New River Community College (NRCC) is pleased to announce the winners of its inaugural Virginia Community College System Poetry & Visual Arts Competition.
Participating students submitted original poetry and visual artworks during February and March interpreting the theme “I belong.” The program aimed to foster a sense of community and belonging at NRCC and across the Virginia Community College System. Twenty of the 23 colleges in the VCCS participated in this first year of the Poetry & Arts Competition, which was supported by the VCCS Advisory Council on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Culture.
Poet Laureate Winners: 1st Place: Ruth Johnson with The Darkness Feels Warm; 2nd Place: Sydney Proctor with Your “World”; 3rd Place: Jacob Hall with Through Him I Find Life; Honorary Mention: Cameron Flinchum with Gaia’s Open Arms.
Visual Luminary Winners: 1st Place: Jordan Perfater with Nature’s Calling; 2nd Place: Amara Freeman with A Work in Progress; 3rd Place: Kyle Scarrette with The Hobbyist-I Belong in the Communities of My Craft; Honorable Mention: Afton Thompson with Eye of Belonging.
“NRCC is extremely proud of our poet and artist winners and the creativity they displayed during these competitions,” said Dr. Pat Huber, NRCC president.
Winners at NRCC received ribbons, and the art contestants are exhibited in the Fletcher Gallery until the end of the semester. Johnson also won a spot to complete for statewide honors. College poetry winners from across Virginia will participate at a live performance of their original theme-related poems at the Dickinson Fine and Performing Arts Center at Piedmont Virginia Community College in Charlottesville on April 6 and a chance to be named “Poet Laureate” of Virginia’s Community Colleges. A panel of distinguished judges will determine the winner of the competition based on the individual’s original poetry, a private interview, and the Saturday performance.
“The work of our students is wonderful,” said VCCS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer Carla Kimbrough. “I’m so grateful to college coordinators who organized the competitions at their colleges, and the judges at the college level who helped us find true gems of creativity in this inaugural event. We are so excited to showcase the message of belonging from our talented poets and visual artists from so many of our colleges at our April 6 event.”
With the support of Virginia’s Humanities, the winners from all 20 participating colleges will have their poetry and visual arts featured in a book to be published this summer. The Virginia Humanities grant also supported professional development for the college poet laureates and top visual artists.
