HONORING DIFFERENCES
CREATING CONNECTION
with Narate Keyes, Michael Kleber-Diggs, Hedy Tripp, 翁淑君 Sook Jin Ong, and Purpose Artisans--John Salgado Maldonado and Nicole Konz
Join us for an extraordinary day of poetry, music, and creativity at the 3rd Annual Poetry Day at Art in Motion on the Holdingford Trail. Don't miss this incredible opportunity to be part of an inspiring and inclusive artistic event. Register now to secure your spot and join us for a day of poetic exploration and musical connection.
Until Friday afternoon, all registrants receive scholarships! Pay what you can day of, if you feel moved to do so.
Date/Time:
Saturday, August 5
Workshops 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Free Public Performance at 2:45 pm
Program Highlights:
Poem to Song Workshop & Jam: Immerse yourself in the art of transforming poetry and lyrics into beautiful songs. Led by a diverse lineup of professional poets, songwriters, and drummers, this workshop will spark your creativity and inspire musical collaboration.
Intercultural Slate: Experience the power of diversity as urban residents connect with suburban and rural residents in a BIPOC-sensitive space. Our program aims to foster understanding and celebrate the richness of different cultures.
Open to All Ages: This event is open to individuals aged 16 and above, as well as families with teens aged 13 and above. Everyone is welcome to explore the magic of words, melody, and music together.
Limited Capacity: To ensure an intimate and engaging experience, we have limited the number of participants to 30. Reserve your spot early to secure your place in this special gathering.
Event Details:
Location: Art in Motion, Holdingford Trail
Fee: $50 for individuals (16+) or $75 for families (1-2 adults with up to 3 young people 13+). The fee includes non-alcoholic fountain beverages and water. Cash, check, or credit card will be accepted for lunch at Boho Cafe and upgraded beverages
Schedule:
11:00 AM to 12:00 PM, we will have four mini-workshops to stimulate creativity.
12:00 PM to 2:30 PM, participants will engage in a songwriting jam, collaborating with others to create beautiful melodies.
2:45 PM to 4:00 PM, The day will culminate in a public performance of the new songs.
Scholarships and Transportation Assistance:
We believe in open access for all. If paying the full price creates a hardship for you or your family, and you need financial support to participate, please indicate how much you could afford to pay for this opportunity. The facilitating artists are all professionals who are being paid for their expertise, and this workshop, valued at $150 per person and $300 per family is being supported by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Central MN Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. Be aware that we have limited funds for scholarships. There is no requirement that you explain why you need support. We trust that you will be honest in your self-assessment of actual need. By requesting only as much support as you need, you are contributing to the well-being of our community, enabling us to allow access to all the individuals and families who want to participate in this poem-to-song-jam workshop.
Note: All fees collected go to Art in Motion as compensation for space use.
Facilitating Artist Bios
Narate Keyes
Narate Keys is a Khmer/Cambodian Poet, Writer and Playwright from Saint Paul. She is author of a collection of songs and poetry "The Good Life," poetry book "The Changes: Immigration Footprints of Our Journey," and co-author of "Planting SEADs." Keys’ family lived through the Khmer Rouge genocide in Cambodia. She was born in a Thai refugee camp. Keys has performed her poems in Washington D.C., The Loft Literary Center, Springboard For The Arts, Saint Cloud State University, Dragon Boat Festival, May Day Festival, was a featured artist for MN8’s fundraising, and was selected as a storytelling grant recipient through Twin Cities Media Alliance (TCMA). She was a 2022 recipient of a Creative Support for Individuals grant from the MN State Arts Board, which funded her to write and produce APSARA, a musical set in ancient Cambodia, in the Angkorian time of the early 12th century about a classical Khmer dancer who helps the Cambodian/Khmer king win a war by signaling successful war strategies with her dance movements.
Michael Kleber-Diggs
is 2023-2025 Jerome Hill Artist Fellow and a poet, essayist, literary critic, and arts educator. His debut poetry collection, Worldly Things (Milkweed Editions 2021), won the Max Ritvo Poetry Prize, the 2022 Hefner Heitz Kansas Book Award in Poetry, the 2022 Balcones Poetry Prize, and was a finalist for the 2022 Minnesota Book Award. His poems and essays appear in numerous journals and anthologies. Building community and sharing work in community with others are central to his arts practice. He is interested in projects that include artists and community members across geography, race, age, arts practice, experience levels, religion and politics. "Honoring Differences/Creating Connection" is his ideal project because it's designed to encourage a range of participants to join together making art and music.
Hedy Tripp
is Lyricality's antiracism advisor. She became the Artistic Director of St. Cloud’s Multicultural Children’s Art Connection (MCAC) in 1995, creating programs that enriched the social, physical and cultural development of children of color and White children in Central Minnesota, where she directed several successful public art performances commemorating Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Black History Month, Asian cultural celebrations, St. Cloud Human Rights Day, and Kwanzaa. In 1998 she produced “Racism No Way, Let’s Celebrate Today” the first public acknowledgement of racism in Central Minnesota schools and community. She was awarded the Virginia McKnight Binger Award in Human Service for this work. She began establishing herself as an emerging artist, poet and writer, encouraged by various grants, especially from the Central Minnesota Arts Board.
John Salgado Maldonado and Nicole Konz
John Salgado Maldonado from South America, Chile, and Nicole Konz from Midwest Minnesota are Purpose Artisans' founders and primary operators, merging a unique cross-cultural perspective in their mission to provide opportunities that engage people in drumming, dancing, movement and relaxation based activities to integrate the mind, body and spirit, foster togetherness, and promote social justice. They both studied Occupational Therapy for a holistic perspective on human interactions, and providing the profession training to open and accessible for all community members. They foster healthy communities by bringing people together in a shared sense of belonging.
翁淑君 Sook Jin Ong (she/her)
brings her identity as a Malaysian Chinese immigrant to Minnesota in her writings and her work. She believes in the magic of community, the power of poetry, and a future of abundance and justice. Sook Jin is often curious in creating spaces for the stories people carry with them, and have spent a good portion of her career facilitating conversations and learning spaces in and among organizations and community. Writing poetry has become her way to reclaim her stories, self, and place in this increasingly complex world.
This workshop is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Central MN Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.