Inaugural free live performance event at PVCC April 6 features poets, artists from Virginia’s Community Colleges

Winners of poetry contests at Virginia's Community Colleges will gather and perform their works live onstage at the first-ever VCCS Poet Laureate Event. The April 6 event at Piedmont Virginia Community College is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. Twenty VCCS colleges hosted poetry and visual arts contests in February and March using the theme "I Belong." Winners from the college contests will perform their original poetry for a panel of judges, who will declare a statewide Poet Laureate. Original visual arts pieces from some of the colleges also will be on display. The event will be held at PVCC's V. Earl Dickinson Building Fine Arts and Performance Center in Charlottesville.

The event begins at 1 p.m. Attendees are invited to donate books of poetry, writing journals, or arts supplies for youth served by Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville. The event is supported by Virginia Humanities and the VCCS Advisory Council on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Culture. You can learn more about the event and register to attend here.

Student poets invited to participate in Charlottesville are listed below by college:

Rein Martin-Baker, Blue Ridge Community College

Roshanda Hoskie, Paul D. Camp Community College

Ana Leng, Central Virginia Community College

Lydia Davis, Danville Community College

Ryshekia Allen, Eastern Shore Community College

Knoelle Pipes, Germanna Community College

Daniel Carlton, Laurel Ridge Community College

Hayli Givens, Mountain Gateway Community College

Alexandria Ruth Johnson, New River Community College

Katy Morejon Portillo, Northern Virginia Community College

Kaylee Brooks, Patrick & Henry Community College

Taylor Goodwin, Piedmont Virginia Community College

Audrey Horn, Rappahannock Community College

Rayna Aranzamendez, Southside Virginia Community College

Nikki Looney, Southwest Virginia Community College

Morgan Dunston, Tidewater Community College

Shannon Price, Virginia Highlands Community

Chanlee Luu, Virginia Western Community College

Stevie J. Studebaker-Freeman, Wytheville Community College

Winners of the college's Visual Arts Contests were:

Sara Seely, Blue Ridge Community College

Diana Shiflett, Camp Community College

Victoria Olin, Central Virginia Community College

Jordan Dillard, Danville Community College

Jade Saldana, Eastern Shore Community College

Olivia Gooch, Germanna Community College

Karolina Banks, Laurel Ridge Community College.

Sabrina Burks, Mountain Gateway Community College

Jordan Perfater, New River Community College

Abigail Warren, NOVA Community College

Madison Collins, Patrick & Henry Community College

Grace von Elten, Piedmont Virginia Community College

Minajhadore Redd, Rappahannock Community College

Paige Johnson, Reynolds Community College

Harper Ballance, Southside Community College

Val Johnson, Southwest Virginia Community College

Rin Royal, Tidewater Community College

Krysta Mimbs, Virginia Highlands Community College

Sam Evans, Virginia Western Community College

Makaela Umberger, Wytheville Community College

With the support of Virginia's Humanities, the winners from all 20 participating colleges will have their poetry and visual arts featured in a book to be published this summer. The Virginia Humanities grant also supported professional development for the college poet laureates and top visual artists. Dr. Garreth Blackwell, an assistant professor at Virginia Commonwealth University's VCUarts Center for the Creative Economy, will lead a workshop that blends creativity and entrepreneurship before Saturday's afternoon event.

At PVCC, fine arts and performance events take place in the V. Earl Dickinson Building, located on the PVCC main campus at the south end of 501 College Drive, Charlottesville, Virginia, 22902. Ample free parking is located in front of the building.

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