A new poetry exhibit, featuring the work of multiple English students, opened Thursday afternoon in the Shippensburg University Ezra Lehman Memorial Library.

Located in the bottom floor of the library, the exhibit collects the writings of students in Nicole Santalucia’s advanced poetry class. Each student selected a piece of poetry and put together some artwork to go with it, creating poetry in action or mixed media poetry. The wide variety of styles featured in the exhibit brought each poem to life and gave a sense of what the writer intended with their work.

For Thursday’s grand opening of the exhibit, students had the opportunity to read their featured work. Some of the students even shared additional poems that were not featured in the exhibit. Following the readings, Santalucia and the presenters mingled among fellow students and faculty who had come to view the pieces.

Santalucia was excited for her students as they got the chance to present some of their best work of the semester. The exhibit itself is still young after starting last year, but Santalucia hopes to continue the event annually and spark more interest in poetry and the English major.

Senior Ryen Radcliff was one of a handful of presenters at the reception. Despite being relatively new to poetry, he has really enjoyed the craft so far.

“It was sort of a gamble for me,” said Radlciff. “I never considered myself a poetry person, but I’ve been really enjoying it and it’s been a great outlet.”

The poems and their accompanying artwork can be found on the wall and in glass display cases at the bottom of the steps in the library. The exhibit runs until Friday.

Share