Wednesday, Aug. 19 at 6:30 p.m. is the next Poetry & Art with 3 for $300 Slam in the Museum of the Living Artist. Ola Hadi will read from her book The Moon and Metaphor, and local artists/writers will compete for cash in quarterly Poetry & Art slam.
Hadi, an immigrant of Iraqi descent born in Kuwait City in 1982, grew up in Imperial Beach, San Diego. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Economy of Industrial Societies from U.C. Berkeley. She founded the Drunk Poets Society of Ocean Beach. Hadi currently lives in San Diego and teaches World History and World Geography. Her new book is called The Moon and Metaphor.
3 for $300 Slam (http://sandiego-art.org/), a poetry/visual art combination slam for writers, artists and performers, is a poetry competition with a slight twist:
Performers who bring and show visual art connected in some way to their poetry will earn extra points. Performers may also use (and are encouraged to use) artwork hanging in the museum’s current exhibit. Simply pick a painting, and it will be displayed front and center for the audience while you read. Winners take home $150 (1st Place), $100 (2nd Place) and $50 (3rd Place).
What is Poetry Slam? Here is the official word from Poetry Slam, Inc.: “A poetry slam is a competitive event in which poets perform their work and are judged by members of the audience. Typically, the host or another organizer selects the judges, who are instructed to give numerical scores (on a zero to 10 or one to 10 scale) based on the poets’ content and performance.”
The Poetry & Art Series (established in the summer of 2001) in the Museum of the Living Artist is itself both a unique show and a unique venue. Poets and audiences gather amongst the paintings to witness a live collaboration between poets and visual artists.
Poetry & Art, the San Diego Art Institute’s quarterly museum series, gives regional artists an opportunity to express themselves in a variety of forms and styles. Audiences hear poetry and prose in dialogue with painting, photography, sculpture, music and dance. The featured guests serve not only as entertainment but also as inspiration for developing artists. The free speech event reveals the diversity and importance of the region’s artists.
So bring poems and paintings on Wednesday, Aug. 19, and step up to the mic. Or simply come to enjoy the performances. The show starts at 6:30 p.m. For more information, contact Michael Klam at (619) 957-3264 or call the museum directly, Kerstin Robers at (619) 236-0011. E-mail: mkklam@gmail.com. Visit: www.punapress.com and www.sandiego-art.org/.
Poetry & Art Series since 2001 — Poetry & Art takes place in the 10,000-square-foot San Diego Art Institute at Balboa Park and includes music and snacks. The event is open to the public and audience members can participate or simply enjoy the show. Cost is $5. Open mic signups start at 6 p.m., and the event runs 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.