COCA Launches "Poems To Go"
The Council on Culture & Arts (COCA) is a non-profit organization that serves as a catalyst for development and support of arts and culture in Florida’s capital region. With social distancing becoming the current norm, COCA has launched an initiative called “Poems To Go” in an effort to help support local businesses and artists. This project pairs free poems with take-out orders from local restaurants and food service organizations and offers a free, downloadable, printable selection of original poems by local writers that is available on their website. Additionally, COCA is picking up the tab for printing 20,000 poems which will be distributed among the first partner businesses while also providing a stipend to the 20 participating poets:
Cynthia Portalatin, Jennifer Schomburg Kanke, Jan Godown Annino, Chad Hautmann, Doug Alderson, Katya Taylor, Penny Young, Felita McNeill, Anne Meisenzahl, Michelle Acker, Carol Lynne Knight, Terri Carrion, Katie Clark, Linda Marie Cossa, Gordon Magill, Cynie Cory, Terry Galloway, Michael Rothenberg, Ruth Garrison, and Jo Anne Richardson.
According to COCA staff, the “Poems To Go” initiative actually grew out of "Poems On Panes,” a public art project that features writing of Leon County poets on window panes throughout Tallahassee. With the onset of the COVID-19, COCA recognized the needs of restaurants to generate to-go business, of artists to create, and of the community to connect. Poems To Go happened to meet all of these needs while also honoring National Poetry Month, which happens every April!
“Poems-To-Go” supports artists, starts new partnerships with restaurants and business owners, and gives visibility to OEV’s #OpenForTakeOut campaign. It is designed to be a fun and surprising pick-me-up for all ages to enjoy. Imagine arranging take-out for a Friday night in with the family or a date night, and finding poems to share with your meal. The COCA staff say that tasty food and poetic writing are a “yummy combination that nourish your body and soul” and the Tallahassee community couldn’t agree more. So far, Poems To Go has hired 20 poets, engaged 11 restaurants and food service organizations, and distributed over 20,000 poems, along with social media posts from community members and media features.
Restaurants can still join in by contacting amanda@tallahasseearts.org to sign up. If you are a DIY innovator type, the poems are available online to download and use as you’d like at
https://coca.tallahasseearts.org/services/poems-to-go . When you have an idea, develop it & use it to connect to your community. It’s amazing to see how one idea can inspire so many others. Share your Poems-To-Go story with COCA at info@tallahasseearts.org and on Facebook facebook.com/TallahasseeArts/