2022 Exhibit Boards Ordered
The new poem boards for 2022 have been ordered. When we get them, we have to have holes drilled and then we can start the installation. We’ll work on it even in the snow, snowshoes! Watch here and our Facebook page for the announcement when they are up.
2021 Exhibit Boards Are UP!
11/2021. Twenty new poem boards are up in Mankato and North Mankato. All of the poem boards from last year were visited and we added QR codes to them. QR codes on all of the sign boards allow visitors to point their smartphone at the board and be taken to a website to hear the poem read to them. All poets from this year and last year will get an email inviting them to record soon. If you visit your board, take a selfie and post it on the SMPS Facebook page !
Many thanks to contest judges Roy Guzmán and Michael Kleber-Diggs!
Interesting notes:
The Geisinger family is well-represented with four poems by mom (1), Jennifer, and children Charlie (1) and Larkin (2). Deborah Goshy has three poems in the exhibit this year, two put up last year and one new one. Congratulations Deb! About half of the new poems this year are by women and three of them are by poets under 18 years old.
2021 Submissions Received
04/2021. Thank you to all the poets around our state who entered the 2021 contest! Twenty cities are represented spanning southern Minnesota, the Mankato and Rochester and Twin Cities areas, and Duluth. We received nearly 150 individual poems from almost 50 people, both records for this project, and were especially happy to see four youth poets.
This year we are blessed to hand off that record “harvest” to a pair of extremely talented poets who will select the winning entries: Roy Guzmán and Michael Kleber-Diggs.
We will provide more info when contest winners have been chosen, as well as an estimated timeline for sign printing and installation.
Our Contest is ALWAYS OPEN
Submit your poems by emailing them to contest@southernmnpoets.com anytime. Each year on March 1st, all submitted poems are collected and are sent to judges for that year’s Poetry Walk contest.
- 2021 Poem boards installed November, 2021
- 2020 Poem boards installed October, 2020
- 2019 Poem boards installed September, 2019
- 2018 Poem boards installed October, 2018
- 2017 Poem boards installed August, 2017
- 2016 Poem boards installed October, 2016
Sponsors
Get visibility on trails and parks all around Mankato and North Mankato for three years!
Premium – large logo on all signs installed each year for two years. 15-20 signs installed each year (out of about 40 total signs). Cost is $1200 for all three years.
Your presence will be on the trails/parks for three years.
- Half of the signs in year one
- All of the signs in year two
- Half of the signs in year three
Regular – smaller logo on all signs installed each year for two years. Same as above, this means your logo is on the trails/parks for 3 years. Cost: $600 for all three years.
Small business – smaller logo on all signs installed for one year. You will be on 15 to 20 signs, they usually remain up for two years each. Cost: $300
Individual – our thanks on social media and eternal gratitude for helping support the written arts in the Mankato area. Cost: whatever amount you are willing to send.
Contact us at contest@southernmnpoets.org for more information.