betsy-South Beach Hotel. During the month of April 2015, Powers used the people and culture of Miami Beach and the work of festival poets such as Campbell McGrath and Major Jackson as inspiration for a wall of text-and-image that brightened up a pedestrian thoroughfare between Collins and Ocean avenues. For more on O, Miami, visit omiami.org. To see more work by Stephen Powers, visit firstandfifteenth.net.
Directed by P. Scott Cunningham
Videography by Jorge Gonzalez Graupera & Gesi Schilling
Edited by P. Scott Cunningham & Gesi Schilling
Titles by Topos Graphics
The Sunroom: Poetry in Communities
The Sunroom, a program created by O, Miami Poetry Festival, pays poets to teach workshops in communities where high-quality creative writing instruction is not guaranteed. Currently, the program provides instruction to 40-50 students in the 3rd and 4th grade at Poinciana Park and Orchard Villa elementary schools in Liberty City. In addition, the program places poets in four different area detention centers in partnership with Exchange-for-Change. The leader of the Sunroom program is educator Laurel Nakanishi. All Sunroom programs take place in South Florida, with the vast majority in Miami-Dade County. For more on the program or to donate, visit omiami.org/sunroom-poetry/.
Directed & Edited by P. Scott Cunningham
Videography by Jorge Gonzalez Graupera
Titles by Topos Graphics
Featuring U.S. Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera and the wonderful staff and students at Poinciana Park Elementary School
Poetry Pops
Poetry Pops
A project for O, Miami Poetry Festival 2015
Created by Randy Burman & Eccolo Pops
Made possible by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
“Poetry Pops” are popsicles, made by Eccolo Pops, with original poetry wrappers. Created by artist Randy Burman, the project featured 40 different poems written by South Florida residents who responded to an open call. The pops were free and were distributed by an ice cream man named “Shel Shiverstein,” a character played and invented by actor Randy Garcia. Shiverstein attended events all over Miami-Dade County during April 2015, ultimately distributing 1,700 poetry popsicles. The popsicles themselves were generously donated by Eccolo Pops.
Directed by P. Scott Cunningham
Videography by Jorge Gonzalez Graupera & Gesi Schilling
Edited by P. Scott Cunningham & Gesi Schilling
Titles by Topos Graphics
Scratch-Off Poems with Mary Ruefle and Agustina Woodgate
"Scratch-Off Poems" is a project from O, Miami 2014 co-created by artist Agustina Woodgate and poet Mary Ruefle. Woodgate made two scratch-off lottery ticket designs that incorporated an original poem commissioned from Mary Ruefle. During April 2014, 2500 of these tickets were distributed around Miami-Dade County via local businesses and events.
How it worked: Using a penny or a fingernail, participants scratched off the missing pieces in the words of the poem. If those words matched the words at the top of the ticket, s/he won an O, Miami t-shirt with a poem sewn inside. 1 out of 100 tickets was a winner.
Nite Life by Martine Syms
Nite Life
A project for O, Miami Poetry Festival 2015
Created by Martine Syms
Made possible by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
“Nite Life” is inspired by Sam Cooke’s Live at the Harlem Square Club, a live-album recorded in Miami’s Overtown neighborhood in 1963 but not widely released until 1985. Cutting and pasting the “between song” dialogue of Cooke and his audience, artist Martine Syms created an original poetic text that was installed on wind screens in Miami’s Design District in April/May 2015 as part of the annual O, Miami Poetry Festival (omiami.org).
Directed by P. Scott Cunningham
Videography by Jorge Gonzalez Graupera & Gesi Schilling
Edited by P. Scott Cunningham & Gesi Schilling
Titles by Topos Graphics
Additional thanks to Miami’s Design District, ICA Miami, and The Betsy-South Beach Hotel.
"My Soul's Shadow" - Manual Cinema in Miami
“My Soul’s Shadow” by Manual Cinema
Based on the life and work of Federico García Lorca
Commissioned by O, Miami Poetry Festival 2015
Made possible by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
“My Soul’s Shadow,” an original performance by Chicago-based cinematic shadow puppetry collective Manual Cinema, debuted at O, Miami Poetry Festival in April 2015 at an indoor-outdoor warehouse space generously donated by Little River // Miami. With original music composed by Kyle Vegter and performed by Nu Deco Orchestra, the performance blended the poetry of Spanish poet Federico García Lorca with lyricized episodes of Lorca’s life. For more on Manual Cinema, visit manualcinema.com.
Directed by P. Scott Cunningham
Videography by Jorge Gonzalez Graupera & Gesi Schilling
Edited by P. Scott Cunningham & Gesi Schilling
Titles by Topos Graphics
Thank you to Little River // Miami, Nu Deco Orchestra, Box Elder Miami, and Whole Foods Miami.
The Last Ride of José Martí
"The Last Ride of José Martí" was a project created by O, Miami 2014 as an homage to the continued significance of the life and work of the Cuban poet José Martí. On April 22, 2014, actor Ivan Lopez—dressed as Martí—rode down Calle Ocho on the back of a white horse and distributed roses outfitted with Martí poems. Martí first made a quick stop at Versailles for a cafecito, then traveled down the heart of Calle Ocho on horseback, and finally gave a reading in front of the Martí memorial on SW 13th Avenue.
This project made possible through the support of Miami-Dade County and Power2Give.
Poet-in-Decadence
In April 2014, O, Miami and Gramps Bar teamed up to create, "Poet-in-Decadence," a different kind of writer's residency. Thirty Miami poets each received a one-night residency on the last stool at Gramps Bar. In exchange for poems written on cocktail napkins, the poets were given free beer.
Participating poets: Travis Cohen, Kevin Gonzalez, Robby Ramos, Brian Deutzman, Kelly Webner, Julia Arredondo, Nathan Laxague, Abel Folgar, Segovia Pagan, Rob Goyanes, Nick Mencia, Justin L. Mangana, Erica Sheldon, Carolina Souto, Juan Miranda, Jonathan Rose, Ily Goyanes, Brian Fernandez, Ariel Francisco, Oscar Fuentes, Manny Saints, Errol Portman, Christina Frigo, Brookhart Jonquil, Katie Loffredo, Paul Christiansen, Jaswinder Bolina, Amy Arce, Kacee Belcher, and Nathaniel Sandler.
Poetry Pirates
Poetry Pirates
A project for O, Miami Poetry Festival 2015
Created by Antonia Wright and Ruben Millares
Made possible by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
On Saturday, April 18, 2015, artists Antonia Wright and Ruben Millares organized 35 fellow artists to dress as pirates and mermaids and recite Walt Whitman’s “After the Sea Ship” to passing boats on the Miami River. Using bullhorns and grouping on the shore, on rafts, and in small craft vessels, the “Poetry Pirates” entertained, delighted, and confused Miami citizens.
Directed by P. Scott Cunningham
Videography by Jorge Gonzalez Graupera & Javier Sanchez
Edited by P. Scott Cunningham & Gesi Schilling
Titles by Topos Graphics
O, Miami is an annual poetry festival, sponsored by Knight Foundation, with the mission of every single person in Miami-Dade County encountering a poem during the month of April. For more, visit omiami.org/
"My Miami" by Orchard Villa Elementary's 3rd Grade Class
"My Miami," an original collaborative poem written and performed by Mrs. Finch's 3rd Grade Class at Orchard Villa Elementary in Liberty City, Miami, FL, as part of the 2015 O, Miami Poetry Festival.
The poem was created from an 8-session poetry workshop conducted by Poet Laurel Nakanishi as part of O, Miami's mission to reach every single person in Miami-Dade County with a poem during the month of April.
Video by Victor On-Sung.
O, Miami Presents Manual Cinema: My Soul's Shadow
WPBT's Art Loft covers O, Miami's 2015 presentation of Manual Cinema's My Soul's Shadow.
O, Miami commissioned the Chicago-based shadow puppet theater company to create a new work based on the poetry of Federico García Lorca. The result was My Soul's Shadow, a site-specific theatrical experience in Little River Miami with original music composed by Kyle Vegter and performed by Miami's own Nu Deco Ensemble.
TASTE
TASTE was a dance and poetry performance at Bas Fisher Invitational created by choreographers Rashaun Mitchell and Silas Reiner, poet/critic Claudia La Rocco, and production designer Davison Scandrett. Commissioned by O, Miami 2013, TASTE was a piece-in-progress that later gave birth to WAY IN, which debuted at Danspace Project in New York in November 2013.
NOX at O, Miami 2011
Excerpts from NOX, presented by O, Miami Poetry Festival at the Moore Building in Miami's Design District, April 7, 2011.Text by Anne Carson, Choreography by Rashaun Mitchell in collaboration with Silas Riener. Sound by Ben Miller. Lighting and Production Design by Davison Scandrett. Performed by Anne Carson, Robert Currie, Ben Miller, Rashaun Mitchell, and Silas Riener. Video by Raul de la Cruz.
NOX was produced by the O, Miami Poetry Festival with support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
Poetry Tags
"Poetry Tags" is an ongoing project commissioned by O, Miami and created by artist Agustina Woodgate. During the month of April 2011, Woodgate went to Miami-area thrift stores and clandestinely sewed "poem tags" into random pieces of clothing. One tag had a line by Li Po; another had a line by Sylvia Plath. Woodgate also sewed the tags into people's clothing at O, Miami 2011 events and taught sewing workshops with the tags at Lotus House Women's Shelter.
Airplane Poems
Created and produced by O, Miami, "Airplane Poems" flew excerpts of the poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke and Octavio Paz over Miami Beach and Homestead every Saturday and Sunday during the month of April 2011.
Poetic Injustice
Poetic Injustice is a film by Giancarlo Loffredo that creatively documents "The Department of Poetry Works," a project by artist Randy Burman for O, Miami. "The Department of Poetry Works" placed 151 street signs across Miami-Dade County during the month of April 2014. Each sign displayed one of eight original poems written by Miami writers and artists specifically for the project.
El Sol Como Un Gran Animal Oscuro
A film by Bleeding Palm, commissioned by O, Miami and Borscht Corp.
Adapted from the poetry of Alejandra Pizarnik
Directed by Bleeding Palm
Produced by P. Scott Cunningham, Lucas Leyva, & Ronnie Rivera
Story by Bernardo Britto and Ronnie Rivera
Art & Animation by Chris Felisgrau and Ronnie Rivera
Music by Otto von Schirach and Nayib Estefan
Voice by Agustina Woodgate
Voice record by Greg Alvarez
Variations on a Text by Justice by Vallejo
Where will you die? Variations on a Text by Justice by Vallejo is a film inspired by the poetry of Donald Justice and created by Mayer/Leyva as a joint production between Borscht Corp and O, Miami 2013. For the text of the poem, click here.
The Poetry is Dead Parade
Produced by O, Miami and The Rally Agency, "The Poetry is Dead Parade" took over Miami Beach's Lummus Park on April 18, 2013. The parade, loosely based on a poetry parade in Granada, Nicaragua, involved short performances by local students, theater collectives, and artists that brought dead poets such as Sylvia Plath, José Martí, Adrienne Rich, John Keats, and Miguel Piñero back to life.
STACKS at O, Miami 2011
STACKS is a dance and poetry performance with choreography by Jonah Bokaer and text by Anne Carson, performed at The Moore Building in Miami's Design District for O, Miami 2011.
STACKS is a collaboration between writer Anne Carson, choreographer Jonah Bokaer, and sculptor Peter Cole exploring the nature of collapse in the human body, written language, and everyday surroundings. The project challenges traditional expectations of what a dance, text, or sculpture can be.
To "Capitalist Poem #5"
"Capitalist Poem #5" is a short film by Kayla Delacerda inspired by Campbell McGrath's "Capitalist Poem #5". Co-produced by Borscht Corp. and commissioned by O, Miami.
Somos Chavalos
Somos Chavalos is an adaptation of Gwendolyn Brooks's "We Real Cool". Written and directed by filmmaker Julian Yuri Rodriguez, Somos Chavalos was co-produced by Borscht Corp and commissioned by O, Miami Poetry Festival.
The Poetry Ferrari by Dave Landsberger
Poet Dave Landsberger reads "History Fair" from the Poetry Ferrari as part of O, Miami 2011. Landsberger launched a successful Kickstarter campaign to rent a Ferrari Spider and drive around Miami and Miami Beach for an entire day reading poetry out of the Ferrari with a bullhorn. This video was taken by Tess Knoebel on Lincoln Road.
Miami Proper
"Miami Proper" is a performance and documentation of a bilingual radio broadcast of Juan Gelman's "The Poems of Sidney West" throughout the streets of Miami, Florida. Utilizing an FM transmitter made mobile via the artist's truck, Jordan Marty embarked on a course beyond the physical footprint of O, Miami's Edgewater Poetry & Athletics Club, disseminating the text of a fictional American cowboy's laments - albeit fleetingly - to those within the city proper. Read by P. Scott Cunningham and Jose Villar-Portella.
"The Revenant" by Billy Collins
Billy Collins reads "The Revenant" as part of the O, Miami Visiting Poet Series. April 1, 2012. Miami Beach Community Church.
"This is Just to Say" - A project by Elena Errazuriz for O, Miami 2014
For O, Miami 2014, artist/writer Elena Errazuriz invited pedestrians to read "This Is Just to Say" by William Carlos Williams. Setting up on a busy downtown corner adjacent to Miami-Dade College, Errazuriz gave each person the poem and recorded his or her readings and reactions.
Film directed by Elena Errazuriz.
