Today’s poster is “Buzz” by Maureen Hirsch.

HIRSCH-Buzz

I love Maureen’s heartfelt description of a cat who was a long-time resident of the cat shelter she is involved with. I love how Mike Hoium of Slow Dog Studios came up with art that so captured the spirit of a cat he’d never met.

It turned out to be such a good likeness that a reader of the Known by Heart newsletter, when we featured an image of “Buzz” last fall contacted me to say “I knew that cat!”

More recently I was contacted by Feline Rescue, where “Buzz” had lived to ask for a copy of the poster for the person who had adopted Buzz. Yes, Buzz found a permanent home, is still purring and, by now, thanks to Marie at Feline Rescue, he and his human companion have a copy of his poster.

Big thanks to Maureen for starting that chain with her poem.

Maureen’s a person of many talents…in addition to the time she gives to Feline Rescue, she also is a a ringleader of Keystone’s amazing craft group, a community of incredibly kind and creative people.

Maureen’s kindness and thoughtfulness made the workshops feel like home to many participants who might not otherwise have ventured into a poetry class.

Congratulations and big thanks to Maureen for this poem and for all the creative spark you bring to our community.

Note:

This is the sixth and final poster from the Knight Arts Challenge Writing Home project. But many different folks have shared how much these posters have meant to them…so we’ll be on the lookout for ways to bring you more posters in future.

Thanks

Thanks to Maureen and to Meleah Maynard and Mike Hoium of Slow Dog Studios for all the heart and talent they brought to this.  Thanks also to all Known by Heart’s funders, partners, volunteers and most of all the workshop participants for what you brought to this work.

And while we’re talking thanks —-Big thanks  to the fabulous folks at Broadsided for the idea of freely downloadable poetry broadsides.

Known by Heart Poetry Posters, 2017 Credits:

Design: Slow Dog Studios.
Text: © Maureen Hirsch
Made possible by John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Saint Anthony Park Community Foundation, Trillium Family Foundation and Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library.
Distribute freely, but please give credit. 

Funders:

John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library

Saint Anthony Park Community Foundation

Trillium Family Foundation

Partners:

Creative Enterprise Zone

Episcopal Homes

Hamline Midway Elders

FilmNorth formerly Independent Filmmaker Project of Minnesota

Keystone Community Services Senior Services Program

St. Anthony Park Area Seniors

St. Paul Public Library