MAKE POETRY CONCRETE IN NEWTON
Bringing poetry out of the book... and into everyday life.
Poetry Contest Winners Poem Titles
Shelby Allen Trace
Jane Attanucci An Ordinary Day
Sabrina Elyse Bauer Presence
Ben Berman This Quiet Way
Meaghan Cocuzzo Young Heart
Susan Eyre Coppock Every Day Is a Poem
Nancy Genevieve Spring
Cindy Greene Community Conversation
Mark Hemment Sidewalk
Jonas Pena The Way They Grew
Special thanks to:
Mayor Ruthanne Fuller
City of Newton
Lily Canan Reynolds
Community Engagement Manager, Planning & Development
Shubee Sikka
Urban Designer, Planning & Development
Paula Gannon
Director, Cultural Development
Linda Plaut (1940-2019)
Director, Mayor’s Office for Cultural Affairs
Howard Sholkin
President, Newton Community Pride
Jonathan Berk
Director, Patronicity
Shane Mark
Director of Streets, Newton DPW
Lillian Hsu
Director of Public Art and Exhibitions, Cambridge Arts Council
Rusty Bisek
Manager, Fourth Dimension CNC
POETRY IN PLACE
MakePoetryConcrete was made possible by the generous donors who helped us achieve (and surpass) our goal of $7,500 using the civic platform Patronicity. MassDevelopment’s Commonwealth Places program then matched that amount. A call to poets was issued the spring of 2019 and a committee of 6 judges reviewed 140 submissions to select the 10 winning poems and 9 runners-up.
The 10 winning poems have now been stamped into the concrete of recently constructed sidewalks in Newton’s village centers, around public schools, near local businesses, public parks, and transit stations. Two of the winning poems are by students, some are by accomplished poets, and others were submitted by those who had never submitted a poem to a contest before.
Some of the poems will likely make you laugh or smile, others may make you nod in understanding. Finding a sidewalk poem while you walk can provide unexpected pleasure that can brighten the day. One of poetry's transcendent powers is its ability to refocus, if not totally transform, our point of view. It is my hope that these poems willencourage us to consider other perspectives, open our eyes to new ways of seeing.
—Grey Held, Artistic Director
Poem Locations
225 Nevada St., Newtonville “Sidewalk” by Mark Hemment
Corner of Minot Pl. & Walnut St., Newtonville “Trace” by Shelby Allen
331 Walnut St. (corner of Highland Ave.) Newtonville "An Ordinary Day" by Jane Attanucci
332 Walnut St. (near Village Bank) Newtonville "This Quiet Way" by Ben Berman
1286 Washington St. (near Attitudes) West Newton "Presence" by Sabrina Bauer
1296 Washington St. (West Newton Cinema) West Newton "Young Heart" by Meaghan Cocuzzo
1321 Washington St. (by Police Station) West Newton "Community Conversation" by Cindy Greene
Corner of Christina St. & Needham St., Newton Upper Falls “ Spring” by Nancy Genevieve
Check the website for additional details:
www.newtonma.gov/sidewalkpoetry
Poetry Contest Runners Up Poem Titles
Miles Richards The Oak
Annika Walker Wings
Benjy Kantor Bus to Cabot
Margot Wizansky Ephemera
Katrina Jacob Wise Cultivation
Caitlin Kontaridis Walking Home
Barbara Helfgott Hyett Gray Wolf
Maddie Adler The Music of Spring
Joy Halsted The Visitor