An offshoot of the Poetry Jumps Off the Shelf initiative, this award was designed to help other Wisconsin poets implement a project that brings poetry into the eye of the general public in an unconventional manner.

Paula Sergi of the Foot of the Lake Poetry Collective in Fond du Lac won first place and $500.00 for her proposal to collaborate with cultural centers in her community to bring poetry to the local farmers' market, library, art center and harvest season festivals. Look for poems about food on display at vendor booths and sandwich boards at the farmers' markets this August, bookmarks featuring the poems and corresponding recipes at the Fond du Lac Public Library and the Women, Infants & Children (WIC) office, poems paired with art in an exhibit at the Windhover Center for the Arts, and readings by contributors at the Fondue Festival in September and at Park Ridge Organics Farm during their harvest festival in October.

Phil Hansotia of Ellison Bay and the Wallace, Unabridged and Word Women poetry groups of Door County took the finalist position for $250.00. Display cases of poetry will be mounted along two trails in Newport State Park with receptions at the Newport State Park shelter or visitor center prefacing each season's presentation of poems, with the opening reception slated for July 31st. Throughout the rest of 2010 and into 2011, the work of Ellen Kort and local poets will be featured, as well as the contest winners of three area high schools.

Questions? shoshaunashy@yahoo.com