Long Island’s first poetry path will soon be created in Northport Village Park; the path will begin at the flagpole, following the walkway behind the gazebo, to the steps leading up to Bayview Avenue.
Long Island’s first poetry path is coming to Northport Village Park, thanks to a partnership between the Northport Arts Coalition (NAC) and the Village of Northport. The poetry path will celebrate the original work of Long Island poets, with a portion of the exhibits dedicated to Northport authors, said NAC Director Amy Connor.
The path, which will travel along the walkway from the park flagpole, to the rear of the gazebo, and end at the steps up to Bayview Avenue, will feature twelve stands designed to coordinate with the park’s beauty and history. An additional stand containing information about the project and its sponsors will also be on the path.
Leadership at the Northport Arts Coalition is currently working with the Northport Village Board to choose the stands; the project was given initial approval at the board’s February 21 meeting.
Every year, the poems will be changed out, with new poems collected via a submission process similar to this year’s, and the winners chosen by a committee of professional poets from all over Long Island. The poems selected to launch the project, and those selected in the future, will be published in a chapbook.
This year, the path will be dedicated as part of NAC’s yearlong 25th anniversary programming, with a poetry celebration to be held in the park after the launch.
Sponsorships are still available at a variety of levels for anyone who’d like to support the project. The sponsor exhibit will be updated yearly at the same time the poems are updated. For additional information, to become a sponsor, or to simply donate to the project, contact Amy Connor at NorthportArtsCoalition@gmail.com.