GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – The City of Green Bay has announced Miriam Brabham as its inaugural Green Bay Poet Laureate, marking a new chapter in the city’s support of arts and culture.
Brabham will serve a two-year term from January 2026 through December 2027. In the role, she will act as an advocate and ambassador for poetry in Green Bay by creating original work inspired by the community, presenting poetry at civic events and leading a public poetry initiative.
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The Green Bay Poet Laureate Program is administered by the Green Bay Public Arts Commission, an advisory body to the Green Bay Common Council. The program was created to celebrate poetry, spoken word and literary arts as a public art form.
Brabham was selected following a competitive request for qualifications process in which five finalists were invited to submit proposals. The selection panel included members of the Green Bay Public Arts Commission, Nakeysha Roberts Washington, owner and creative director of Genre: Urban Arts, and Amy Mazzariello, owner of Lion’s Mouth Bookstore.
At the center of Brabham’s two-year initiative is “Poetry in Motion: The Voices of Green Bay,” a community-focused project aimed at bringing poetry into everyday spaces and reflecting the stories of local residents. The initiative will include partnerships with the Brown County Public Library, Oneida Community Library, Lion’s Mouth Bookstore and the Green Bay Area Public School District.
Planned programming includes free public workshops, poetry circles, author talks, open mics, school residencies and youth showcases. A strong emphasis will be placed on youth engagement through “Young Voices Rising,” a rotating school residency, and “Young Ink of Green Bay,” a youth poetry anthology developed in collaboration with local schools and libraries.
During the first year, participants will contribute to collective poems during workshops. Those writings will be woven into an original piece titled “Green and Gifted,” which will serve as the foundation for a community-inspired mural created in the second year with local visual artists. Residents will be invited to help paint the mural, with the project culminating in a public unveiling and celebration featuring youth readings and performances.
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“I believe that now more than ever, we need to be connected — to see ourselves and our experiences reflected and refracted in spaces we share,” Brabham said. “Poetry can be a bridge across age, gender, religion, ethnicity and identity itself.”
City officials said the inaugural program highlights poetry as a civic art form that strengthens community connections and amplifies local voices.
