—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, February 8, 2026
Program: 3:00 – 4:00 PM
Reception: 4:00 – 5:00 PM
What are narrative poems, why do they matter, and are they still being written today? This Poetry Series spotlights The Colosseum Book of Contemporary Narrative Verse, an anthology devoted to poems that tell stories, bringing voice, scene, and lived experience vividly off the page and into conversation.
Editor Sunil Iyengar opens the program by reflecting on those questions and on the purpose of the anthology itself, describing narrative poetry as a form that insists on story, character, and consequence in its own right. He will read briefly from his introduction and share a featured poem before welcoming two contributors to the collection, Mary Jo Salter and David Yezzi, who will read from their own work. Together, the evening traces how contemporary poets continue to shape narrative as a vital, flexible form that holds memory, drama, and meaning in motion.
After the readings, stay for an informal reception with drinks, conversation, and book signings, and enjoy the chance to meet the poets while the stories are still echoing.
Sunil Iyengar
-
Sunil Iyengar is editor of The Colosseum Book of Contemporary Narrative Verse and author of a poetry chapbook, A Call from the Shallows. Samples of his published writings can be found at www.suniliyengar.com. He lives outside Washington, D.C., where he works as an arts research director.
Introductory Remarks
Mary Jo Salter
-
Mary Jo Salter is the author of ten collections of poetry, including Cameo Appearance, which will appear this fall. She co-edited The Norton Anthology of Poetry and was guest editor of The Best American Poetry 2024. She is a professor emerita in The Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University.
Poetic Reading
David Yezzi
Poetic Reading
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David Yezzi, a current Guggenheim Fellow, is a member of the acting company at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company in Baltimore. His latest books are More Things in Heaven: New and Selected Poems (Measure Press) and Late Romance: Anthony Hecht—A Poet’s Life (St. Martin’s Press). He teaches at Johns Hopkins University.
Alumni & Past Sessions
2026
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