The Madison Arts Commission (MAC) recently announced Justin Festge Russell as the City’s newest Youth Poet Laureate. A recent graduate of Madison East High School and a First Wave scholar at UW–Madison, Justin will be formally introduced at the opening reception of the 2024 Madison Municipal Building Art Exhibition, “Everything but the Dinosaur: Art With & About Youth,” on Tuesday, September 10, 2024.
The Madison Arts Commission invites you to join them from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in Room 206 at the Madison Municipal Building, 215 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., to celebrate Justin’s appointment and explore the exhibition showcasing work by other local youth artists.
As the third Madison Youth Poet Laureate, Justin will participate in three public readings with the Madison Poet Laureate and feature his work in the National Youth Poet Laureate annual anthology. His role highlights his commitment to using poetry to amplify youth voices and inspire the community.
For more details on the Youth Poet Laureate Program and the exhibition, read the City of Madison news release.