Lansing Economic Area Partnership
In 2017, LEAP launched the Lansing Poet Laureate Program in collaboration with the Residential College for Arts and Humanities (RCAH) Center for Poetry at Michigan State University (MSU) and the Lansing Poetry Club. This initiative aimed to engage the Tri-County Region in the literary arts, promote poetry as an art form, and connect the community to poetry. The program showcased poetry as a powerful literary voice contributing to a profound sense of place, further supporting the attraction of global talent and businesses.
The Lansing Poet Laureate program has significantly enriched our community’s engagement with poetry, and will continue to thrive under the stewardship of the Arts Council of Greater Lansing (ACGL). This transition to ACGL marks an exciting new chapter for the program.
Masaki Takahashi commenced his term in April 2022. During his tenure, Takahashi organized workshops and performances at various educational institutions, including K-12 schools, MSU, LCC, and Olivet College. The programs featured renowned national poets, such as Rudy Francisco, Ebony Stewart, Natasha T. Miller, and Siaara Freeman.
Dr. Laura Apol was selected as the second Poet Laureate in 2019. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic during her term, Apol pivoted to create online events that brought together poetry lovers and aspiring poets to write, read, share, and connect. Her efforts underscored the sustaining power of poetry during times of isolation and anxiety.
Dennis Hinrichsen, the inaugural Lansing Poet Laureate in 2017, is a longtime Lansing resident and retired professor of English at Lansing Community College renowned for his Lansing Sidewalk Poetry Project, which featured poems etched into sidewalks.
The Lansing Poet Laureate program was made possible through the leadership and partnership of Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP), Lansing Poetry Club, and Michigan State University’s Center for Poetry at the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities.
Stay connected with the Arts Council of Greater Lansing for more information about arts, culture and creativity in the capital region.
