Since 2016, ACW has been creating a series of posters, or broadsides, displaying poems written by North Country residents of all ages and experience levels.

These broadsides are installed in shop windows in North Country towns and villages during the month of April to build community and beautify the otherwise dreary mud season.

In 2024, ACW built successful partnerships with SLC Arts and the Downtown Artists Cellar, extending Poem Village beyond Saranac Lake to St. Lawrence County and Malone. This year, the project will expand again to include Plattsburgh thanks to a new collaboration with Outside Art: Plattsburgh Public Art Project.

“It’s incredible to see how Poem Village has evolved over the past decade,” said Nathalie Thill, ACW’s executive director. “What began as a way to brighten Saranac Lake’s mud season has expanded to other villages and become a cherished tradition for so many Adirondack writers — from published authors to grade school kids. Last year, we had over 200 people submit a poem!”

Guidelines for submission:

— Poems must be under 25 lines or less than 300 words, whichever comes first, and must be the original work of the person submitting.

— Poets must reside at least part-time in the North Country. ACW accepts all submissions so long as they follow these criteria and do not express any hateful views or content that could be harmful to the general public.

— The deadline for submissions is March 17.

For more information and to submit a poem, visit adirondackcenterforwriting.org/poemvillage.

The Adirondack Center for Writing has been bringing people and words together for 25 years through provocative events and meaningful programs. For more information about ACW, visit adirondackcenterforwriting.org or follow @adkctr4writing on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.