Issue 43 / May 2, 2025

In this issue:

• Governor Pritzker Announces New Poet Laureate, Celebrates IAC's 60th Anniversary

• Reminder: Scholarship Funds Available for the 2025 LEAD Conference

• Creative Learning Grants for Schools May 6 Drop-in Session Reminder

• Registration now Available for the Midwest Arts XPO Presenters Conference

• IAC Congratulates Poetry Ourselves Winners

• Additional Opportunities

Governor Pritzker Announces New Poet Laureate,

Celebrates Illinois Arts Council's 60th Anniversary 

Mark Turcotte (left) and Angela Jackson (center) with Governor JB Prizker and First Lady MK Pritzker. Photo Credit: Margaret Gonzalez

The Illinois Arts Council (IAC), alongside the Office of Governor JB Pritzker, Illinois Humanities, and the Poetry Foundation & Poetry Magazine, is thrilled to announce Mark Turcotte as the newest Illinois Poet Laureate!

Mark Turcotte, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band Anishinaabe, is an acclaimed poet and author. Born on North Dakota's Turtle Mountain Chippewa Reservation and raised in Michigan, Turcotte found his voice in Chicago's vibrant poetry scene after relocating there in 1993. He is the author of several works, including The Feathered Heart and Songs of Our Ancestors, as well as a bilingual collection, Le Chant de la Route. In 2008, he completed an MFA in creative writing at Western Michigan University. Since 2009, he has been a senior lecturer and distinguished writer-in-residence in the English Department at DePaul University.

“Mark Turcotte’s work reflects the complex and beautiful landscape of both our state and the country as a whole through his unique perspective as a Native writer who has lived across the United States but has found a home here in Illinois,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I congratulate him on his appointment as the sixth Illinois Poet Laureate and also extend my gratitude to outgoing Illinois Poet Laureate Angela Jackson on her years of service in this role.”

"In celebration of Poetry Month, this announcement signifies a momentous occasion as the Illinois Arts Council (IAC) commemorates 60 years of cultivating a strong, creative, and interconnected Illinois through the arts," said IAC Executive Director Joshua Davis-Ruperto. "In that spirit, we look forward to working with Mark Turcotte, whose unique voice will resonate with Illinoisans, inspiring conversations and fostering access to poetry throughout our diverse state.”

Mark Turcotte's announcement was the highlight of a celebration recognizing the 60th anniversary of the Illinois Arts Council. The April 30th event, which took place at the Governor's Mansion in Springfield, also included the announcement of a newly formed Illinois Creative Caucus, a bipartisan convening of Illinois legislators who will identify, promote, and pass legislation and appropriations that strengthen our state’s creative economy. 

Follow the link below for a full press release.

Reminder: Scholarship Funds Available for the 2025 LEAD Conference

The Illinois Arts Council (IAC) is offering scholarships of up to $1,500 to assist with costs related to attending the 2025 Leadership Exchange in Arts & Disability (LEAD) Conference, taking place in Cleveland, OH, from August 18-22, 2025.

Eligible applicants include staff from Illinois not-for-profit arts organizations, government units, and higher education institutions focused on accessibility for individuals with disabilities. Priority will be given to first-time attendees, especially IAC grantees from rural, high-poverty, BIPOC, and disability communities.

The application deadline is May 13, 2025, at 11:59 PM. For more information on how to apply and conference registration, follow the "Learn More" link below. For questions, contact Teresa Davis at Teresa.N.Davis@illinois.gov.

Registration now Available for the Midwest Arts XPO Presenters Conference

The Midwest Arts XPO (MAX) is an arts conference created by Heartland Performing Arts, Inc., a nonprofit organization since June 2022, which brings together arts professionals to encourage innovation, create educational opportunities, strengthen artist touring relationships, and support arts advocacy throughout the central United States. The organization was founded by agents, artists, and state consortia leaders from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and beyond.

MAX has a robust schedule of over 250 artist showcases, including dance, theater, music, and more! Presenters will have an opportunity to see live performances and learn more about artists who are available for touring in the Midwest.

The conference is scheduled for September 15-18, 2025, in Milwaukee. Early bird conference registration is now open, and hotel reservations are available through MAX’s official housing reservation link.

Registration and booth purchase are now live on the Midwest Arts XPO website.  Early bird booth rental is available through July 14. Exhibitors may preview the exhibit hall floor plan HERE.

IAC Congratulates Poetry Ourselves Winners

Lana Cooper at Illinois' Poetry Out Loud contest. Photo Credit: William Richards

The Illinois Arts Council (IAC) is proud to honor the talented poets of the 2025 Poetry Ourselves competition! This inspiring contest invites exceptional students from the Poetry Out Loud (POL) program to share their original works, enhancing the appreciation of poetry in Illinois. We congratulate our top three winners: first-place Lana Cooper from University of Illinois Laboratory High School for her poem “Music Moves” (featured below), second-place Charles Kaffer from Chicago High School for the Agricultural Sciences with “The Fish Hatches,” and third-place Jayden Richardson from Freeburg Community High School with “The Time I Ate Moonshine Pickles.” The Springfield Area Arts Council hosts the Illinois state contest, to which POL finalists may submit their original written or spoken poems. 

Music moves 

Me? 

I only listen to music while moving, 

in the car on a roadtrip watching the

unending fields rush past, 

on the bus on my way to school watching the

houses and homes pass by, 

the fuzzy guitars and soft sound 

forcing nostalgia 

down my throat. 

I only listen to music while moving, 

feeling the rhythm in my bones, 

which steer me, 

turning, stepping, jumping, leaping, reaching,

heart racing and chest 

heaving. 

I used to listen to music while still, 

when the rhythms would get in my bones

and beg me to stand up and move, to 

turn step jump leap and reach 

into my heart 

where the music and the need 

would nestle themselves. 

I used to listen to music while still, 

when the notes would swell 

and the need would scream at me to 

get up get up get up get up 

and when I didn't, 

would make their way into my brain, my

thoughts racing and mind 

heaving. 

I don't hear music, 

music makes me listen, 

shouting in my brain, 

demanding what it needs from me 

until the bar reaches

the right, 

a reprieve from its

commands. 

Music moves 

me.