Participating in Missouri Verses and Voices

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Inspiring creative vision

Missouri Verses and Voices encourages creative collaboration through the Verses (poetry) of Missouri.  Missouri has a wonderful history and current presence of poets and authors.  Almost two years ago, Missouri established a new focus on poetry by naming Walter Bargen as the state’s first Poet Laureate.  Our state’s rich heritage is also voiced by Missouri’s many composers and artists.  The individual and collective Voices of Missouri’s writers, composers, and artists shape the creative vision that is Missouri.

It is primarily through the arts teachers of Missouri that we bring the young people of our state into our creative community.  Missouri Verses and Voices is unique because the focus of the creative activity in this new initiative is on community; creative activities connected through collaboration. Please join us by bringing your school and your students into this new creative community. 

Here is a list of items we hope your school will accomplish this year as a participating member of Missouri Verses and Voices:

1.   Go online and register your school in Missouri Verses and Voices.  (versesandvoices.org)  There is a $25.00 registration fee.

2.   Choir Teachers:  Introduce at least one song by a Missouri composer and one song that sets a poem by a Missouri poet to your students and audiences.  See the Missouri composer and poet lists on the MVV website.

3.   Interpretive Reading/Theatre Teachers:  Introduce Missouri’s poet laureate, Walter Bargen, to your students and audiences by presenting at least one interpretive reading by an individual student and one reading by a group of students. Additionally, consider presenting readings by other Missouri poets.  See the Missouri poet lists on the MVV website.

4.   Communication Art Teachers:  Through a poetry competition, select and name your school’s Poet Laureate.  Create a week-long display of the poems and then post the winning poem for the remainder of the year.

5.   Visual Art Teachers:  Involve art students in two assignments that interpret the creative words of Missouri poets;  1) Illustrated Calligraphy of Poetry, and 2) Visual Poem Interpretation.  (See art guidelines.)

5a. 2009-2010 Poetry Categories for Visual Artwork

                 1.   Walter Bargen poem, Hall of Waters

                 2.   Poem from the song by a Missouri poet that your school’s choir is singing.

                 3.   Walter Bargen poetry presented by an interpretive reader at your school.

                 4.   Missouri poetry of choice.

                 5.   Poem by your school’s Poet Laureate

6.   When possible, coordinate all of the above arts events into one collaborative Missouri Verses and Voices Festival for your school or group of schools.