Slam 101 kicks off Maricopa’s 3-season Arts Expo

Maricopa Arts Council (MAC) starts its all-Arts Expo slate of events Aug. 25 with a “Slam 101” evening at Honeycutt Coffee. This new event features a star-turn by Slam Master The Klute (poet Bernard Schober) and a slate of Phoenix poets in a live performance event for high school-age and up. [quote_box_right]IF YOU GO
What: Slam 101
When: Aug. 25, 6:15-8:30 p.m.
Where: Honeycutt Coffee, 44400 W. Honeycutt Road, Suite 109[/quote_box_right]

Slam 101 begins a string of Poetry Slam-oriented events woven throughout the first half of MAC’s expo, “Got Arts, Maricopa?,” which emphasizes the performing arts (music, dance, spoken word).

The Klute is a 10-time veteran of the annual National Slam, author of four books, and well known throughout the Southwest for fiery, gripping performances of his own poetry. He will be joined by other Phoenix poets, including Jess Ballantyne.

Each poet will perform a few works and then hold an extensive Q&A session with the audience to prepare Maricopa for the content, atmosphere and nature of a true Poetry Slam.

The innovative, diverse three-season “Got Arts, Maricopa?” is MAC’s major 2016-2017. All art forms are represented – music, dance, theatre, poetry, film and the many varieties of visual arts. The artistry of Maricopa’s own artists and art organizations will be featured at every event, plus MAC’s determination to present types of arts experiences brand-new to Maricopa. New artist-business alliances are embedded in the formats of several events, and key to the expo is having most special events open to the public and free.

For Slam 101, Maricopa’s artistry is represented in the event prelude – creation of ephemeral art on the walls and windows of Honeycutt Coffee. Painter Maria Pour, acrylic artist and curator Bonnie Del Turco, and artist and poet Valentine Ackerson will create on-the-spot works beginning when the doors open until the poetry itself begins. These time-sensitive works will come down at the close of the event.

Theater-infused Poetry Slams are also timed experiences, performances of original works by their author, reveling in the direct emotional delivery of words alone without costumes, scenery or music.

Slams are competitions. There are elimination rounds plus a prize round, so contestants must have several poems ready to perform. Judges are selected on the spot from the audience and the three-minutes-per-poem rule is rigorously enforced. Both of MAC’s slams (adult and student) will have notable cash prizes for the top three performers.

More Maricopa Arts Council’s Expo Poetry events
Sept. 9       Adult Open Mic Poetry Evening at Maricopa Public Library
October     The Klute visits area schools to de-mystify Slams
Nov. 4          Kids Poetry Slam (K-8) at Maricopa Public Library
Jan. 28        Adult Slam plus HS Open Mic at Elements Event Center