Poets and Artists of the 2026 Poster Series
Join us in congratulating the 12 poet-artist pairs whose posters were recently selected for the 2026 series! Then go to the bottom of this post to learn more about the response to our call for poetry and art, the winners, and the selection process.
North/east sister streams
Flow into blue mother lake,
As eagles stand watch…
—Karen Antczak, poet, Syracuse
—Zoe Sauve, artist, Syracuse
Syracuse listens
note by note we measure time
Quarter by Quarter
—Nancy Chaffee, poet, Tully
—Keith Wilson, artist, Syracuse
a quarter
the cost of a love confession
in a phone booth
—Sebastian Chrobak, poet, Bielsko-Biała, Poland
—Carrie Goldsworthy, artist, Liverpool
Quarter after now,
Waiting for the announcement.
Yahoo! A Snow day!
—Izzy Duggar, poet, Syracuse
—Tammra Cook, artist, Charlton, MA
Gibbous moon shining
on new fallen snow
Early winter night
—Jean Fahey, poet, Syracuse
—Giselle Richmond, artist, Syracuse
Fleeting radiance—
year's third quarter—
Red, orange, gold stipple green
amidst infinite blue
—Tom Howard, poet, North Syracuse
—Sontuyen Huynh, artist, Houston, TX
1-2-3 in three-quarter time
Evokes Golden Age of Hotel Syracuse's Grand Ballroom
A classic memory of dancing the Waltz.
—Dawn Johnson, poet, Syracuse
—Jacqueline Adamo, artist, Syracuse
quattro stagioni…
mirror of the moon
Onondaga Lake
—Monica Kakkar, poet, New Delhi, India
—Katherine Curtin, artist, Syracuse
The Palace Theatre's
Silver screen flickers to life —
Just two bits to dream.
—Ellen Kimatian Eagen, poet, Syracuse
—Shea McCarthy, artist, Syracuse
Through the heart chambers
—atria and ventricles—
flows humanity
—Joseph Moorman, poet, Manlius
—Sal Agosta, artist, Syracuse
Footsteps shuffle like
hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades
Deviant Dance Tribe
—Joe Sarnicola, poet, Auburn
—Chelsey Myers, artist, Baldwinsville
Wait for a table.
An Armory Square Friday.
A New York minute.
—Mary Stanley, poet, Syracuse
—Virginia Alvisi, artist, Liverpool
Selection Details
Results of Call for Poetry and Art:
Our call for poetry for the 2026 poster series drew 71 returning poets and 18 new poets. Together they submitted 216 poems inspired by our 25th anniversary and the word “quarter.” We screened these to 172 semi-final poems. We then allocated four poems to each of 43 artists. Each artist selected one poem to illustrate.
Art Selection Process:
Of the 43 artists who signed up, 24 completed posters. From these, our guest panelists presided over a blind selection of 12 posters and awarded first-, second-, and third-place posters.
Awards:
First place went to the Kakkar / Curtin poster
Second place went to the Eagen / McCarthy poster
Third place went to the Chaffee / Wilson poster
The Panelists:
Marianna Ranieri-Schwarzer co-owner, Art Haus SYR.
Sarah Tietje-Mietz director of marketing, Downtown Committee of Syracuse.
Yolanda Stewart, former arts and culture writer, Central Current.
We will release the posters at an unveiling celebration, tentatively set for April 24. Mark your calendar.
Many thanks to our participating poets and artists, whose skill, creativity, and insight into local culture convey the special character of Central New York.