Poet Laureate Support Committee Meeting
Discussion of the Poet Laureate program’s recent and planned activities and a current financial status update for the program.
The Poet Laureate Support Committee met on May 18, 2026 with members attending in person and remotely. The committee appointed Lisa Usani Phillips to take notes and reviewed routine financial items and outstanding poet payments; Clare will prepare an invoice related to the Storywalk. The group clarified that the Tapestry of Voices and Garden of Verses projects will not be funded by the PLSC or Whittier Home and advised the applicant (Chris Bryant) to apply to the Amesbury Cultural Council for funding; Whittier Home offered to host the award ceremony/reading.
Committee members confirmed dates and logistics for a series of public events: a Karaoke Fundraiser on July 15, 2026 at Barewolf Brewery (DJ secured), 'Evening with the Poets' on August 12, 2026 at the Cultural Center (CCTV invited to film), a Flatbread Fundraiser on November 10, 2026 (with the option to book an April fundraiser), and the 2026–27 Open Mic series (dates set and assignment of responsibilities for features and cleanup). The committee also established a communications workflow for Poet Laureate event announcements and social media posting. No substantive public comments were recorded in the minutes. The next PLSC meeting was scheduled for June 8, 2026 via Zoom.