Presenting the 2024 TN Poetry Out Loud Trophy Artists

From Julia Stark, Arts Learning Specialist –

With excitement building for the Tennessee Poetry Out Loud State Finals this Saturday, we’d like to introduce you to the TN Poetry Out Loud trophy artists. The trophy will be presented at this year’s state finals this Saturday.

Nestled within Nashville’s GLASSHAÜS, Maxwell Gallery is Nashville’s premier glass-focused art gallery. The gallery offers not only an exhibition space but also facilitates the creation and installation of personalized glass artwork, barware, and lighting. Behind the magic lies the expertise of resident artists Sam Spees and Paul Nelson. These two talented individuals not only crafted the awards for this years Poetry Out Loud event, but they also co-run the GLASSHAÜS hot shop. Both artists honed their skills under the tutelage of the late Stephen Rolfe Powell at Centre College, bringing a combined experience of over 43 years to the table. Sam boasts a decade of mastery, while Paul possesses an impressive 33 years of expertise in the art of glassblowing.

We welcome you to join us at the Nashville Children’s Theatre on March 2nd beginning at 9:00 a.m. CT for the Poetry Out Loud Tennessee State Finals. Admission is free and open to everyone. A special thanks to the Nashville Children’s Theatre, one of the oldest continually operating professional children’s theatre companies in America, for hosting us!

Poetry Out Loud (POL) is a national recitation competition organized by the Tennessee Arts Commission in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation.