On Saturday, June 20, Poetry & Art Series 2015 presents contributing authors from the 2015 San Diego Poetry Annual (SDPA: http://sandiegopoetryannual.com), including this year's featured poet Maria Mazziotti Gillan (http://www.mariagillan.com). People’s Choice Poem Awards follow the SDPA reading/performances. Perry Vasquez (http://www.perryvasquez.com) will be in the museum making live painting. This interactive arts and culture experience will include beverages, snacks and plenty of time to mingle. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the show starts at 7 p.m. Members are free, nonmembers \$5 at the door. Bring snacks/libations to share and get in free! The event takes place in the San Diego Art Institute, 1439 El Prado, Balboa Park (http://www.sandiego-art.org).

San Diego Poetry Annual -- published by Garden Oak Press (http://gardenoakpress.com), William Harry Harding (http://sandiegopoetryannual.com/publisher), editor -- is part of the permanent collection of every college and university in our region. New Jersey poet Maria Mazzioti Gillan is SDPA's featured author for 2015. Other readers include Francisco Bustos, representing Southwestern College, Jenny Minitti-Shippey, editor of Poetry International (SDSU), Bill Mohr, award-winning poet and professor at CSU-Long Beach, and Penny Perry, six-time Pushcart Prize nominee in poetry and fiction.

The People’s Choice Poem Performance Award – All participants read/perform one poem under three minutes long. Audience members choose (by secret ballot) their favorite poem based on content and performance. Props, artwork, singing, music, dancing, all accompaniment is allowed and anything goes. Top poem performances (the poems that receive the most votes) win \$50. Audience members will be encouraged to hoot for their favorites and try to influence the rest of the audience.

DJ Barry Thomas (http://www.djbarrythomas.com) will provide sounds throughout the night. There will also be live music by Andrew Michel (bass), Jesse Michel (guitar) and Bill Harding (tenor sax).

Food, beer/wine, DJ, live music from local father-son string duo Jesse and Andrew Michael -- all thanks to museum curator and poet Michael Klam and the San Diego Arts Institute.

Writers/artists who would like to participate in the People’s Choice Poem Performance Awards can get their names in the hat ahead of time at mkklam\@gmail.com or sign in on the night of the show. Three \$50 "People's Choice" awards will be given for poems read during the open mic session -- open to all -- which will follow the first hour of the readings.

Co-sponsor Poetry International (http://poetryinternational.sdsu.edu) is an annual literary journal published by SDSU with Ilya Kaminsky as editor-in-chief. Additional sponsorship by San Diego Entertainment & Arts Guild.

Please contact host Michael Klam with any questions: 619-957-3264 (cell) or 619-236-0011 (museum).

http://sandiegopoetryannual.com/readings-2014/