Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation

“When they ask me, as of late they frequently do, how I have for so many years continued an equal interest in medicine and the poem, I reply that they amount for me to nearly the same thing.”

-William Carlos Williams, Doctor and Poet, Rutherford, NJ

In just under two weeks (June 14 and 15), the Creative New Jersey Open Space – a two-day “meeting of the minds” – will take place with 150 registered participants who will discuss and brainstorm ideas for revitalizing New Jersey.

Some background on the event:

For more than two centuries, innovation and creativity from New Jerseyans have transformed the world through their invaluable and unique contributions. From the inventions of tetracycline (Pfizer Corporation, 1923) and the drive-in theatre (Richard Hollingshead, 1933) to the light bulb (Thomas Edison, 1876), condensed soup (Campbell Soup, 1894), the vast body of work of Albert Einstein and the Center for Advanced Studies and the transformative innovations of Bell Labs, our State has historically been at the forefront of innovation. Leading pharmaceutical and health care products companies as well as those who focus on manufacturing, industry, research and technology have called New Jersey home for many years. The creative products and services that have been developed by these giants have helped solve problems, provided new opportunities, made life more efficient and enjoyable, and have changed the world. It is clear that these companies and individuals have contributed to the State’s economy and have inspired hundreds of new and emerging businesses.

Today, our state faces enormous challenges in multiple fronts:

• The current stakes are high – New Jersey faces enormous economic, social, cultural, educational and environmental challenges.

• In 1999 New Jersey was 4th in the nation in patents. Now we are 9th while places like Washington State, Massachusetts, Michigan and Illinois have leaped ahead of us. This represents a decline of 32% in patents.

• In 1990, New Jersey accounted for 20% of the jobs in the pharmaceutical industry. Today this number is now 12%.

• A decade ago we were recognized as the center for the nation’s telecommunications industry. No more.

• From 2000 to 2009 we rank 47th in net migration (46th in the latest year-over-year period) only ahead of New York, Michigan, California and Illinois.

• We rank 45th in debt per resident.

• We are recognized as one of the worst states for businesses and entrepreneurs.

• We lead the nation in college student migration.

In order to bolster the State’s economic situation, there must be a renewed movement to support a climate that fosters creativity, innovation and sustainability in our diverse society. Action and perseverance to forward this agenda are needed to stimulate our economy quickly with an eye to workforce development and sustainable growth.

The 2-day Creative New Jersey Open Space will explore the intersections of our collective work and what we can do together that we can not do alone. The hope is to develop new collaborations and partnerships with local, state and private entities within New Jersey that share the same goals:

• Empower all New Jerseyans to develop their capacities for creativity, innovation and sustainability.

• Support the growth of an entrepreneurial economy that will stimulate new careers, companies and industries.

• Create and sustain world-class cultural and educational opportunities.

• Promote new opportunities for creativity, innovation and sustainability at all levels – in education, in government, in the work place and in the daily lives of all New Jerseyans.

Fortunately there are some outstanding state models that New Jersey can build upon to achieve these ambitious goals, such as Choose New Jersey, Innovation New Jersey, Sustainable Jersey, and ArtsPlan New Jersey.

The convening will provide stakeholders with an understanding of the urgent need for this initiative, demonstrate the potential of a more creative economy, and launch the conversation on how to move this new collective vision for a more creative and sustainable New Jersey forward.

Although registration for this event has reached its maximum attendance, you can follow it online at the Creative NJ website and see the program schedule here. And if you’re on Twitter, follow both @CreativeNJ and the #CreativeNJ hashtag to see all of the tweets on June 14 and 15.

If you are interested in receiving summary documents from the convening and/or notification of future Creative New Jersey events please join the mailing list.

Also, stay tuned for a wrap up of this event on our blog.

Martin Farawell, Program Director, Poetry

May 13, 2011

The Dodge Poetry Festival, the four PBS series’ on poetry hosted by Bill Moyers (all of which featured extensive footage from the Dodge Festival), the Favorite Poem Project and the poetry slams and open mikes that have sprung up across the country have all been part of a wave of events over the last several decades that have created greater public awareness of poetry’s important place in our lives.  They debunked the myth that poetry was an elitist art limited to specialists and academics, and proved there is an extensive community (though often underground) that cares deeply about poetry.

Another event that helped further debunk this myth was the Giving Voice session at this year’s two-day Arts Seminar for Leadership New Jersey and Leadership Newark, held at Newark Symphony Hall and NJPAC on May 10^th and 11th.  These two organizations are made up of leaders from every sector: finance, social services, arts administration, marketing, real estate, education, media, health, engineering, insurance and government to name a few, and they all have a commitment to their communities.

(Leadership NJ Class of 2011)

Giving Voice is a familiar title and activity for the thousands of New Jersey teachers who have participated in Clearing the Spring, Tending the Fountain, Dodge’s poetry discussion groups designed specifically for them.  But this was the first time we offered this experience to a large group of professionals, most of whom worked outside of education.

I joined five Dodge Poets—Robert Carnevale, Catherine Doty, Madeline Tiger, BJ Ward and Gretna Wilkinson—in leading these sessions.  We were all excited and a little intimidated by the thought of leading groups that were not made up entirely of teachers.  We soon learned that some participants were far more apprehensive than we were.  One participant confessed he had dreaded the thought of participating in any activity that involved poetry.

Former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins has said that “high school is the place where poetry goes to die.”  Unfortunately, many of us were not lucky enough to have English teachers like those who participate in the Dodge Poetry Program, teachers passionate enough about poetry and their work to put their own personal time into deepening their connection to poetry and expand their reservoir of ways to share it with students.

But for many of us, our classroom encounters with poetry left us feeling alienated from it.  Perhaps because our failure to perceive in poems what our teacher could see with such apparent ease made us feel inadequate (forgetting he’d been reading and teaching the same texts for years or decades), we rejected poetry.  This is not unlike our response when we trip over a threshold and curse it: we attack what makes us feel clumsy or stupid.  Or, because our responses to poems were not acknowledged or validated, we dismissed poetry as just not for us.

But, as I wrote in the recent blog on Beginner’s Mind, there is nothing more natural, more essentially human, than for us to be drawn to poetry.  Even before we know a single word we are in love with creating rhythms with repeated speech sounds.  Baby-talk is full of rhyme, repetition, assonance and alliteration.  We grow up memorizing nursery rhymes, children’s poems and song lyrics.  In the aftermath of 9-11, newspaper editorial offices were swamped with poems, many from people who didn’t care if they were published.  They just needed someone to see the poems they had written.  On a very basic level, we all understand that for some experiences and emotions, only poetry will do.

Members of Leadership New Jersey and Leadership Newark had an opportunity, to re-experience this essential connection to poetry in their Giving Voice session on Tuesday.  Given a packet of diverse and engaging poems, they were asked to take some time to simply sit and read them. (A number of participants spoke of how much they treasured this rare opportunity to slow down for contemplation and reflection.)  Then they were asked to choose one poem they’d like to hear aloud right now, in this space, with this group, on this particular day.

Many years ago, at the Dodge Poetry Festival, Li-Young Lee paused in the middle of his main-stage reading to comment, “you can almost hear the listening,” the audience was so attentive.  The Giving Voice participants that afternoon honored each others’ offerings with that same quality of attentive listening.  No one was asked to explain the poems they chose, to analyze or interpret them.  Instead, we talked of our personal connections to them.  Afterwards, one Leadership New Jersey member said that over the past year he’d gotten to know his colleagues “in a business sense,” but this was the first time he felt “he’d really gotten to know them as people.”

As the day was wrapping up, all the Dodge Poets were filled with gratitude for the attentiveness and generosity of spirit they’d witnessed among the participants, and eager to introduce Giving Voice sessions to people from all walks of life.  The participant who’d confessed to dreading the activity all day?  He admitted, smiling warmly, “It really wasn’t all that bad.”

One participant said she found this experience so meditative and refreshing that she was going to take some time out of every day, even if only five minutes, to just sit quietly and read a poem or two.  We’ve probably all got a book somewhere in the house that contains some poems.  And there are plenty of sites on the web that feature poetry.  This weekend, between all the activities that fill the days, try giving yourself the gift of poetry, even for just a few moments.

Follow the Poetry Program on Twitter @DodgePoetryFest
Join the conversation with fellow poetry enthusiasts on Facebook

Over the past several weeks, we’ve been sharing the Core Principles of our Clearing the Spring, Tending the Fountain poetry exploration series for teachers.  April 30^th was the culminating event for these sessions—The Common Gathering.  Over 100 teachers and poets from all over New Jersey came together at Princeton Day School for a day of conversation, reading, writing and listening.  The Common Gathering is a day unlike any other professional development for teachers.  While located in a school, the day is far from academic—it’s rather a day to connect with others and with the deepest parts of ourselves through poetry.  For this Poetry Friday, we thought we’d share some highlights from the day:

A packet of diverse and lively poems was prepared as a resource for the day's activities. (Lauren Rutten Photography)

Featured poet Marie Ponsot gave two readings—one of her own work, which spans over 60 years of writing, and another reading of poems she loves. (Lauren Rutten Photography)

In smaller discussions, participants shared what moved them about poems from the packet or other poems they brought. (Lauren Rutten Photography)

There was an open reading for teachers to share their work. (Lauren Rutten Photography)

Some workshops incorporated sensory experiences and yoga as away to access the imagination. (Lauren Rutten Photography)

Marie Ponsot’s and Dodge Poets’ books were sold at a discount so that teachers could refresh their collections. (Lauren Rutten Photography)

Marie Ponsot signed books for her eager fans. (Lauren Rutten Photography)

For a full write—up of the day, go to The Princeton Packet.

***

In addition to hosting Clearing the Spring, Tending the Fountain, The Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Program co-sponsors school festivals in New Jersey high schools.  For more information, contact Michele Russo, Poetry Coordinator.

View video clips of poetry readings from past biennial festivals.

Become a Friend with a donation to the Dodge Poetry Program.

Today’s post comes from our partners at ArtPride, who are the leading advocates for the arts in New Jersey. Mark your calendars for their Arts Day on May 5:

By Ann Marie Miller
Executive Director
Art Pride

Seeking inspiration? Want to know about the future of arts funding in New Jersey? How about a sneak peek at the next generation of actors, performers, and visual artists? Then join us for Arts Day in Trenton on May 5.

Arts Day is a great opportunity to learn something new, recharge your battery, and become a stronger arts advocate.

Come hear special guest and keynote speaker Ben Cameron, Arts Program Director for the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. His dynamic style will leave you feeling challenged and invigorated. And did you know? Ben is from Maplewood, so we can boast that this TED talker has Jersey roots!

And given the difficult economic climate, you will want to hear an update on federal and state funding for the arts and how that plays into the “big picture.” Joe Simonetta, government affairs advisor to ArtPride, will offer his inside view on the current political climate and how it affects the non-profit arts industry.

Other highlights you can expect:

- Discover Jersey Arts will launch its new mobile app (the first of its kind in New Jersey) which makes finding arts events not only a breeze, but fun.

- ArtPride will conduct its annual membership meeting and discuss its plans to make the organization a leaner and more effective advocacy organization.

- The Governor’s Awards in Arts Education will be presented at the NJ State Museum Auditorium where a multigenerational crowd will enjoy perfomances and honor distinguished arts leaders who have made a difference in arts education around the State. The New Jersey Arts Education Partnership hosts the award ceremony, which is followed by a dessert reception in the State Museum.

Why attend Arts Day? This is the second time Art Pride has partnered with the NJ Arts Education Partnership to celebrate all that is great about the arts in our State. It’s the perfect way to get charged up as we push full force into spring and summer and emerge from the grant writing doldrums of those rough winter months. And, this may be the only time you see your colleague from Bergen County or Cape May outside of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts awards in July.

For more information and to register (limited seating is available, and there may be some last minute tweaks to the schedule and logistics) visit jerseyarts.com/artsday.

Be there!

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You don’t have to wait until the next Dodge Festival to hear great poetry in Newark. This weekend, NJPAC’s Alternate Routes Hip Hop Festival is hosting more than twenty Hip Hop artists in a variety of disciplines, including break-dancing, DJing, poetry, spoken word and film.  The festival, which is bi-annual, began in 2001 and is celebrating its 10^th anniversary.  Events run through Saturday, April 9 in the Art Center’s Chase Room.  Go to www.njpachiphop.org to get tickets.

The festival kicked off last night with a Word Jam.  Middle and high school students from Burnet Street School, Louise A. Spencer School and Newark Innovation Academy performed poems they wrote in NJPAC’s In-School Residencies, coordinated by the NJPAC Arts Education staff.  Tamesha Hawkins, a professional poet and performer who studied in NJPAC’s Arts Training program and Shamsuddin  “Sham” Abdul-Hamid, a 2010 NJPAC Women’s Association/Star-Ledger Scholarship recipient emceed the night. Over 60 students attended and 30 student performers shared their poems with the enthusiastic crowd.

Alternate Routes Hip Hop Festival founder and producer, Baraka Sele, believes students, educators, youth and elders will learn that Hip Hop is not always misogynistic, materialistic or violent.  “While Hip Hop artists are still rappin’ and beat-boxin’ and b-boyin’, they are also curating art exhibitions, making films and producing theater, as well as becoming authors, cultural critics, institution builders, politicians and social entrepreneurs.  We want to showcase all the ways they contribute positively to society.”

Tonight, Newark-born spoken word artist, Taalam Acey, will host a night of spoken word artists from across the country.  Acey’s work has been featured on BET, in Essence magazine, at the Sundance Film Festival, and the 2010 Dodge Poetry Festival.  Several of the artists who will perform have participated in HBO’s Def Poetry Jam and have appeared or worked with such artists as Amiri Baraka, Dead Prez, Lauryn Hill, Mos Def, and Sonia Sanchez.

Go to the NJPAC Hip Hop website for a full schedule of events and to save your spot at the festival.