Library Foundation Receives $160,000 Endowment Gift for Poetry Competition

The Grand Rapids Public Library Foundation has received a permanent endowment gift of $160,000 from the Dyer-Ives Foundation. The gift will support the Dyer-Ives Foundation Annual Kent County Poetry Competition and fund the Grand Rapids Poet Laureate program.

The Dyer-Ives Poetry Competition was started in 1968 by poet James Allen at the urging of John Hunting, the founder of the Dyer-Ives Foundation, to encourage excellence in writing and to provide recognition for local work of high quality. The annual contest is open to poets ages 5 through adult who reside in Kent County. Submissions are accepted every February and winners are selected in the spring. Winners selected in three age categories have their poems published in Voices, receive a cash award, and participate in a reading during the Festival of the Arts in June, which will now be held at the Main Library.

The Grand Rapids Poet Laureate is an ambassador for poetry, creating programs and projects to foster the writing and reading of poetry by the public. Calvin College professor L.S. Klatt is the current Poet Laureate of the greater Grand Rapids area. His three year term started in April 2014. Past Poet Laureates include Linda Nemec Foster, Patricia Clark, Rodney Torreson, and David Cope. The Poet Laureate program has been run by the library since 2012, when the Arts Council of Greater Grand Rapids dissolved.

“This is a true gift to our community,” remarked Marcia Warner, Grand Rapids Public Library Director. “This generous endowment supports the development and expression of poets and provides the opportunity to create a deeper understanding and passion for the written word.  It is an honor to continue the vision of John Hunting and the Dyer-Ives Foundation.”

The mission of the Grand Rapids Public Library Foundation is to provide fund raising and advocacy support for the Grand Rapids Public Library.

The Grand Rapids Public Library connects people to the transforming power of knowledge.