First Lady Awards for Vision and Creativity

First Lady Georganne Nixon is inaugurating new awards for creative vision. Each school in Missouri may annually award eight First Lady Awards for Vision and Creativity beginning in Fall 2010. The First Lady Awards are designed to inspire creative vision in Missouri’s students and provide creative interaction with the Poet Laureate of Missouri and the Poet Laureate of the United States. The certificate award presented to the students will bear the names of Mrs. Nixon and Missouri’s Poet Laureate, David Clewell. The eight categories for the student awards include:

1. An original poem to receive the Missouri Poet Laureate Award. (Original Poetry Guidelines)
2. A visual artwork that interprets the original poem receiving the Poet Laureate Award. (Interpretive Art Guidelines)
3. A visual artwork that interprets a poem by the Missouri Poet Laureate, David Clewell. (Interpretive Art Guidelines)
4. A visual artwork that interprets a poem by the United States Poet Laureate. (Interpretive Art Guidelines)
5. A reader interpreting a poem by the Missouri Poet Laureate. (Interpretive Reading Guidelines)
6. A reader interpreting a poem by the United States Poet Laureate. (Interpretive Reading Guidelines)
7. A choir that presents a concert that includes a song by a Missouri composer and a song setting a poem by a Missouri poet. (If the school has other First Lady Award recipients, include readings of that poetry and displays of that artwork in the concert.) (Choir guidelines)
8. A visual artwork that interprets the poem from the song by your school choir setting a poem by a Missouri poet. (Interpretive Art Guidelines)

The recipients of the First Lady Awards are to be selected through the adjudication of poetry and art displays and an interpretive reading contest in each participating school. After the awards are given, Mrs. Nixon requests that the awarded artwork and poetry be prominently displayed in the school for the remainder of the school year. The First Lady Awards may be awarded in all school levels K-12 and university.

The First Lady Awards for Vision and Creativity are a program of Missouri Verses and Voices, Mrs. Georganne Nixon, Honorary Chairperson.