—Sean Elias
Executive Director, The DC Arts Center
The
Poetry Series
Poetry alongside
criticism, scholarship & philosophy
“I’m proud to continue DCAC’s long-standing commitment to poetry by reviving the spirit of the iconic In Your Ear series—something I’ve hoped to bring back since I first joined the organization. This new chapter builds on that legacy with a series that offers not only powerful poetic work, but also space for criticism, scholarship, and philosophy.”
The
Poetry Series
Poetry alongside
criticism, scholarship & philosophy
I’m proud to continue DCAC’s long-standing commitment to poetry by reviving the spirit of the iconic In Your Ear series—something I’ve hoped to bring back since I first joined the organization. This new chapter builds on that legacy with a series that offers not only powerful poetic work, but also space for criticism, scholarship, and philosophy.
—
Sean Elias
Executive Director, The DC Arts Center
A gathering space for poetry and critical thought, where language meets the moment.
About The DC Arts Center’s Poetry Series
The DC Arts Center’s Poetry Series launched in 2025 to present poetry in conversation with criticism, scholarship, and philosophy. Building on the legacy of earlier programs like the In Your Ear Series, this new initiative continues DCAC’s decades-long commitment to the literary arts by providing a platform for rigorous, boundary-pushing work. More than a reading series, it’s a space for ideas—for language that challenges, interrogates, and connects. In an era where poetry often lives in isolation, this series brings it back into dialogue and shared community.
Curated by professional poets, the series is held monthly in DCAC’s black box theater, typically on a Sunday. Each hour-long event features two to three creative presentations and one critical/analytical presentation (philosophy, scholarship, history, or criticism). These readings and reflections bridge creative and critical practice and are followed by a happy hour at Roofers Union. Whether you're a longtime reader, creator, or simply poetry-curious, The DC Arts Center’s Poetry Series offers a thoughtful, welcoming entry point into the ongoing work of thinking through language together.
Sign of the Times
Curated by Eric Celarier
Featuring members of the 2024 Sparkplug Artists’ Collective
at The DC Arts Center
Mentwanb Easwaran,
Sparkplug Artists’ Collective 2024 Cohort
speaks on their piece.
Katie Macyshyn (Magician),
Sparkplug Artists’ Collective 2024 Cohort
speaks on their piece.
The Application Process
The DC Arts Center (DCAC) accepts proposals from interested candidates between May and October. Each year, approximately 10 artists are selected for the program.
Applications are evaluated following the submission deadline, and candidates who advance in the process will be asked to interview in November. Final decision outcomes will be communicated in December, and successful candidates will begin the onboarding process following the winter holidays. The program runs for one year, from January to December.
We accept applications from all artists working seriously in their field and do not discriminate on any basis.
Application Requirements
Artist Statement & Biography
Artist Resumé
Short Answer Questions
$25 application fee
waived for Artist Members
Program Cost
$250
waived for Artist Members
Gallery Quick Facts
The DC Arts Center has two newly renovated art galleries — The Main Gallery and the Nano Gallery.
The Main Gallery features full-size work of all mediums and is approximately 700 square feet.
The Nano Gallery features small format work that can be easily hung and is approximately 125 square feet.
Artists retain a 60% commission on all work sold. 70% for Artist Members!
Purchase Tickets
Seating is extremely limited. Admission is $10. Free for DCAC Artist Members.
Next at the Mic
Meet the voices shaping our next evening of poetry and thought!
Sunday, March 8, 2026
Program: 3:00–4:00 PM
Reception: 4:00–5:00 PM
Join us for a poetic event exploring the work of two award-winning poets, Kiki Petrosino and Kyle Dargan, introduced by an analytical presentation by Mario Melo.
The Boston Review has placed Kiki Petrosino "at the forefront of a deeply heterogeneous, expansive poetic movement, one that is transforming traditional lyric subjectivity into a more inclusive, complex space—not only of voices, but also of indeterminacies, bodies, and linguistic transgressions," while the Southern Review called her book Bright " a stunning examination of love, family, and human nature."
The poems of Kyle Dargan, who has been long-listed for the Pulitzer Prize, have been called by The Rumpus "poems of the critic, the perpetual outsider, the haunted man, the insomniac" that reflect "a lover of all that’s human and flawed." The Los Angeles Review of Books has observed that Dargan is "a poet whose work navigates between the political and philosophical, and his poems are fueled frequently by a fearlessness in expressing curiosity, wonder, and critique."
Mario Melo, a young poet coming up in D.C.'s open mic circuit and recent graduate in literary studies from the University of Denver, will provide an analytical lecture examining the work of these renowned poets. Melo's presentation will focus on the formal workings, particularly line, syntax, and rhythm, of some chosen poems as a small part of a larger conversation surrounding free verse poetry.
After the readings, stay for an informal reception with drinks, conversation, and book signings, and enjoy the chance to meet the poets.
Mario Melo
-
Mario Melo is an Angolan poet and writer living in Washington, D.C., whose work has previously been published in Lovestruck Inkwell. Mario graduated in June of 2025 with a Master's of Arts in English & Literary Studies from the University of Denver. In Washington, D.C. they are a substitute teacher and freelance writer. Mario spends most of their free time writing poetry and participating in D.C.'s robust poetry open mic circuit.
Analytical Presentation
Kiki Petrosino
-
Kiki Petrosino is the author of White Blood: a Lyric of Virginia (2020), the memoir Bright (2022), and three other poetry books, all from Sarabande. She holds graduate degrees from the University of Chicago and the University of Iowa Writer's Workshop. She is a Professor of Poetry at the University of Virginia where she teaches in the MFA and undergraduate Creative Writing programs. Her newest book of poetry, Perfect Italian, will be released from Sarabande in 2026. Petrosino is the recipient of a DeWitt Wallace/Readers Digest fellowship from MacDowell artist residency, a Pushcart Prize, a Fellowship in Creative Writing from the National Endowment for the Arts, the UNT Rilke Prize, & the Spalding Prize, among other honors.
Poetic Reading
Kyle Dargan
Poetic Reading
-
Kyle G .Dargan is the author of six collections of poetry, which have been awarded the Cave Canem Prize, the Hurston-Wright Legacy Award, the Lenore Marshall Prize, and longlisted for the Pulitzer Prize. He has partnered with the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities to produce poetry programming at the White House and support the development of the National Student Poets Program. He heads the books division for Janelle Monáe’s creative company, Wondaland, and is an Associate Professor of Creative Communications at American University in Washington, D.C. Along with Shyree Mezick, he operates as SKKS Creates, a creative consulting firm focused on ideation and alignment around narrative arts and film, music, and digital art.
Alumni & Past Sessions
2026
February 8
Sunil Iyengar - Introductory Remarks
Mary Jo Salter - Poetic Reading
David Yezzi - Poetic Readikng
January 18
Dora Malech - Analytical Presentation
Simon Schuchat - Poetic Reading
Dylan Carpenter - Poetic Reading
2025
December 14
Sylvia Jones - Analytical Presentation
Paul Killebrew - Poetic Reading
Cathy Eisenhower - Poetic Reading
November 23
Brian Teare - Analytical Presentation
Julie Carr - Poetic Reading
James Sherry - Poetic Reading
October 26
Keith D. Leonard, Analytical Presentation
Sylvia Jones, Poetic Reading
Chet’la Sebree, Poetic Reading
September 28
Christopher J. Scalia, Analytical Presentation
Morri Creech, Poetic Reading
Greg Williamson, Poetic Reading
August 24
Amanda Auerbach, Analytical Presentation
Leslie Bumstead, Poetic Reading
Sarah Katz, Poetic Reading
July 27
David Beaudouin, Poetic Reading
Tracy Dimond, Poetic Reading
Chris Mason, Moderator & Poetic Reading
Rupert Wondolowski, Poetic Reading
June 22
Buck Downs, Poetic Reading
Phyllis Rosenzweig, Poetic Reading
Rod Smith, Poetic Reading
May 16
Amanda Auerbach, Poetic Reading
Bailey Blumenstock, Poetic Reading
Professor Marianne Noble, Analytical Presentation
April 27
Joshua Weiner, Poetic Reading
David Yezzi, Poetic Reading
Micah Mattix, Analytical Presentation