Nine poets laureate and writers from across the western United States will gather Sunday, March 29, 2026, from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at the Brewery Arts Center in Carson City for In This Time: A Gathering of Poets Laureate from the West. The free, public event will be hosted by the Nevada Arts Council and is designed to explore how poetry can serve as a force of healing during challenging times.
Led by Nevada Poet Laureate Shaun Griffin, the event will provide each laureate and writer with the opportunity to read two poems that relate and reflect on the event’s theme. Following poem readings, time will be reserved for audience questions and conversation around how poetry can drive positivity, led by Nevada’s inaugural Poet Laureate, Gailmarie Pahmeier.
The following poets laureate and writers will be joining:
- Shaun Griffin, Nevada Poet Laureate
- Lauren Camp, New Mexico Poet Laureate
- Allen Jones, Montana Poet Laureate
- Ellen Waterston, Oregon Poet Laureate
- Mitchell Wieland, Idaho Writer in Residence
- Lisa Bickmore, Utah Poet Laureate
- Lee Herick, California Poet Laureate
- Derek Sheffield, Washington State Poet Laureate
- Barbara Smith, Wyoming Poet LaureateÂ
“This many poets laureate and writers joining together is both rare and an impressive demonstration that art has far greater tangible benefit in our lives than we may acknowledge,” said Tony Manfredi, executive director at Nevada Arts Council. “Today’s world is presenting new and unique challenges to us all and, no matter what one might be dealing with, the Nevada Arts Council is very proud to put together an event that will clearly show how poetry can help us process, make sense of or at least navigate forward.”
In This Time: A Gathering of Poets Laureate from the West is sponsored in part by the Nevada Arts Council, Nevada Humanities, Kinross Gold, the Brewery Arts Center, Kit Miller and William A. Douglass.
The Brewery Arts center is located at 449 W. King Street in Carson City, Nevada, 89703.
To learn more about the National Arts Council, visit www.nvartscouncil.org/. For media inquiries, contact Ariella Gattuso at ariella@gattusocoalition.com or (775) 721-9543.
