O Miami Inc

OUR MAIN ACTIVITY IS HOSTING VISITING LITERARY SPEAKERS AND READERS, WHICH WE PROVIDE FUNDS FOR PUBLISHED WRITERS TO TRAVEL TO MIAMI TO GIVE READINGS AND LEAD WORKSHOPS. WE ALSO HOST LECTURES IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY IN CONJUCTION WITH OTHER CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS IN WHICH OUR PARTNERS DONATE THE SPACE AND WE PROVIDE THE TALENT AND PUBLICITY. ONCE A YEAR, WE WILL HOST A POETRY FESTIVAL IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY. WE ALSO PLAN TO WORK WITH AREA SCHOOLS TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO INTERACT WITH PUBLISHED AUTHORS.

PRODUCED THE 11TH ITERATION OF THE O, MIAMI POETRY FESTIVAL, AN ANNUAL, MONTH-LONG FESTIVAL WITH THE GOAL OF EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY ENCOUNTERING A POEM.CO-MANAGED AND MARKETED THE FLORIDA PRISON POET LAUREATE PROGRAM WITH OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATION, EXCHANGE FOR CHANGEPUBLISHED THESE WORDS ARE FUGITIVES BY EDUARDO "ECHO" MARTINEZ, THE FIRST CHAPBOOK FEATURING THE POEMS OF A FLORIDA PRISON POET LAUREATEPRODUCED AND PRESENTED TWO SOLD-OUT PERFORMANCES OF SUBMERGING GEOMETRY, A WATER-BASED PERFORMANCE AT SCOTT RAKOW YOUTH CENTER ON MIAMI BEACH, AS PART OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH'S ON STAGE PROGRAM. 188 ATTENDEES.HOSTED 3 FREE SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMING AND WATER MOVEMENT COMMUNITY LESSONS AT MIAMI BEACH'S SCOTT RAKOW YOUTH CENTERHOSTED A 4-WEEK VIRTUAL WORKSHOP FOR RESIDENTS AT LOTUS HOUSE WOMEN'S SHELTERPRODUCED TWO FREE POETRY WORKSHOPS AT BRICKELL CITY CENTRE, COMMISSIONED BY SWIRE PROPERTIES, THAT CELEBRATED NATIONAL PRIDE MONTHTAUGHT MULTISESSION, FREE POETRY LESSONS IN 30 DIFFERENT CLASSROOMS IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, IN WHICH EACH STUDENT READ THEIR WORK FOR FAMILY AND RECEIVED A CHAPBOOK FEATURING THE CLASS'S POEMSCREATED ADDITIONAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING FOR OVER 1700 STUDENTS AND PARTNERING WITH 13 SCHOOLS: GIBSON CHARTER, SEED SCHOOL, EMERSON ELEMENTARY, COCONUT GROVE ELEMENTARY, MORNINGSIDE K-8, POINCIANA PARK ELEMENTARY, FIENBERG FISHER K-8, NORLAND SENIOR HIGH, BRUCIE BALL EDUCATIONAL CENTER, MATER GARDENS ACADEMY, ST. MARY'S CATHEDRAL SCHOOL, PACE CENTER FOR GIRLS, JOHN A. FERGUSON SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL, AND BELAFONTE TACOLCY CENTERPILOTED THE GREENHOUSE, A TRAUMA-INFORMED SUMMER APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM FOR FIFTEEN EMERGING MIAMI ARTISTS OF ANY DISCIPLINE WITH FOCUSES ON SELF-GUIDED CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT, INDIVIDUAL MENTORSHIP, COMMUNITY BUILDING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTIN COLLABORATION WITH APPLE, OYC AND OLCDC PRODUCED APPLE CREATIVE STUDIOS MIAMI, A SUMMER ENRICHMENT PROGRAM FOR 30 YOUNG ADULT STORYTELLERS AIMED AT PLACE-BASED CREATIVE EXPLORATION AND MULTIMEDIA STORYTELLINGHOSTED TWO VIRTUAL RESIDENCY PROGRAMS, OFF-SHORE & ON-SHORE. OFF-SHORE PAIRED CARIBBEAN POETS WITH POETS OF THE CARIBBEAN DIASPORA LIVING IN MIAMI. ON-SHORE PAIRED CARIBBEAN DIASPORA POETS LIVING IN MIAMI. EACH PROGRAM FACILITATED COLLABORATIVE WRITING PROJECTS, CULMINATING IN A PUBLISHED ANTHOLOGYHOSTED THE WELL, A SERIES OF MINDFUL, SUPPORTIVE VIRTUAL WRITING AND ART WORKSHOPS FOR CANCER PATIENTS, CANCER SURVIVORS, HEALTHCARE WORKERS AND CARETAKERSPILOTED WRITING BUDDIES, WHERE FIFTH GRADE STUDENTS AT MORNINGSIDE K-8 ACADEMY PLANNED AND DELIVERED ONE-ON-ONE POETRY LESSONS TO KINDERGARTEN STUDENTSIN COLLABORATION WITH EDIBLE SOUTH FLORIDA AND FRUIT AND SPICE PARK CONDUCTED POETRY IN THE PITAYAS, A SERIES OF TROPICAL-FRUIT FOCUSED POETRY WORKSHOPS FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS TO CREATE A POETRY TRAIL INSTALLATION THROUGH FRUIT AND SPICE PARKPRODUCED AT THE EDGE OF FOUND, A POETIC EXCHANGE BETWEEN STUDENTS AT THE HOWARD SCHOOL IN ATLANTA AND STUDENTS AT JOHN A FERGUSON HIGH SCHOOLAT MORNINGSIDE K-8 ACADEMY CREATED AND INSTALLED "CHAIN LETTERS," A FENCE WRAP PRINTED WITH STUDENT POETRY THAT PROVIDED PRIVACY FOR STUDENTS, BEAUTIFICATION FOR THE SCHOOL AND A LOVE LETTER TO THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY. THE PUBLIC ART PROJECT FEATURES 28 POEMS PRINTED ON 700 FEET OF FENCING AROUND THE CAMPUS. 7000 DAILY COMMUTERS PASS THE SITE EACH DAY.HOSTED SCHOLAR VOICES AT THE SEED SCHOOL OF MIAMI, A SERIES OF 6 VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS CONNECTING SEED STUDENTS WITH WORKING WRITERS AT LOCAL UNIVERSITIES AND WITHIN THE COMMUNITY: GABRIELLE ALEXIS, JUBI ARRIOLA-HEADLEY, DENISE DUHAMEL, ANDREW FURMAN, SHASILY KLING, AND MIA LEONINPARTNERED WITH SWEET MELODY ICE CREAM TO CREATE ICE CREAM FLAVORS INSPIRED BY SUNROOM STUDENT POEMS; INCLUDED POEMS FROM STUDENTS AT TOUSSAINT L'OUVERTURE ELEMENTARY, SEED SCHOOL OF MIAMI, EMERSON ELEMENTARY & MORNINGSIDE K-8 ACADEMYCOLLABORATED WITH TEACHING ARTISTS RAQUEL QUINONES AND DONNIE WELCH TO DEVELOP A TRAINING PROGRAM AIMED AT PREPARING MIAMI TEACHING ARTISTS TO TEACH POETRY CLASSES FOR NEURODIVERSE AND DISABLED YOUTHPRODUCED NAJJA MOON'S PORTRAIT AT 34, A PROJECT WITH AN OPEN CALL THAT ENGAGED HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS FROM AT LEAST 15 SCHOOLS, WHICH ULTIMATELY FEATURED WORK BY 16 MIAMI STUDENTS, AND WHICH POPPED UP AT JOHN A. FERGUSON SENIOR HIGH IN APRIL 2022, WHERE THE 4,322 STUDENTS ENROLLED ENCOUNTERED THE PROJECT DURING THEIR LUNCH HOURCOLLABORATED WITH MIAMI DADE PUBLIC LIBRARIES TO HOST TWO VIRTUAL POETRY WORKSHOPS FOR LIBRARY PATRONS, IN ADDITION TO THREE IN-PERSON WORKSHOPS AT LIBRARIES ON MIAMI BEACHCOLLABORATED WITH STUDENTS AT SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY AND MIAMI DADE PUBLIC LIBRARIES TO SEND POEMS WRITTEN BY SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS TO 500 HOMEBOUND LIBRARY PATRONS VIA MDPLS'S CONNECTIONS PROGRAMHOSTED POETRY ON THE BLOCKCHAIN, A SERIES OF VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS FOR STUDENTS AT SCHOOL FOR ADVANCED STUDIESHOSTED POETRY OF PLACE AT THE DEERING ESTATE, A PLACE-BASED MICRORESIDENCY FOR MIAMI DADE WRITERSATTENDED AND PARTICIPATED IN THE ANNUAL ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING OF THE POETRY COALITION, A GROUP OF THE TOP 27 POETRY-RELATED NON-PROFITS IN THE COUNTRY.CO-PRODUCED, AS PART OF THE POETRY COALITION, A SERIES OF PROGRAMS IN ELEVEN CITIES THAT REACHED AN AUDIENCE OF MORE THAN 300,000 INDIVIDUALS NATIONWIDE.COLLABORATED WITH NEW WORLD SYMPHONY ON THEIR PROGRAM, I DREAM A WORLD: THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE AND BEYOND, BY PRODUCING A POETRY READING AT NEW WORLD WITH FOUR LOCAL BLACK POETS; THE SAME POETS VISITED CLASSROOMS AT FOUR MIAMI SCHOOLS AND TAUGHT A CURRICULUM DEVELOPED FOR THIS PROJECT. A SELECTION OF THE STUDENT-WRITTEN POEMS WERE PROJECTED AT NEW WORLD SYMPHONY.SPONSORED RUN-AWP, AN ANNUAL PICK-UP BASKETBALL GAME FOR POETS AND WRITERS AT THE AWP CONFERENCE IN PHILADELPHIAPRESENTED A POETRY READING FEATURING U.S. POET LAUREATE ADA LIMN, ROGER REEVES, AND LESLIE SAINZ.PUBLISHED WATERPROOF: EVIDENCE OF A MIAMI WORTH REMEMBERING, EDITED BY MARIO ALEJANDRO ARIZA AND FEATURING 197 PIECES FROM 165 MIAMI WRITERS AND ARTISTS, RANGING FROM HIGH SCHOOLERS TO RETIREES.HOSTED A FOUR-DAY VIRTUAL TEACHERS INSTITUTE FOR 90 MIAMI-DADE TEACHERS WITH CHICAGO'S POETRY FOUNDATION THAT CULMINATED IN THE PARTICIPANTS RECEIVING THIRTY MASTER PLAN POINTS THROUGH THE MDCPS BOARD PUBLISHED "MIAMI GRUBS: A ZINE DEDICATED TO MIAMI RESTAURANTS," A MICROBOOK FEATURING POETRY AND ILLUSTRATION ABOUT MIAMI-AREA RESTAURANTSINSTALLED TWO PLASTIC POETRY PROJECTS, ONE AT BRUCIE BALL EDUCATIONAL CENTER AND ONE AT LOTUS HOUSE THRIFT STOREPARTICIPATED IN THE ANNUAL SMALL PRESS FAIR FORT LAUDERDALE AND THE ANNUAL MIAMI BOOK FAIR, BOTH IN NOVEMBER 2021CO-PRESENTED A PUBLISHING PROJECT, "EXQUISITE FLIP PHONE ISSUE 2" WITH SUN & SONS THAT FEATURES 28 POETS AND ILLUSTRATORS WORKING IN RESPONSE TO ONE ANOTHER