Mission
Off the Page aims to foster community among artists and poets while broadening the public’s understanding of poetry. This collaborative project prioritizes those who have been previously marginalized and silenced in social, political, and artistic spaces. We believe that all art forms should be a microphone to amplify social change. Our curatorial vision celebrates, mourns alongside, and envisions the future with new and established poets and artists. We believe in the power of poetry and collaboration to foster healing and facilitate change.
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Find out more details about our mission and vision below.
Audience
Our primary audience is people who don’t regularly engage with poetry. We believe the typical introduction to poetry in the classroom neglects to highlight the increasing diversity of contemporary poets. We offer a reintroduction to poetry in an approachable and creative manner that engages an audience who has previously been ostracized by the content and form of poetry from the literary canon. We also encourage poets to envision ways their work can exist in less traditional formats, and to provide a space for writing in the gallery setting. Not only that, but artists who attend our programs may find new inspiration for their work from the written form.
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Our Platform
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Our platform provides opportunities for new artists in Chicago to exhibit their work, especially those who haven’t done so before. Off the Page also offers a unique publication opportunity for new writers in Chicago, while offering a chance to participate in a public reading. The platform fosters a space for discussion between artists and poets about how their creative forms converge and differ. We hope artists and poets may inspire one another toward creating exciting experimental works together. Artists will have an opportunity to stretch and develop their art practice by creating works based on poetry.
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Commitment to Equity
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Our founders prioritize including participants who identify primarily as LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and those living with disabilities. This includes offering accommodations for artists that may require them to ensure their contribution is the best it can be. Similarly, we believe in dismantling hierarchy while implementing Off the Page by inviting poets, artists, and editors to take active roles in the decision making process. We plan to offer our time and resources to ensure all collaborators see the vision for their unique contribution come to life.