The Bi-State Development Agency of the Missouri-Illinois Metropolitan District (Metro) Arts in Transit is now accepting entries for the 2017 MetroLines poetry contest. Local poets are invited to submit their work for the chance to have their poems displayed on MetroBus vehicles and MetroLink trains for up to one year. The deadline to enter MetroLines is 11:59 p.m. on June 19, 2017.
“Public transit is the perfect vehicle for a program like MetroLines,” said David Allen, director of Metro Arts in Transit. “It allows gifted, local poets an opportunity to share their work, and transit riders an opportunity to contemplate, absorb and really appreciate good poetry.”
All poets interested in entering the contest must live within a 50-mile radius of the City of St. Louis. Fifteen poems will be selected to be reproduced on posters including visual imagery designed by Metro Arts in Transit and then put on display on the Metro transit system. Winning poets will receive a copy of the poster featuring their poem and a $100 prize. All of the selected poets will also be invited to read their poetry at a special reception and ceremony later this year.
All entries must be submitted online through the ‘Opportunities’ page of the Metro Arts in Transit website. Each poet may submit up to three poems. Poems cannot be longer than 15 lines, and all work submitted for consideration must be suitable for public display.
MetroLines is open to both published and non-published work by bi-state residents of all ages, however previously published work must be provided with permission to reproduce. A panel of literary professionals from the St. Louis region will judge the entries. Employees of Bi-State Development or its enterprises are not eligible to participate.
The MetroLines poetry contest is supported by funding from the Regional Arts Commission and the Missouri Arts Council.
