Mayor John Marchione recognizes the importance of culture in Redmond by proclaiming October Arts and Heritage Month, and encourages residents to increase their local arts participation during the month of October.

“The arts shape the soul of a city. It’s important that everyone have the opportunity to contribute to Redmond’s creative vitality,” commented Marchione. “The variety of artistic expression in Redmond is what makes this an interesting place to live and work. We have improved and expanded our cultural services so that everyone has access to quality opportunities to participate in the arts.”

In 2009, the city created the position of poet laureate of the City of Redmond to reveal new ways of understanding throughout Redmond’s diverse community. It was the first city in Washington to support a civic poet. Now, other cities such as Auburn and Seattle have adopted poet laureates.

“Poetry can strengthen people’s connection to Redmond,” commented Mayor Marchione. “Our poet laureates have helped us all understand and appreciate what it to means to participate in the Redmond community.”

Redmond has welcomed three poet laureates to the city who have has used poetry to celebrate the city’s untold legacies during centennial celebrations, illuminate the links between literature and technology and most recently, bring poets to the parks. This summer, the City Council approved the appointment of Shin Yu Pai to become Redmond’s fourth poet laureate.

Pai is the author of several books, including “AUX ARCS” (La Alameda, 2013), “Adamantine” (White Pine, 2010), “Sightings” (1913 Press, 2008), and “Equivalence” (La Alameda, 2003). She is former writer-in-residence for the Seattle Art Museum and has presented poetry to the Redmond community at events for the SoulFood Poetry series curated by past Redmond poet laureate Michael Dylan Welch.

“As a Taiwanese-American writer, my work speaks to part of Redmond’s fastest-growing ethnic populations,” commented Shin Yu Pai. “I’m interested in bringing poetic language into public places that invites viewers (including youth and toddlers) to re-imagine their relationship to language.”