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Women of Appalachia Project spoken word event seeks submissions

woman in red coat speaks at podium to a library room lined with books to about 50 people

Attendees listen to presenter at last year’s event in the Milano Reading Room.

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This fall, West Virginia University will again host the Women of Appalachia Project, which invites residents of all 420 Appalachian counties to submit writing to be featured in “Women Speak” a juried performance of poetry, song, short stories and essay. 

WVU Libraries is partnering with the Women’s Resource Center, and the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies to bring the spoken word event to the Downtown Campus Library on October 6 from 1-3 p.m.

Application deadline is August 15. Guidelines and other information are available at womenofappalachia.com.

Since 2009, Albany, Ohio-based poet and photographer Kari Gunter-Seymour has curated the fine art exhibitions and spoken word events via the Women of Appalachia Project, an arts organization she created to address discrimination of women from Appalachia. WOAP will be celebrating its 10th anniversary this season.

The Women’s Resource Center encourages individuals to consider the diversity of gender and sexual minorities, and hopes they explore an intersectional perspective that includes racial, ethnic, class, ability, religious, region and other identity markers.

WOAP is also accepting submissions of fine art. The pieces selected for the fine art exhibition will be on display at the Monongalia Art Center, with an opening reception on Oct. 6.

Other participating venues include Berea College, Kentucky; Northern Kentucky University; Ohio University Multicultural Center Art Gallery; Ohio University Southern; and The Historic Bowen House in Logan, Ohio.

-WVU-

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CONTACT: Sally Deskins, Exhibits & Programs Coordinator for WVU Libraries

304.293.0369; sbdeskins@mail.wvu.edu

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