St. Paul – Voices Forward: Teen Poets Imagine the Future

Join us for an evening of teen poetry with Voices Forward at the Bell Museum. Voices Forward is a poetry and public humanities project for emerging poets (ages 13-19) from across Minnesota. Through mentorship and workshops with acclaimed Minnesota poets, teen poets spent the summer crafting poetry that explores the Smithsonian Folklife Festival’s themes around the 250th anniversary of the country: Remembering Together, Harmonizing Together, Moving Together, and Building Together.

At this showcase, students will read their poetry that imagines futures for themselves, their communities, and the nation—in their own words! The evening will also include reflections from the poetry mentors: Michael Bazzett, Lester Batiste, Tarik Dobbs, and Amanda Rosas. The reading and reflections will be set against the backdrop of the Imagine the Future gallery, grounding us in a space that invites us to work together, uphold community, think big, wonder, and boldly ask — what futures can we imagine? When you join us early, you can explore this gallery and dive into writing and reflect prompts to try some writing of your own.

Schedule

6:00 p.m. – Doors open.
6:00–7:00 p.m. – Participants can explore the gallery Imagine the Future, with writing and reflection prompts. The Bell’s Curiosity Shop will be open.
7:00 p.m. – Program participants will read their work.
7:45 p.m. – Program ends.

About Voices Forward

Voices Forward is part of By the People: Conversations Beyond 250, a series of community-driven programs created by humanities councils across the United States, its territories, and the District of Columbia in collaboration with local partners. Together, these programs explore 250 years of the nation’s cultural life and imagine its shared future. The initiative was developed by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage as a complement to the 2026 Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

Registration

This experience is free and open to all, however registration is required.

Accessibility Note: The Bell Museum is fully committed to creating an inclusive environment. We are proud to offer multiple services or resources. For additional information or to request an accommodation, please contact the accessibility office at 612-625-4511 or bellaccess@umn.edu.

Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org

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