The City of Redmond is seeking applications for the position of Redmond poet laureate for 2018-2019 by Dec. 15. An application can be found at redmond.gov/arts under the Opportunities section.

The purpose of the Redmond poet laureate is to make a significant artistic contribution to the cultural life of the city and reveal new ways of understanding throughout our diverse community. The term of office is one year with an optional one-year renewal. The goals of the program are to broaden the awareness of poetry, express the spirit of Redmond culture through poetry and raise the level of discourse during discussions and debates in the City. The poet laureate will develop a proposal that reflects and achieves the goals of the program. Activities and special projects can include but are not limited to readings, workshops, composing original works, public art projects and partnerships with the library or local schools.

The City of Redmond has had four poet laureates since the program began in 2010 and projects presented by each of the poet laureates have ranged in various poetry workshops, installations, public programs and publications. Rebecca Meredith’s poetry spoke to the history of Redmond, including one poem that is now displayed at the entrance of the Redmond Central Connector trestle bridge.

Jeanine Hall Gailey led an initiative called Poetry for Geeks, Geeks for Poetry that explored the connections between the worlds of poetry and technology through geek talks and workshops.

Michael Dylan Welch brought the Poets in the Park Poetry Festival to Anderson Park and also published the book “True Colour,” a collection of rengay poems and collaboration with designer and photographer Dan Shafer.

Current poet laureate Shin Yu Pai collaborated with Sidecar Collective for the “Mixed Messages” public art installation for the Redmond Central Connector.

Eligible applicants must be a writer of any of the recognized literary forms, have a substantial body of work published with active projects in the last five years and share a connection with Redmond, though they do not necessarily need to be a resident.